(very last spam) At a certain moment, we were flying once or twice a month, so by then I thought they would know dewars... It is extremely depending on the person doing the security checks but the protocol below should get you past the most suspicious worst-case security officers I(even in Germany).
Good luck! Herman -----Original Message----- From: CCP4 bulletin board [mailto:CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of Frank von Delft Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 9:51 AM To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] Checking in dry shippers? Thanks Herman. Addendum (last spam): When flying British Airways way back, I asked to talk to "safety", explained it all to them, and they then added a note to my booking saying that this thing was safe. So at check-in, when they asked questions, I just pointed them to the booking, and that made them happy. It never used to be roulette. Cheers On 18/04/2012 08:46, herman.schreu...@sanofi.com wrote: > Hi Frank, if you really want to personally take the dewar with you, > here are my 2 cts (it is from a few years back, we send the dewars now > by > fedex): > > Just tossing the dewar on the check-in belt is not a good idea. It is > a roulette with ever increasing odds that the dewar will not enter the > plane and only after a lot of negotiations and some luck will arrive > with the next flight (it happened to me). > > Since you are a single person and the airport security/airlines are > big bureaucratic entities, you have no choice but to use bureaucracy > as well to get through. Here is the SOP my colleagues had put in place > and which > works: > > 1) call airport security a few days ahead explaining what you want to > do. If you found the right person, send him a fax/email, preferably as > officially-looking as possible (minimum letterhead of your > institution) that you will bring a cryogenic case, which is non-toxic, > non-flammable no bio-hazard etc. and not dangerous, not restricted, as > per IATA special provision A152. Ask them to confirm your fax/email in writing. > > 2) put copies of your letter (on institution letterhead), of the > response of the airport security, a copy of the IATA special provision > A152 and some instructions that although the dewar is not dangerous, > one should not touch the inside for risk of cold burns, inside the > dewar so they find it when they decide to open it. > > 3) take the same copies with you and go well-ahead in time to the > airport, so you have at least one hour to get the dewar through. Here > Murphies law applies: if you have enough time, everything goes quickly > and you have to hang around, if you have little time, you will not get > through in time. Show all your documents to the security officer, take > his or hers concerns very seriously, welcome it if the person decides > to call a supervisor and explain that the very important experiments > inside the dewar will lead to a huge benefit to makind. > > 4) For the US, you probable need some more official documents stating > that there are no agricultural products etc. inside the dewar. Here I > would contact the US customs or consult some websites. > > Good luck! > Herman > > PS: in your case, I would consider sending them by fedex > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: CCP4 bulletin board [mailto:CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of > Frank von Delft > Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 9:04 PM > To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK > Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] Checking in dry shippers? > > Hi, thanks for all responses. Most people suggested avoiding the > scenario altogether, which was cute but not the question. > > Answers below the original question: > > On 17/04/2012 15:59, Frank von Delft wrote: >> Hi, what's the latest on flying with dry shippers? >> >> Until about 2009, I used to fly with dry shippers all the time: I >> just tossed them (dry!) on the check-in belt, and the airlines didn't >> mind. But that was only London-Zurich, using BA or SwissAir. >> >> Anybody know if this still works, especially flying to the US? Or >> have the securocrats now secured total victory? Any airlines / >> airports to avoid? >> >> phx. > > Harry: > for a trouble free journey with your dry shipper, I'd say avoid any > airlines that are flying to the States, and avoid any airports in the > States.... > > Herb: > We ship by FedEx ahead of time rather than try to bring on commercial > passenger flight. > It may be possible to do so but it's just not worth the hassle of > running into an unexpected problem. > > Liz: > For what its worth I always use a courier because i didnt think you > could fly with them as luggage. THats between here and Berlin. > > Marko: > no idea about flying to US, but Easyjet has been ok still to Lyon etc. > We have designated contact at the airline, she approves the dewar, > although the final decision is with guy in the uniform (pilot). > Stanstead is ok as well, we simply call the security at airport, they > as for a form by fax and ask to speak to supervisor when going through > security. Doubt they let the dewar inside though, and hence the latter > deal with airport security - I carry the dewar to the plane myself, so > it is upright at least until it leaves the plane at the other end. > > Kris: > If you are returning and the dewar has no samples, it is just a box. > It will get X-rayed and forwarded to the cargo area. I generally keep > it closed with zip ties so that no one can place anything in it > without my permission. Also, remove all hazardous, flamable, or > cryogenic stickers.
