Air Travel - Cigarette Lighters

If you've been on airline in past few months:

Simple lighters: do travelers really have to ditch lighters before flying? And from checked baggage too?
I know the new guidelines say so, but in reality,
what's the scoop?

I've taken half-a-dozen flights since the ban. I had matches in my pocket and a lighter in my carry on. I had no problems whatsoever.

was trying to bring my friends some lighters back from Amsterdam in feb, and they told me I could only have three in my carry on. the guy was really cool and let me go with on with 5,

I just went to CO, I had rubber cement from a tent patch kit confiscated from my checked baggage as it is flammable. They did not take the rubber cement from my cycling patch kits which is the same stuff and equally combustible.

They are meant to not allow lighters on planes, but matches are ok.

This country is odd.

I'm a pretty good rule follower, so a couple weeks ago I handed the TSA staff at the security check a lighter. They took it and threw it in a bowl with a bunch of lighters, which indicates to me they take them. I can't attest to it, though, as I gave mine up willingly. (As for the checked baggage issue, I don't get that one at all…but what a boon to lighter manufacturers).

Flammable material in checked baggages….. Well they could be seen as an accelerant. If a lighter leaked a spark or enough friction could cause it to combust.

It seems pretty unlikely to me.

Originally posted by canker-blossom:
I just went to CO, I had rubber cement from a tent patch kit confiscated from my checked baggage as it is flammable. They did not take the rubber cement from my cycling patch kits which is the same stuff and equally combustible.

They are meant to not allow lighters on planes, but matches are ok.

This country is odd.

now you tell me, that was my tent patch kit you bastid

Originally posted by general grievous:
now you tell me, that was my tent patch kit you bastid

Maybe I'll buy you a new one (the cement tends to dry up after a couple of years). Maybe I'll never give you your tent back, how big a bastid am I?

Originally posted by canker-blossom:
Maybe I'll buy you a new one (the cement tends to dry up after a couple of years). Maybe I'll never give you your tent back, how big a bastid am I?

it was a special kit

From what I've seen during my flights, if you take it out of your pocket and they see it, they take it.

If it's in your carry-on, and they don't search it by hand, generally they're not going to take it.

I have yet to see them comfiscate a lighter they picked up in an x-ray.

i had matches to and from chicago. nothing happened.

i usually empty my pockets into my carry-on bag and put it through the x-ray

i've never gotten lighters confiscated flying out of DC, but each time i've flown into DC i've had them taken (they stop the machine and open my bag, grab the lighter) … seems completely random, especially seeing that security should be higher in DC airports

there was an article awhile back about someone who had one of those digital cameras that fits in a zippo-lighter looking thing. TSA took it and said he couldn't take it on the plane since it looked like a lighter.

i swear most TSA workers are f'ing idiots.

They love me when I go through security. I have 48 pieces of hardware counting up all my various rods and screws. Light up the dector every time. I can't tell you the number of times I have heard "Sir could you please step over here?" The best part is watching the faces of the other passengers as the bells and alarms go off. I actually had a guy who was screening for the same flight as I was ask the security guy if he could switch flights! :)