Transformers in checked luggage?

[Shamadan]

Hi
I know that it's not a technical problem but I was wondring if there are any problems with airlines regarding transporting (transformers, lamps...) in checked luggage. I asked my friend to buy me 3 transformers in USA and take it to Europe and I don't want him to have any problems. So did any of You encounter any obstacles. Thanks

[Roe]

I've tried this once. My girlfriend had lots of transformers with her. At least 10kg. We got stopped by the security check. Some strange looks and a couple of question. but that was all. So no real problems at all.

[xtian]

Tell the agents you can explain exactly how they work. In detail. Lots and lots of detail.

[Shamadan]

That's a good idea

[Phil_S]

Weigh carefully to avoid the overweight charge, which will sting. AFA the security people, it might help to have a bill of sale with you and have them in original boxes. Honestly, I'm not sure. Make sure they are easily accessible. Even if you are shipping them through, you can depend on them being examined. On the xray, they are a block of something and they will want to know what.

[roberto]

Once I went from Hodeidah to Sana'a to Jeddah to Milan with a pharmaceutical chemical dosing pump in my luggage.
Checked in at Hodeida explaining before what I was carrying and why, got no problems at all.

Transformers from USA will be easier.
Just check the weight.

[Reeltarded]

attach all the wires to hotdogs

[Ron Worley]

I carried a whole Trainwreck Express That I had made for a mate in the UK in a checked bag. Zero issues whatsoever.

[Shamadan]

Thanks for all the info.

[Stevem]

But first spray paint the dogs red to get the full effect!

[rp]

I brought an RJ OT over to Italy last year. They definitely spotted it and opened up the suitcase as things were moved around. I can't believe they really xray all the check-n luggage. I had some other hardware in there but I'm sure the tranny set them off. Don't lock your luggage but you can't do that anymore anyway. I can't even imagine the extremely odd crap people must pack and the crazy stuff the airport people must see.

Going to the USA years ago my mom had a bouquet of roses made up by an florist here and instead of baby's breath and that leafy filler they use she had them make it w/ branches of rosemary from her brother's garden. That was in the 70s when women would still dress up for a plane flight so it wasn't too unusual to see a good looking well dressed woman holding a big bouquet of roses on a plane.

Other Italian friend working in the usa would take his canaries back and forth w/ him in his carry-on. He was a med lab tech, he'd zonk them with ether and wrap them up in a handkerchiefs. Every set period of time he'd go into the plane bathroom and zonk them some more. Imagine getting on a plane with ether now!

People are nuts, even the sane ones. Transformer is nothing - and legit.

[Shamadan]

Thanks for the tip. I would ask my friend to put trannies with all documents on top so "they" will have an easy access.

[Roe]

I'm not sure the security check always care about a little overweight. At least, we were not stopped

[The Ballzz]

I think I would worry more about customs people harassing you for trying to avoid fees, tarrifs, taxes, etc!
Just Sayin'
Gene

[Phil_S]

I'm assuming you are shipping this through and not trying to hand carry it. In my personal experience, for an international flight, once you reach the weight limit, they won't hesitate to charge for overweight and it's expensive. One of my daughters had an experience where she removed and carried on a sweatshirt (almost 2 pounds) to make weight.

If carry on, they enforce both size and weight restrictions. You have to be careful. My other daughter ran into a situation where they cleared her bag from the US to London where she changed to go to France. They decided to strictly enforce the size restriction on the second leg of the flight. She had to buy a smaller bag in the airport, split her stuff and check the now oversize bag and pay a fee. She did not want to part with some of her carry-on stuff and I couldn't blame her for that.

Check the rules carefully and assume they will be enforced.