3 Travel Questions

[julesmoz]

Hi, there! I've posted a few times here . . . my name is Julia and my hubby is Brian. We arrive in BA next week, and I had 3 quick questions:

1. Can I take herbs and supplements through customs? Do they have to be unopened?

2. I'd like to bring a guitar for my carry on. We're flying Delta and they said it'd be okay, as long as there's space. Does anyone have experience with this? Are they usually pretty accommodating?

3. Along similar lines, has anyone flown to/from BA during December? Our return flight leaves Tues, Dec 8, and I'm wondering how full the planes generally are at that time. This could affect how much room there is for the guitar.

Thanks so much! We're looking very forward to BA!!
Julia

 

[diego7david]

i usually fly from nyc to ba on lan via either santiago or lima every dec about the 3 and the flights have been full. with the overhead bins packed. so am not sure where your guitar goes.
i would make sure then that your only carry on was perhaps the guitar and some little bag you could put under the seat.

technically you cant take any plants or meats etc thru customs but if your stuff looks like pills....you should get by. you can probably also buy most of that stuff in ba.

 

[Popper]

Julia,

I don't think you'll run into any problems with herbs or supplements. Prescription drugs would be the only thing that potentially could be an issue but I doubt even that.

If you choose to bring a guitar as your carry-on, you're entitled to the overhead space just as much as I am to mine, right? As long as it fits in the overhead you're fine. That being said, I sat next to a guy with a giant cello last week who purchased an extra seat just for the cello (buckled and all!). If it doesn't fit in the overhead you might think about gate-checking it.

Lastly, I've flown in and out in December and I wouldn't worry too much about the first week of December. Again, if it fits in the overhead you should be good to go.

Suerte.

 

[Harleygirl]

Hi,
I have never had my bags opened upon arriving at Ezeiza. I fly United and sometimes their security people will open my bags on the way out but customs has never requested that I open my bags. I always bring my favorite teas and dried dill and have never had a problem. My experience with United on departures from BA to the USA in December is that the plane is always packed!! Delta may be different but it might be a good idea to check your guitar and make sure it's marked fragile and packed well. I have also seen the stewardesses pull items out of the overhead bins that were oversized and send them to the luggage dept. Good luck!

 

[diego7david]

your right to overhead space has a size limit usually when you check in there is a little box that its supposed to fit in. of course lots of people seem to exceed that. but on the surface a guitar or guitar and case is a quite a bit longer than that box. its probably up to the persons you get boarding and how much other stuff is there and whether or not you get on the plane before or after most everyone else.\
many airlines are now severely charging for overweight and extra luggage so the tendency is for people to try to carry more stuff on board.

 

[julesmoz]

Thanks a lot, guys! Still not sure what to do about the guitar, but that gives me some good info to consider ; )

One question I forgot to ask: are taxis generally pretty accommodating of a lot of luggage? We will have four large suitcases, (hopefully) a guitar, and our two laptop bags. There are two of us. Do you think that will all fit into a taxi?

Thanks again!

Julia

 

[cujodu]

For my 2¢: They've never opened my bags here at EZE. Once the guy saw about 24 place settings of silverware on the xray and was about to open my bag, when I said I had a ton of DVD's in there, I honestly didn't remember the silverware there, and when I said that, he said "OK" and let me go. Not that you can't bring silverware either, but he thought it was some large steel object. They're not going to bother with supplements or herbs.

Who knows about the airlines, could be full, could be empty. I'm sure they can stick your guitar in the coat cabinet.

 

[Ries]

There are plenty of large size taxis- usually Renault Kangoo's or the equivalent Fiat or Chevy. These are mini-mini vans by US standards, but more than big enough for your pile of stuff. Probably 15% of the taxis at the airport are this size, and the cost is exactly the same as for a smaller 4 door car.

So that wont be a problem at all.

I have dragged all manner of strange things thru EZE, without the slightest nod from customs. Stereos, 6' long sonotubes with huge drawings in them, complete sets of pots and pans AND silverware, towels and sheets, parts of furniture that I have built in the USA to assemble here, a Sunbeam Ice Cream maker for a friend, lots of misc artwork, a knocked down shower curtain bar (nobody in BsAs sells a complete oval bar to go above a clawfoot tub- they all want to sell you a glass door set), tools, computers, fabrics, bottles of bourbon, cookies, coffee beans, tea bags, books, CDs, and more.

4 Laptops would probably be a problem, or a dozen I-pods, but not much else.