Hiking sticks on aircraft?

[margaret kinane]

I'm trying to travel with hand luggage only. But my sticks won't fit. Can I carry these through airport security?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Lots of different opinions and experiencs, based on the airports and airlines.

From home, Montreal, I can. From Santiago, we can't.

 

[dougfitz]

The rules are clear - they are prohibited items in cabin baggage, but not in checked bags. The application of those rules by humans seems quite variable, although there appears to be one certainty - the rules are applied rigourously at Santiago airport.

 

[David Hobson]

I'm trying to travel with hand luggage only. But my sticks won't fit. Can I carry these through airport security?

All walking poles that I have seen will come apart, (don't lose the plastic bits that are inside the poles) usually into three sections that then will fit into most backpacks.

 

[nidarosa]

Your best and safest bet is to send them ahead to your first night's booked accommodation. They are normally not permitted in hand luggage although practices and experiences vary.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I'm trying to travel with hand luggage only. But my sticks won't fit. Can I carry these through airport security?

Hi Margaret , no you can't.
Thats why I always check in my pack.

 

[Former member 42123]

Had to leave mine at Madrid after first Camino,used only hold luggage since.

 

[t2andreo]

Please avoid aggravation and disappointment and check your poles, in your rucksack.

As mentioned above, if your poles are the twist-adjust kind, you can loosen them and separate the segments. This shortens the poles by another 2 to 3 inches. Bundle them together with a sturdy rubber band or two. They should fit into your rucksack. Sometimes one to a side works better if your pack is tightly packed.

If they are still too long for the rucksack, consider lashing them to the side of the outside of the rucksack.

To check my rucksack, I go to my local dollar store and buy a string closure laundry bag large enough to hold the rucksack. I choose a garish color that will be easy to spot at baggage reclaim, and less likely to "grow legs..."

Place the loaded rucksack in the laundry bag. Affix a luggage tag to the base end on the pull string. Use multiple, but easy to manage knots to ensure the bag does not come undone in transit and handling. I added two spring-loaded plastic toggles to manage the pull cord, and to aid in keeping the bag closed.

This protects my rucksack and poles in transit and ensures I spot it immediately. My checked rucksack has always showed up when and where I expect it to be.

I hope this helps.

 

[margaret kinane]

Thanks all for the feedback. Difficulty here is it costs €40 each way to check in a bag from Dublin. Almost the same cost again of my flight but it looks like I have no other choice.

 

[linda piso]

I'm trying to travel with hand luggage only. But my sticks won't fit. Can I carry these through airport security?

Not from Pittsburgh unfortunately.

 

[linda piso]

Thanks all for the feedback. Difficulty here is it costs €40 each way to check in a bag from Dublin. Almost the same cost again of my flight but it looks like I have no other choice.

why not leave the poles behind and pick one up when you arrive, you will most likely get on for less than the shipment cost, then you can carry your bag.

 

[movinmaggie]

Thanks all for the feedback. Difficulty here is it costs €40 each way to check in a bag from Dublin. Almost the same cost again of my flight but it looks like I have no other choice.

Or you can purchase them when you arrive... Buen Camino

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks all for the feedback. Difficulty here is it costs €40 each way to check in a bag from Dublin. Almost the same cost again of my flight but it looks like I have no other choice.

Ah, but the cost of the flight is quasi nil, so .... I get a "free" checked bag but pay almost 1000$ for the privilege.

 

[C clearly]

Even when I decide to check poles and knife, in a throw-away package, I carry my backpack with all my other stuff into the cabin, to reduce risk. Checking one item doesn't mean you have to check it all!

 

[MickMac]

Thanks all for the feedback. Difficulty here is it costs €40 each way to check in a bag from Dublin. Almost the same cost again of my flight but it looks like I have no other choice.

Margaret.

Once again this subject comes up. I have brought my sticks through Dublin 3 times back and forth wrapped in my carry on rucksack with no problems, flying into Biarritz.
If you are of a nervous disposition the P.C. thing to do is to buy cheap ones at your destination .

