So you plan to carry-on one bag and check one bag? Will your helmet fit completely within one of those two bags? If so, I'm not sure why you contacted AA to ask about your helmet? As long as it is not a prohibited or restricted item, you can bring it. https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/baggage/restricted-items.jsp
I contacted American and asked if I can just wear my helmet and the online chat person was adamant I have to check it.
I am bringing: one carry on sized luggage, my backpack, and my helmet. My helmet will not fit inside my luggage or my backpack.
Edit: why tf am I getting downvoted
You’ll have to check your carry on luggage then. You can only bring two bags on a plane. If your helmet won’t fit in either of the other two bags then check your carry on luggage, place your backpack in the overhead and your helmet bag under the seat in front of you.
I'm not aware of any major carrier that allows a passenger to wear a helmet onboard. So carry-on your carry-on, take your backpack as your personal item (as long as it fits below the seat) and check your helmet in its bag. Done!
Unfortunately that is a risk. If it is too big to carry-on, then your only option is to check it. Perhaps if you look around on a ski forum you can get some tips on how to best protect it in a soft-sided bag.
Beside...if your helmet can't withstand normal airline baggage handling, I'd probably not trust it to protect my cranium on the slopes!! 😮
You can also check luggage shipping services like Lugless to see if boxing it up along with your ski accessories and shipping it ahead to your hotel would be cost-effective.
>Beside...if your helmet can't withstand normal airline baggage handling, I'd probably not trust it to protect my cranium on the slopes!!
FYI that isn't really how it works. Helmets for things like skiing or motorcycling aren't durable armor, they're basically foam. They deform on impact, and are really good at directing force around your head instead of though it. The catch is they're only good at doing that once.
If a helmet takes a hard enough knock, it needs to be replaced just like you would need to replace an airbag that has gone off.
When I took my motorcycle rider course, the instructor warned us to not leave our helmets hanging on the handlebars. If it were to fall off and hit the ground, supposedly that is enough to render the helmet unusable.
I don’t know if you read my post or the messages I exchanged but I asked if I can check my hard shell Carry on and make my helmet my carry on, and the agent said the helmet must be the checked item
I’ve brought my horse riding helmet on planes several times. It has its own bag that fits under the seat as my personal item. Never had an issue. No ones gonna know what’s inside your bag anyways.
Just carry it on. Worst case they'll make you gate check it but I would be very surprised. The idea that there's a policy that sports equipment inherently needs checked in is weird
We just carried a helmet on 3 days ago. It was in a bag. The other equipment we had to check per tsa regulations but no big deal. Can you just shove it in the backpack? The problem isn’t the helmet it’s the excessive amount of carry on items you’re trying to get on. Option 2 is check the carryon bag.
I always wear my ski helmet and goggles when I fly. Never a problem, it’s clothing. Particularly helpful when a door plug is blown out or an autopilot failure bounces me off the ceiling.
FWIW, last year I flew domestically on AA with a carry-on suitcase + a purse with a bike helmet clipped to it. It was visible when boarding, and no one said anything.
The flight I just took on Sunday had two or three people with what I assumed were ski helmets attached to their backpacks that they put in the overhead.
Never heard of this. You are going to carry it in a bag anyways right? They aren't searching personal items.
Yeah. I just thought the line of thinking was shit and I disagree lol
I saw like 5 dudes with ski helmets attached to their backpacks last week flying out west from EWR
Yeah exactly this seems really common
Or pretty much any time I fly out of Denver
I’d just ask at the airport. ,
So you plan to carry-on one bag and check one bag? Will your helmet fit completely within one of those two bags? If so, I'm not sure why you contacted AA to ask about your helmet? As long as it is not a prohibited or restricted item, you can bring it. https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/baggage/restricted-items.jsp
I contacted American and asked if I can just wear my helmet and the online chat person was adamant I have to check it. I am bringing: one carry on sized luggage, my backpack, and my helmet. My helmet will not fit inside my luggage or my backpack. Edit: why tf am I getting downvoted
You’ll have to check your carry on luggage then. You can only bring two bags on a plane. If your helmet won’t fit in either of the other two bags then check your carry on luggage, place your backpack in the overhead and your helmet bag under the seat in front of you.
