Quick Question about SEA-TAC - Updated

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GeoJelly

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I will be flying out of SeaTac in June and would like to bring a handgun back east with me. I am not at all worried about arriving at Dulles with a handgun because I have done that before. Given how laws have changed in Washington state – will I encounter any problems trying to fly out of SeaTac with one pistol in my checked baggage? Thanks!

Forget to mention - my checked in bag is soft-side but it will have a hard-sided locked case in it.
 
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No worries.

Have personally flown out of Sea-Tac on numerous occasions with a gun in my checked bag. Never an issue.

Just check the TSA site for rules...and your carrier site, too. And allow a bit of extra time as you will have to check your bag with an airline employee at the ticket counter. Lines can be a bit long.

Be safe.
 
In the last year I have flown out of Seatac three times. Went to Anchorage, Denver, St Paul, and Orlando.

As mentioned above, check the law and airline requirements and definitely give yourself more time than you think you need. The TSA does not operate the same at all airports. Whoever is running to the show here at SeaTac is a numb skull.
 
It's always a good idea to print out the TSA rules & regs and the ones on your carrier's website and have them in your pocket in case someone tries to make up some new rule at the counter.
 
The Big D said:
Have personally flown out of Sea-Tac on numerous occasions with a gun in my checked bag. Never an issue.

Just check the TSA site for rules...and your carrier site, too. And allow a bit of extra time as you will have to check your bag with an airline employee at the ticket counter. Lines can be a bit long.

Be safe.
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As a WA resident I agree 100% with this. Follow the rules for the TSA and for the carrier you're flying and you'll be good to go.
 
Just a couple of quick follow up questions – sorry to resurrect this thread: my checked in bag will be a soft-sided, but lockable, suitcase. I assume that isn’t a problem but I wanted to check with knowledgeable folks. Also I am taking two (SIG’s) back with me – is taking more than one a problem? I am sure these questions sound juvenile/stupid to the informed travelers here on SWF – but I am a big “what if“ person ... :(

Edit - I am in Seattle now I am returning to VA in about three weeks…
 
More than one is not a problem. I bought a plastic case that has padlock holes on each side, and a matched pair of padlocks. Last time I flew (3 weeks ago), I had a G33 and a Smith 296, plus ammo in the box, which was closed and padlocked, and inside a relatively soft and locked suitcase. Not a problem.

As said above, I print out the TSA and airline regs and carry them in my carry-on bag. It makes life easier. I also do not use the "word" gun when with the agent - I just tell them I have something in my suitcase to declare and need the tag (which I prefer to tape to the box once completed). Most of them get it ok; some are more obtuse and have to get a more detailed request, but I am trying to avoid the emotional screech.

In reality, now that the rules are largely uniform and have been in place for a while, it's pretty painless. (My life is easier because I belong to the airline's priority club or whatever it is, so I use the shorter lines associated with that, and I also fly first class as often as possible as my shoulders don't fit in sardine class.

You should allow extra time (an hour or more extra) as the TSA process at Sea-Tac has gotten a lot of attention lately for being overburdened and slow. I usually fly out of Spokane, which has less such trouble; it's been several years since I went through Sea-Tac on the way out. I did have an ugly experience in Indy a while back - the check-in process and TSA took so long I missed my flight, even though I "thought" I was in ample time.
 
GeoJelly said:
Just a couple of quick follow up questions – sorry to resurrect this thread: my checked in bag will be a soft-sided, but lockable, suitcase. I assume that isn’t a problem but I wanted to check with knowledgeable folks. Also I am taking two (SIG’s) back with me – is taking more than one a problem? I am sure these questions sound juvenile/stupid to the informed travelers here on SWF – but I am a big “what if“ person ... :(

Edit - I am in Seattle now I am returning to VA in about three weeks…
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No problem as long as both of the guns are in a hard-sided locked case (or each in it's own case) and INSIDE the soft-sided suitcase.
 
This is prolly a boring thread to most - but I wanted to post an update after my trip last night. Being a worry-wart, I walked into Sea-Tac with great trepidation yesterday afternoon. But, I was wrong!! Alaska Airlines was very easy - but I followed guidance and said I had something to declare which needed to be tagged - I never mentioned "firearm". The agent just gave me a form to sign, stapled that to my boarding pass and told me to go just a few feet away to either 'Station 2' or 'Section 2' (I have so little short-term memory :( ).