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

I have had various experiences with this on several different airlines all over the world. Some allow and do not.
In 2016 Leaving L.A. on Iberian to Spain, no problem. 2 months later flying from Santiago to L.A. on Iberian I got shut down and had to check them through. Same company two sets of rules. Go figure!

 

[dougfitz]

Same company two sets of rules.

Lets be clear this is not a rule set by the airlines, but by the various air safety agencies - TSA in the US, CASA in Australia, etc, etc.

 

[Donna Sch]

Virgin Australia certainly don't!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I have had various experiences with this on several different airlines all over the world. Some allow and do not.
In 2016 Leaving L.A. on Iberian to Spain, no problem. 2 months later flying from Santiago to L.A. on Iberian I got shut down and had to check them through. Same company two sets of rules. Go figure!

Airport rules.

 

[MickMac]

I feel the real problem is the time you need getting through at arrivals waiting for your luggage hoping they will be there, and not in another continent . Its great just to walk straight to passport control.

 

[FeatherG]

Hi Margaret,

Like yourself, I only intend taking hand luggage. Aer Lingus baggage prices have gone ridiculous lately I think.
I brought my pack and sticks through last year - no problem. I had a small back-pack, as I was only doing a week, and folded my
sticks as small as they would go. I flew Dublin-Bilbao. I'm flying Dublin-Santiago in 9 days and intend doing the same. I've travelled
with a group on previous trips to Santiago and our sticks were put through together in one pack. I'm going solo this time, but intend doing the same. If they take them off me at Santiago on return, that'll be a shame, as I've used them on 5 different sections so far. However, I think I'll
still risk it, ... once I can get in ... and use them .... Sarria to Santiago. They weren't expensive (more sentimental value, so I'd still like to keep them) but, if it happens, ... I'll just get another pair for my next trip.
Don't sweat the small stuff ... have a great Camino ... and may the luck o' the Irish be with you. Buen Camino!
Oh, .... in case we don't meet en route .. 'go neiri an bother leat'!
Or, as my friend Siobhan likes to say ... 'lift them up ... they'll fall themselves'!

 

[margaret kinane]

Hi Margaret,

Like yourself, I only intend taking hand luggage. Aer Lingus baggage prices have gone ridiculous lately I think.
I brought my pack and sticks through last year - no problem. I had a small back-pack, as I was only doing a week, and folded my
sticks as small as they would go. I flew Dublin-Bilbao. I'm flying Dublin-Santiago in 9 days and intend doing the same. I've travelled
with a group on previous trips to Santiago and our sticks were put through together in one pack. I'm going solo this time, but intend doing the same. If they take them off me at Santiago on return, that'll be a shame, as I've used them on 5 different sections so far. However, I think I'll
still risk it, ... once I can get in ... and use them .... Sarria to Santiago. They weren't expensive (more sentimental value, so I'd still like to keep them) but, if it happens, ... I'll just get another pair for my next trip.
Don't sweat the small stuff ... have a great Camino ... and may the luck o' the Irish be with you. Buen Camino!
Oh, .... in case we don't meet en route .. 'go neiri an bother leat'!
Or, as my friend Siobhan likes to say ... 'lift them up ... they'll fall themselves'!

Thanks for the good wishes. Thus is my 3rd trip. Last year my sticks were taken from me in Santiago. Aer lingus were fine on the way out but santiago is the problem

 

[FeatherG]

Oh dear, that's a bummer! Maybe we'll be lucky enough to find a 'group bag' that we can throw ours into!
Either way, I am not going without my sticks ... so if I have to 'give them up' in Santiago ...I'll still have the memories!

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

When i was asked to check them in in Santiago on Iberian in 2016, I was not charged

 

[Glenn Rowe]

Thanks all for the feedback. Difficulty here is it costs €40 each way to check in a bag from Dublin. Almost the same cost again of my flight but it looks like I have no other choice.

