Kilt Pins and Air Travel

[revdpatience]

I fly on business three to four days every week (that’s usually six to eight flight segments). I am about as familiar with TSA, Pre✔️, Clear, and how to maneuver through an airport as anyone can be.

I intend to fly kilted for the first time this coming Friday, April 6, as it is Tartan Day and I will be returning home from DC.

Naturally, I will put the kilt pin in a checked bag — I don’t carry a sgian dubh anywhere. When I’m homeward bound, I usually check my roller bag anyway, so I have less to bring onto the airplane.

My question is about the sporran at the metal detector. When any of you have flown with a sporran, does it work best to remove the sporran only and leave the belt/chain around your waist, or does it work better to remove the sporran and belt all together?

As a gentleman of a certain *ahem* stature, my kilt has loops on the hips for the sporran chain to run through, which makes removing the sporran belt a little more complicated.

[Terry Searl]

I fly on business three to four days every week (that’s usually six to eight flight segments). I am about as familiar with TSA, Pre✔️, Clear, and how to maneuver through an airport as anyone can be.

I intend to fly kilted for the first time this coming Friday, April 6, as it is Tartan Day and I will be returning home from DC.

Naturally, I will put the kilt pin in a checked bag — I don’t carry a sgian dubh anywhere. When I’m homeward bound, I usually check my roller bag anyway, so I have less to bring onto the airplane.

My question is about the sporran at the metal detector. When any of you have flown with a sporran, does it work best to remove the sporran only and leave the belt/chain around your waist, or does it work better to remove the sporran and belt all together?

As a gentleman of a certain *ahem* stature, my kilt has loops on the hips for the sporran chain to run through, which makes removing the sporran belt a little more complicated.

YES! I know there are written rules with regards to what you can and cannot carry on a plane. My experience has taught me that in the larger airports those rules are always the same and can be anticipated......HOWEVER..heh! heh! It is also my experience that when flying through smaller regional airports, the person doing the checking is usually more than Zealous with his/her checks and often adds a rule or two of his/her own......frustrating to say the least and there is NO ARGUING WITH THEM ..........In My Opinion for what it's worth don't carry anything on the plane that might trigger the custom persons over zealous nature. If in doubt put it in Checked baggage.......Just because something gets through at one time it doesn't mean it will get through everytime thereafter .......I usually travel away with only carry on, so if in doubt I don't take the item. There are very few places that the questionable item can't be purchased at your destination. Coming home I often just check even what was carry on luggage straight through, (if I am able to) so I don't have to bother about it on my return journey.

[Katia]

I always try to be extra careful. Recently when going through Incheon Airport's security line, the security officer started looking at items in a mesh pocket in my messenger bag. I had to explain to her my traditional Thai herbal inhaler (carried against the possibility of a seatmate who perhaps ought to have bathed before flying), and she took my keychain with the attached P51 can opener to someone else to ask about it. It was apparently determined that it was okay because she gave it back, but I don't fly with it on my keychain anymore, just in case... (first time I've ever had an issue with it in any country, and not a big deal to lose it, but I'd still rather not). IOW, if even remotely in doubt, I'd rather toss something in the suitcase if I'm checking one. This rule even goes for small liquids if I don't actually need them in carry-on, even if they're within regs.

I wouldn't carry any sort of pin in carry-on if I could help it. If I recall, when I went to Scotland for dance competitions, even though my costumes went with me in a large rucksack, I think I put my brooch for my Nationals costume in the checked luggage. I would've been sad to lose it if my suitcase had been lost, but I would've been more sad to lose it if it was confiscated in Security.

And, regardless of what TSA proper has told you, I would imagine that things in a "gray area"-- I'd count a kilt pin in this category-- might still be subject to confiscation if a different TSA officer interprets the rules otherwise or had a bad day or whatever.

I fly on business three to four days every week (that’s usually six to eight flight segments). I am about as familiar with TSA, Pre✔️, Clear, and how to maneuver through an airport as anyone can be.

I intend to fly kilted for the first time this coming Friday, April 6, as it is Tartan Day and I will be returning home from DC.

Naturally, I will put the kilt pin in a checked bag — I don’t carry a sgian dubh anywhere. When I’m homeward bound, I usually check my roller bag anyway, so I have less to bring onto the airplane.

My question is about the sporran at the metal detector. When any of you have flown with a sporran, does it work best to remove the sporran only and leave the belt/chain around your waist, or does it work better to remove the sporran and belt all together?

As a gentleman of a certain *ahem* stature, my kilt has loops on the hips for the sporran chain to run through, which makes removing the sporran belt a little more complicated.

Personally, I think they'll probably ask you to remove the whole thing. Usually in the U.S. they want you to take your belt off, so I don't imagine they would want you to leave the chain.

[bikercelt1]

I've flown a bit in my kilt. I have a tactical belt with nylon buckle that I got at a sporting goods store. When I get close to the check point I put my watch, bracelet, necklace, and any other metal items in my sporran and send it through with the rest of my carry on. The buckles on my kilt have not set off the metal detectors. As much as I used to like the extra bling of a kilt pin, the first time I took it off to travel I saw the pull it put on the apron and never put it back on. I have several really nice kilt pins in my drawer but none on any of my kilts.

