I've carried them on an airplane without a problem. Just make sure all of the wire ties, stakes, hooks, etc. are removed so your plant isn't a weapon. I'd also recommend sticking them in a paper bag with some newspaper to protect them from being jarred so much. Doing that, it's easy to remove the plant to show, if there are any questions.

Maybe you should also bring along some flat rate boxes just in case you get a bit excited though...:)

Stacy

I am so jealous of all you folk in the US, and your lack of need for any of the phytosanitary stuff when you transport plants!! Some of the hard core growers from my society are going to the WOC and they've already started having info sessions about all the forms and things they need. I am so envious!! I'd love to go even just to see the displays! Have fun - it's going to be a blast. One day when I'm fantastic and financially stable, I'm going to go through with all of it and make the trip to wherever it's being held, see the show, take some pictures with my cool camera and bring back some goodies.

I usually have no problems traveling with orchids. At least cattleyas. When I go to Redlands or the Miami show, I usually take a big bag. Pack light. Then I bare root all my plants and wrap them in newspaper tightly and pack them in my suitcase/bag.

Just called the TSA & Airlines about this last week. Travelled to NY last week with plants and travelled back with plants.

No, not in carry on luggage. The luggage must be checked. The plants must be bare root and roots wrapped in something leak proof. No containers/pots, stakes, clips nothing at all according to the "Sky Police". Its the Airline's policy to check them, not the TSA.

I did this:
Put them in a zip lock (roots only) and then in a box marked "Sterile Samples" and dated it 2 days before my flight. I also write "Botany Dept, University IL" on the box too. I use padded computer/electronics boxes. Plain, with no logos, tags or print on them. Threw a few blue dust masks inside the suitcase and a pair of blue O.R. "footies". They will open the suitcase but generally not a box marked sterile with visible "stuff" in a suitcase that looks like Dr gear. I don't write "Live Plant". Asking for trouble. Did that once, gone. You don't get them back.

They make up dumb rules so I make up dumb stuff so they leave my contents alone :-)

If you shop a lot, buy a cheap suitcase in Miami for the plants. There are tons of shoppes in downtown that sell suitcases for 20$. Don't lock it. They will open it.

If you are flying into Miami they are fairly lax about security. FT Lauderdale is a nightmare. They found lighters in my carry on I hadn't seen for years

Clara

I and my friends have flown for years out out of Miami after Redlands with orchids as carry-on. However, you are still limited to 2 carry-on items, that must fit in the overhead compartment. Your purse counts as one. The Miami airport people are quite accustomed to us orchid nuts travelling with plants we've bought at shows.

I remember, CJM! And I miss Mary Lou every day. You did go hog wild that year. I flew down also that year rather than drive, and Stewart picked me up at the airport.

Only orchid people would have such a conversation...Clara, next time, throw a cactus pad in there for a laugh!!!

Reminds me of something that happened last winter at Cook County Hospital (of "ER" fame). I was leaving with a styrofoam container marked "Biohazard" and some security guard stopped me thinking I was a terrorist/drug dealer..I told them I am a researcher but he wanted to "confiscate" my package. I said, here you go, and showed them a 0.5 pound ovarian tumor!!

I still laugh when I walk past the place.

Classic Brad! Hey been look for an ovarian tumour! Heard they are fabulous to mount seedlings on. ;-) What person in their right mind would want to open anything marked "bio-hazard"? Chicago, gotta love it! The thinking is always done after. Hope you told them it was communicable :-)

Clara

I flew from Tampa to NY with several plants and their hangers(!) in my carry on bag. The plants were in wooden slat baskets with the metal pins holding it together. Nobody said a word. And it went through the Xray machine! This was maybe 4 yrs ago, definitely post 9/11.

Carolyn

Why risk it? Rules & alert status changes on a weekly basis. Checking a bag and bare rooting for a few hours isn't the end of the world. Better safe than sorry. Get a newbie robo-cop and its adios to your new plants
Mike

I think about her often, as well. I feel bad that I lost touch, when I did. I wonder whatever happened to her collection....

Also, I wonder what happened to the Italian Greyhounds.

-Cj

You're right Mike, not worth the chance. It will be easy enough to wrap/pack them into a suitcase & check it.

DH thought they might have a set-up with UPS or someone available to let you pack plants and turn them over to them for shipping. For that matter, we could do that on our own from our hotel room.

Thx for the 'heads-up' on Ft Lauderdale airport......I think that's the one we're using.

Cj, we're also wanting to take in the Tamiami show. Not sure if we'll do it Saturday or Sunday. I can't find any info online regarding the show. I'd love to know the vendors, possibly pre-order some things. Is there a website for the show?

Sheila :)

ALso, remember this is in January... You might consider things like cargo hold temps. If it's going to be really cold in the cargo section of the plane, checking the plants might be ill-advised. It may be more prudent to have the plants shipped back with a heat pack or something. You could also probably pack a heat pack into the luggage, if it is a concern. Just be sure to keep the plants from touching a heat pack, so they don't get overly warm, too.

Just a factor to consider.

-Cj

Aren't cargo holds heated nowadays? I thought this was the case but I could be horribly wrong :)
~Jem

I'd ask the airline. I dunno if heating cargo holds is an industry standard, or not.

-Cj

Sheila, I don't know of anything online about the Tamiami show, but then again, I haven't looked. Martin Motes would be the one to ask. I know Bela Vista from Brazil will be there, with preorders accepted until -- I think he said 11/20; it's on their website. It's only a 15-20 minute drive from the WOC anyhow so it is definitely worth going. I believe they are using the big prefab building on the far south end of the Univ of W. Florida campus (in case you get lost), same place they hold lots of plant shows and the huge annual Dade County Youth Fair. I remember, before the University was built, when that location was Tamiami Airport, used as a civil aviation field.

As for the baggage compartments, they are 'supposed' to be heated and pressurized. But you know how that goes.

If a plane carries passengers, then the plane has a cargo hold the same as in the cabin UNLESS the plane hangs around a runway a long time awaiting flight. If something is sent in a real cargo plane - think UPS or FedEx - then the cargo hold might not be regulated.

Live animals are only shipped on passenger planes.

Brooke - who spent years shipping animals all over the country, Canada and Japan

Sheila, I meant to say Florida International Univ (FIU)