At €80, you'd save money by purchasing a pair when you arrive, and leaving them behind when you return home.

 

[Dara H]

Thanks all for the feedback. Difficulty here is it costs €40 each way to check in a bag from Dublin. Almost the same cost again of my flight but it looks like I have no other choice.

Margaret, I flew out of Dublin last September with my deconstructed poles in my rucksack which I brought as cabin baggage. I did the same flying home through Madrid. (The poles had the big rubber wedge toes. I don't know whether this made any difference.) It seems to be a different matter in Santiago airport.
Dara.

 

[margaret kinane]

Margaret, I flew out of Dublin last September with my deconstructed poles in my rucksack which I brought as cabin baggage. I did the same flying home through Madrid. (The poles had the big rubber wedge toes. I don't know whether this made any difference.) It seems to be a different matter in Santiago airport.
Dara.

Yes dara. Santiago is definitely the problem

 

[brian560]

Does anyone have any knowledge of whether I can carry collapsible poles in my hand luggage flying TAP from Madrid to Lisbon?

 

[margaret kinane]

Does anyone have any knowledge of whether I can carry collapsible poles in my hand luggage flying TAP from Madrid to Lisbon?

I'm not sure brian. It seems to vary depending on security in the airport you are travelling to/from

 

[Klogwog]

I'm not sure brian. It seems to vary depending on security in the airport you are travelling to/from

Whats wrong in purchasing them whilst your in Spain, Portugal or France then leaving them their for the next Peregrine thats what I shall be doing

 

[margaret kinane]

Whats wrong in purchasing them whilst your in Spain, Portugal or France then leaving them their for the next Peregrine thats what I shall be doing

It can take a while to get used to a particular type of stick. I have been trekking at home with mine for some weeks now plus they were quite expensive so I want to take them with me.

 

[Klogwog]

It can take a while to get used to a particular type of stick. I have been trekking at home with mine for some weeks now plus they were quite expensive so I want to take them with me.

I purchased one last year in Spain and it only cost 8 eu (my key board does not have EU symbols) but hey thats just my way

 

[peregrina2000]

Does anyone have any knowledge of whether I can carry collapsible poles in my hand luggage flying TAP from Madrid to Lisbon?

I flew TAP a few weeks ago from Lisbon to Madeira and carrying on my poles in plain view in my hands (though collapsed) was no problem.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Someone came in to the CSJ office this week who says she was sent back from the security gate at Santiago to the EasyJet desk in March. She then bound the poles together and they went on as stowed luggage - and came out the other end on the carousel! I forgot to ask whether she was charged or not.
But if you're going to chance it you need to leave sufficient time to get back to the airline desk to get them checked in. Interesting development.

 

[nidarosa]

I have to agree with @Kathar1na here - buying and ditching seems very wasteful, and until someone starts collecting the ditched ones and selling them second hand in St Jean etc, I would recommend you spend a much smaller amount of money to have them sent to your first night's accommodation and pick them up there. Print out your address and bring a practically weightless bin liner in your pack, and as soon as you get to Santiago you just need to ask nicely for some tape and send them home again. Or if you want to buy souvenirs, new clothes etc in Santiago, check the pack with the poles in it.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

This is great to know in the event I fly Aerlingus in the future. Thanks !

 

[margaret kinane]

Well, it's official, if you fly Aerlingus from Santiago you don't have to pay 40 EUR for compulsory check-in of your walking poles, not even when you have a budget ticket for a domestic or inter-European flight. I have it from the horse's mouth, namely the Aerlingus Customer Relations Spain / Dpto. de Atención a Clientes España. I specifically asked about the Aerlingus Saver Fare tickets and here is their reply:

• Yes, you cannot take it on board, but you can checking free of charge.
• ***Aer Lingus no cobra cargos por facturación / Aer Lingus do not charge any check-in fees***

Earlier in this thread, there is a link to a reliable looking source that informs that this is the case for all airlines flying from Santiago de Compostela.

