Hi all,
I will be flying business class on BA to Italy soon and love to knit on long flights. I have heard conflicting reports as to whether I will be allowed to carry knitting needles on the plane. Can anyone help me with the correct information?
I have called BA and had 2 different definitive answers. I would hate to have to surrender my project to security.
Thanks in advance for your help.
My mom knitts on flights too. She usually has her project on the plastic loop type needles that do not have sharp points. Sorry I do not know the proper name for them. She has also brought on wood needles since she is worried about metal needles setting off the x ray machines. She has also rolled up the project around the needles so the detectors do not show objects with sharp points.
Are you using large needles or the thin small ones, it could make a difference? I would go to the TSA website and check, if you live in the US.
As far as I know she has not had to leave needles behind.
TSA has no problem with knitting needles.
Sharp points cannot be camouflaged by cloth.
We have a neighbor who is a flight attendant (not BA). She flies SEA to London and Paris frequently and says she sees people knitting during flights all of the time. I should think bamboo needles would be fine - not much different than sharpened pencils. To avoid losing a project in case of some overly zealous TSA person who decides bamboo knitting needles are life-threatening objects, I would put my project on stitch holders prior to going through security.
I've flown British Airways, Air France, United and Lufthansa internationally and have never had a problem with my knitting. I always start a scarf/wrap for plane knitting (small enough to put in a purse if need be) on bamboo circulars and it goes in a clear plastic pouch in my carry-on. I do use a life-line in case I'm forced to surrender the needles, and I have a spare set in my checked luggage. No TSA agent has ever been interested in my projects.
I just flew on British Air from BOS to Heathrow and back in August with 2.25 mm metal circular needles and no one was concerned. I have never had a problem with sock-sized metal needles since the TSA allowed them after 9/11.