[OC Richard]

I could see the wisdom, if somebody wanted to wear their kilt on the plane, of switching out the metal buckles for plastic ones. That way there would be no metal at all, once the sporran was removed and put in the bin.

I just don't understand anybody wanting to wear their kilt on the plane. I have never done that and probably never will.

I avoid driving or riding in a car in a kilt. It's standard practice here for pipers and drummers to drive to the gig in pants and put on their kilts at the gig. That way the kilt's pleats look nice at the performance.

The last thing I would want to do is go on a long drive, or an airplane flight, smashing my kilt for hours.

BTW I don't check bags when flying. Anything that doesn't fit in the carryon doesn't get taken on the trip. Which is the only reason I can see for wearing Highland Dress on a plane: it takes up so much room in the carryon. Yet I have flown with just the small carryon, it holding my Highland Dress and my disassembled pipes and everything else I need for the trip.

[Tobinn]

I could see the wisdom, if somebody wanted to wear their kilt on the plane, of switching out the metal buckles for plastic ones. That way there would be no metal at all, once the sporran was removed and put in the bin.

I just don't understand anybody wanting to wear their kilt on the plane. I have never done that and probably never will.

I avoid driving or riding in a car in a kilt. It's standard practice here for pipers and drummers to drive to the gig in pants and put on their kilts at the gig. That way the kilt's pleats look nice at the performance.

The last thing I would want to do is go on a long drive, or an airplane flight, smashing my kilt for hours.

BTW I don't check bags when flying. Anything that doesn't fit in the carryon doesn't get taken on the trip. Which is the only reason I can see for wearing Highland Dress on a plane: it takes up so much room in the carryon. Yet I have flown with just the small carryon, it holding my Highland Dress and my disassembled pipes and everything else I need for the trip.

I've just started wearing the kilt so I can't speak to flying with one. I plan on it for an upcoming trip to NJ. The flight(s) (stops going up and non-stop coming back) are about two hours. I could see not wearing a kilt for a longer flight (or drive), though.

The main reason(s) I plan on donning the kilt for my travels is that I pretty much only wear them on the weekends right now. I'm planning on working on approval at work on casual Friday. I'd wear them seven days a week if I could.

I've only been wearing kilts now for a couple of months but from the get go - it just felt right. I'm 48 years old. I've never worn anything that just completely clicked and felt as natural and comfortable. No one who knows me would describe me as overly spontaneous. My wife calls me "Mr. Tuck-Tuck-Fold". I spent three days researching a hand mixer. Two months researching kilts. I'm not one for fads or passing fancies; I'm old enough to know what I like. And this garment...I like.

So, for me, this is an opportunity to be kilted as I please, when I please, where I please for almost two weeks and I guess I don't want to give up a minute.

And...if I'm honest...I love the conversations I get out of it; I've met an awful lot of nice folks with whom I wouldn't have otherwise struck up a conversation and I can't wait to see who I meet at the airport.

[tpa]

It is easy, anything with a pin goes in checked baggage. I have made up several circular magnetic kilt pins for air travel. No minature swords, daggers, axes, no problem with security. They go in the sporran through the scanner and back on the kilt afterwards. It can be quite breezy if you have to walk to the plane!

Only issue I have had is losing one once when it must have got caught on something at some point, not too difficult when negotiating an airport with all your luggage or the tight confines of aircraft seating, so sometimes I remove it in the plane as well.

[bikercelt1]

I just don't understand anybody wanting to wear their kilt on the plane. I have never done that and probably never will... It's standard practice here for pipers and drummers to drive to the gig in pants and put on their kilts at the gig. That way the kilt's pleats look nice at the performance.

BTW I don't check bags when flying. Anything that doesn't fit in the carryon doesn't get taken on the trip.... Yet I have flown with just the small carryon, it holding my Highland Dress and my disassembled pipes and everything else I need for the trip.

Really good points, all. I wear a kilt all the time though, so if I fly I'm gonna wear a kilt. Since I no longer own trousers the alternative doesn't bare thinking about! (pun intended) I've noticed that a lot of pipe band guys wear trousers or jeans and change at the venue. It makes sense, I just never thought of it that way. Yeah, some of the time my pleats get messed up and I have to fix them, I figured it's just part of the deal.

I'm only a fledgling piper, and I too have filled my pipe bag with other stuff as a carry-on or put my pipes in a backpack along with other stuff. I live in fear that one day there won't be room in the overheads and the stewards will tell me I have to check it. Has that ever happened to you?

[LANCER1562]

I have flown from Denver International Airport to Oakland International Airport and from back as well as from DIA to SFO (San Francisco International in a kilt with claymore kilt pin attached with no problems except when the wife and I took her emotional support dog through Security. The TSA agent made my wife take the dog's harness off because it had metal buckles on it but refused to let me go through first to hold the dog on the other side. The agent said nothing about the kilt pin but did ask if I had the knife that goes in my sock (sgian dubh). I told him that I had left it at home.

[John_Carrick]

The budget airlines in Europe (I don't know about North Amerca) can charge a lot for a checked bag. If I wear my kilt and jacket my carry on can fit all I need for a shorter holiday of up to six days and fewer delays at the airport. It is never that much of a bother wearing my kilt through security but I would not fancy wearing it for a long haul flight.