And if I'm allowed to express an opinion: buying cheap and throwing away is an option but it is still a waste of resources and does not fit in with the Camino narrative of simple life/away from consumerism.

Thanks so much. Very helpful

 

[glennb77]

on one of my camino´s i wanted to take a bamboo hikingstaff (around 150 cm) from home
so i did send a mail with a picture to the airline and told i was going on a pilgrimage and if it was
possible to take it with me on the plane .
and to my surprise i was allowed to take it with me in the cabin ,the only thing i had to do was
put it in a cardboard tube .
and i even didn't have to pay for it.

so my advice just ask the airline and if you get a positive answer take the e-mail with you
and you will be fine.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

on one of my camino´s i wanted to take a bamboo hikingstaff (around 150 cm) from home
so i did send a mail with a picture to the airline and told i was going on a pilgrimage and if it was
possible to take it with me on the plane .
and to my surprise i was allowed to take it with me in the cabin ,the only thing i had to do was
put it in a cardboard tube .
and i even didn't have to pay for it.

so my advice just ask the airline and if you get a positive answer take the e-mail with you
and you will be fine.

Hi GlennB77,

What airlines did you fly ?

 

[glennb77]

i don't remember but it was a european airline.
just send a e-mail to the airline it only takes a couple of minutes.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Thank you....................................

 

[Appalachian]

I'm trying to travel with hand luggage only. But my sticks won't fit. Can I carry these through airport security?

I just returned from finishing my Camino. Flew Delta from Charlotte NC to Madrid with change in Atlanta. Checked in advance with Delta--told poles could go in carry-on if entirely enclosed in pack with no protruding parts. My poles collapsed sufficiently to just make it. My friend was able to disassemble her poles so they fit as well.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Welcome home ! Hope you enjoyed yourself.

It amazes me how there is a lack of uniformity among-st airlines throughout the world given all the touted dangers in regards to terrorism and "weapons" being carried on board airlines. I have only once been challenged on carrying my poles on board. It was in Santiago en route to Los Angeles via Heathrow.
Oh well, this is one of my least worry's in life.

 

[C clearly]

I have only once been challenged on carrying my poles on board. It was in Santiago

The most consistent application of the rules in the world seems to be at Santiago airport: walking poles are simply not allowed in carry on baggage from that airport.

 

[MichaelSG]

And just for the fun of it.... about 130m south of the Plaza de Obradoiro is the Correos (post office) on the corner of Rua do Franco and Travesia de Fonseca. From that corner, just 20m down the road to the west, you can see a fantastic dumpster that always seems to have fresh contributions of perfect condition cardboard boxes. As many of these boxes previously contained bottles of wine, I reasoned that surely they were left there for pilgrims to use as needed. Two of these free boxes, plus a roll of 1 euro shipping tape from one of the many Chinese Bazaars that border the old city as well as 15 minutes of ingenuity and sweat was all it took to make a perfectly good container for our flights homeward.

Alternatively, you can always have a long heated argument with the security at Santiago airport about why real pilgrims should be allowed to carry their walking sticks because they earned the right by walking 100 or 800km or how pilgrims spend millions of dollars in Spain and he is risking losing that for the country because of his silly rule. Your choice.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Good thoughts MichaelSG !

 

[alaskadiver]

Welcome home ! Hope you enjoyed yourself.

It amazes me how there is a lack of uniformity among-st airlines throughout the world given all the touted dangers in regards to terrorism and "weapons" being carried on board airlines. I have only once been challenged on carrying my poles on board. It was in Santiago en route to Los Angeles via Heathrow.
Oh well, this is one of my least worry's in life.

It's not the airlines. It's TSA that makes the call on what gets through security. Yeah, the airline gate agent might say something when you get to the gate with poles sticking out of the side of your bag-but the rules are TSA's. Yes, they do appear inconsistent.