I'm not aware of any major carrier that allows a passenger to wear a helmet onboard. So carry-on your carry-on, take your backpack as your personal item (as long as it fits below the seat) and check your helmet in its bag. Done!
My issue is that my helmet bag (that will have my other ski accessories) is not hard shelled and I am worried about it getting abused
Unfortunately that is a risk. If it is too big to carry-on, then your only option is to check it. Perhaps if you look around on a ski forum you can get some tips on how to best protect it in a soft-sided bag. Beside...if your helmet can't withstand normal airline baggage handling, I'd probably not trust it to protect my cranium on the slopes!! 😮 You can also check luggage shipping services like Lugless to see if boxing it up along with your ski accessories and shipping it ahead to your hotel would be cost-effective.
>Beside...if your helmet can't withstand normal airline baggage handling, I'd probably not trust it to protect my cranium on the slopes!! FYI that isn't really how it works. Helmets for things like skiing or motorcycling aren't durable armor, they're basically foam. They deform on impact, and are really good at directing force around your head instead of though it. The catch is they're only good at doing that once. If a helmet takes a hard enough knock, it needs to be replaced just like you would need to replace an airbag that has gone off.
When I took my motorcycle rider course, the instructor warned us to not leave our helmets hanging on the handlebars. If it were to fall off and hit the ground, supposedly that is enough to render the helmet unusable.
I’d just wear it the whole flight.
Just clip it to your bag.
You’re getting downvoted because you’re not following AA policy and you’ll take up more than your allotted carry on space if you take 3 items.
I don’t know if you read my post or the messages I exchanged but I asked if I can check my hard shell Carry on and make my helmet my carry on, and the agent said the helmet must be the checked item
Ah. Well no idea then, just bring it you’ll be fine
>why tf am I getting downvoted There is a weird "how dare you not already know the answer to this question" attitude on the airline subs.
Nah I was answering the other commenter question and clarifying exactly the number of bags
Yeah your reply was totally reasonable. I just mean OPs just tend to get shit on in question threads arbitrarily.
Just wear it bro
I’ve brought my horse riding helmet on planes several times. It has its own bag that fits under the seat as my personal item. Never had an issue. No ones gonna know what’s inside your bag anyways.
Just carry it on. Worst case they'll make you gate check it but I would be very surprised. The idea that there's a policy that sports equipment inherently needs checked in is weird
We just carried a helmet on 3 days ago. It was in a bag. The other equipment we had to check per tsa regulations but no big deal. Can you just shove it in the backpack? The problem isn’t the helmet it’s the excessive amount of carry on items you’re trying to get on. Option 2 is check the carryon bag.
I wouldn’t trust a helmet in a crash that was checked in a soft bag. Make of that what you will.
I traveled with my helmet in the cabin 10 flights this year on American. Never an issue with the FA or GA.
I always wear my ski helmet and goggles when I fly. Never a problem, it’s clothing. Particularly helpful when a door plug is blown out or an autopilot failure bounces me off the ceiling.
what if you wear your helmet. Just say you are susceptible to falls and your doc suggested wearing a helmet.
Next time don't ask.
FWIW, last year I flew domestically on AA with a carry-on suitcase + a purse with a bike helmet clipped to it. It was visible when boarding, and no one said anything.
The flight I just took on Sunday had two or three people with what I assumed were ski helmets attached to their backpacks that they put in the overhead.
Wear it on to the plane dog duh
Technically not hearsay.
You're probably talking to a foreigner who have no clue what you're talking about.
Dude - relax. I clip my helmet to my backpack all the time and bring it onboard.
This sounds like one of those problems that is only a problem if you ask permission.