I walked in to that booth and the TSA agent was friendly and professional - unlike the surly ones here at Dulles! He wanted to swab the outside of the (soft-side) suitcase first then ran the swabs thru the analyzer. Then he asked me to open the lid on the suitcase, he picked up each box (small ones with hefty/Level 4 padlocks on them) and glanced at them - then put them back in the suitcase and asked me to zip it back up and lock it. That was it - easy peasy as mentioned above.

Even easier in Dulles ... although I did arrive after midnight. The suitcase just popped out on the conveyor belt - I didn't have to check with their luggage agent or anything. Thanks again to all who attempted to offer words of assurance to me - it was a piece of cake!! These SIG's have been in storage for over 15 years!!

3QOMxi4.jpg
 
Doug M. said:
A lot of really repugnant proposals are being floated, but have not yet been passed. I thought I would retire here, but that odds of that are really dropping.
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Yeah, that area has changed a lot in the last 30 years. That's why I left 5 years ago and won't be going back. It's beautiful but the negatives outweigh all that. Come on over to the RIGHT side of the state. The weather is better and its the #1 place in the NW to retire.
 
The issue with Sea Tac these days are record numbers of passengers both in and out. Each successive Friday in the last month has broken throughput records, and this includes holiday travel days. Today was probably week 4 of a new record.

3 cruise ships today (Alaska cruises start/end here) at 3k passengers each, so @9K leaving Seattle, and another 9K coming to fill them up. This is just for 3 cruise ships. That's @55 Boeing 737 loads of people
 
Mainsail said:
Wait, what?

What laws have changed? I don't think we've had any new laws since I594 about six years ago.
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Sorry sir - I spoke too soon. Prop 1639 isn’t the law yet, but I’m sure Soros, et al, will spend millions to try to make it so. Seattle is also about to make storing loaded firearms illegal - per my take on the news - I hope I’m wrong. Spent some time in Spokane on the way back to Seattle - very nice area. I like the fact that the reststops have volunteer stands with coffee and snacks. They are soliciting donations but one location had a veterans group and none were lefty.
 
BC38 said:
Yeah, that area has changed a lot in the last 30 years. That's why I left 5 years ago and won't be going back. It's beautiful but the negatives outweigh all that. Come on over to the RIGHT side of the state. The weather is better and its the #1 place in the NW to retire.
Click to expand...
*
I'm not on the west side. I live and work in Kittitas County. I do not go west of MP 52 unless forced by work, and I only go east of MP 270 (Four Lakes) for doctor appointments and my LEOSA quals. Sadly, the I5 mindset has the advantage of population, so the state as whole is hosed.
 
Doug M. said:
A lot of really repugnant proposals are being floated, but have not yet been passed. I thought I would retire here, but that odds of that are really dropping.
Click to expand...

Same here. I was born in this state and it's sure not the state I grew up in. I'd retire in Eastern Washington, but the whole state is dominated by the Seattle area. I will keep going East to Idaho or Montana. Going South is useless. Oregon is dominated by Portland.

Back on topic: At least Washington must reimburse you if acquitted on self-defense grounds. I think that tends to reduce the number of self-defense trials. Doesn't stop you from getting arrested or charged, though.

RCW 9A.16.110: Defending against violent crime—Reimbursement.
 
The written Laws and Rules

In any given situation there is ONE set of written documents, what ever the name may be: Laws, rules, regulations, standards, codes, procedures, work instructions, etc.

There is in any governmental organization multiple workers that each have their own interpretation of the "regulations" that govern their work performance before you even get to 'personal cultural' bias. As an aeronautical passenger your only function is to comply with any particular interpretation you are given. Your only recourse is to have printed "regulations" and ask for assistance from a stupidvisor.

Then quietly pray that this too shall end well. I used to enjoy airline travel. Now after two successful knee replacements, every trip through airport security is another colonoscopy. I have 2 scared knees, why did only one sound the wand bell? Oh-- both have failed to ding the wand but never at the same time. I feel safer now.
 
Mainsail said:
OK, which laws?
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RCW Title 9. Chapter 41 covers most of what concerns firearms. Look at he WA. Gov website to see the most recent revisions. The web version is updated as the RCWs are updated twice per year. Several changes have been passed and approved by the legislature since I594 was passed. Check the notes at the bottom of each chapter and verse for the incorporation and implementation dates I594 itself has been revised twice.
 
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