Airline travel issues...

[Monica Santos]

Has anyone had issues or incidents when traveling with breastforms and clothing, etc.? I will be traveling by air in a week or so, but will be taking my CDing with me as check in luggage. I've never done this before. I'll be taking silicon breastforms, v-string, wigs, clothing, etc. My concern is security screening in the form of baggage inspections. I don't want to draw unnecessary attention to myself. Thanks in advance.

Monica

[Susan.]

Recently, a Canadian woman wrote an article about flying into the US. She was stopped because of the underwires in her bra. She said she was taken into the proverbial private area and the TSA lady padded her down including her breasts. The Canadian said she would have been less uncomfortable with just having to take her bra off in front of TSA. Obviously, not a very flattering article.

[Sandy17]

I'm havent had issues witht the tsa, I travel in drab.....
However I recently had an experince with the Canadian Customs officers...

I was in Florida on a work trip and brought along some clothes, make up and a few wigs. I bought a new laptop on the trip and did the honest thing and declared the amount at customs..... turns out Best Buy messed up the invoice and the serial numbers didnt match.... so there I was at clearing customs on my way home, in drab with all my femme items in my bag and customs officer questioning me.....
He sent my laptop and papper work off with another officer and said "well while were waiting I'll just check the rest of your items....."
I could have died when he saw my luggage....... he asked "was I traveling with a female?" I said no.... this is all my luggage. He was totally professional and after he was sure I had declared everything he said, "you seam really neverouvs" I said "well... ummm I'm really discreet about this side of me" his response was...." Honey I've been at this job 18 years, I've seen it all"
In the end Canadian Customs were great to me, and the duty/tax only cost me $18. Better to be honest with goverment / airline agencies.

[Cai]

Honestly, if it's in your checked stuff, it shouldn't be a problem. Most airports, when they search your checked bag, you're not there.

I flew over Thanksgiving, looking nothing like my ID. I got one "guess you cut off all your hair?" comment, but that was about it. As long as you don't look dangerous (or nervous) they generally leave you alone.

EDIT: I was assuming domestic travel, as yes, they search your bags in front of you at Customs. But as Sandy said, they've seen it all and really don't care, as long as you're not carrying any forbidden items.

[Holly]

Monica, I wouldn't worry, sweetheart. I flew coast to coast a couple of years ago and had absolutely no issues with my femme things in my checked luggage. We did hear one interesting incident though while I was waiting for my flight. An announcement came on over the terminal PA system... "Will the person who left their hair at security please return and claim it." I nearly fell out of my chair. I hope it wasn't anyone I know.

[Mitzi]

On one occasion, I was pulled aside (en drab) and my carry on bag, in which I carried a lot of my femme stuff, was checked. The inspector pulled out my FOH corset and held it up to get a better look. He just "hmmmm"ed, and put it back. It was a momentary embarrassment, but what the heck, he's not going to remember me, I'd probably never see him again. So, oh well...

As I recall, I was stopped at the boarding gate again for a second check, but nothing untoward occurred there.

I regularly packed a pair of 4" heels in the bag, and used to worry that it'd show up in the scanner, but nothing was ever said.

Mitzi

[Eugenie]

I've never had any problem with my checked luggage in which I had my feminine clothes.

With regard to the carry on luggage, I've had my bag checked by security several times. They looked at the feminine undies that were inside and didn't react at all. They must see lots of "strange" things in their dutty...

However with the recent regulation about the amount of "beauty products" that you can carry on in airplanes, I tend now to check my luggage with my travel beauty case. Indeed they now allow very limited amount of products... Tha include lip sticks, perfumes, tooth paste, cleanser cream. Soon enough you are over the quantities allowed...

I often considered travelling while "en femme" is one that and so far did not manage to convince myself that it was safe to do it... My ID cart/pasport are with my male ID picture. And I know by experience that I'm not easily recognizable while "en femme" (That doesn't mean that I pass as a woman, just that I look very different).

Yet I would love traveling "en femme", it would be a way for me to exist even more as Eugenie. I thought about going through security in drab and then change in the toilets... But that too can be risky... When actually boarding, they check again your ID card...

I carry a small dual ID card delivered by the X-dresser society I belong to, but it has no legal value...

Have any of you been given trouble by security for traveling "en femme"?

:hugs:
Eugenie

[Denise Barrett]

Hi Monica, :hugs:

Unless you're "underdressing" anything you bring shouldn't be a problem. My thinking is the luggage checkers are more concerned about bombs and weapons than bras and panties. If you "underdress", however, than you may be frisked, which could be a little embarsing, other than that, you should be cool. In this country, at least, they don't arrest or shot TV/TG's; at least I don't think they do. :heehee:

With all my love and respect,:love:
Denise

P.S. Have a good trip.

[Mollyanne]

Hi Monica, Ask Joann7, she flown enfemme and had no issues whatsoever!!!!!!



:love: Mollyanne

[Lana_CD]

Several years ago, post 911, I did fly while underdressed and was wanded. Not for anything I was wearing but because I had bought a pack of chewing gum and put it in my shirt pocket. When I went thru the magnetometer, it set off the alarm. I had completely forgotten the pack of gum in my shirt pocket. When the TSA agent(female) asked me if I had any metal in my pockets, after she wanded my breast area, I remembered the pack of gum. I pulled it out and she wanded me again and all was clear. I didn't have any underwires in my bra as it was a pull on sports bra and I did have smal forms in the cups. After that, no problems and nothing was said about me being underdressed and wearing forms.

[Stephenie S]

Been there, done that.

No problems. As has been said already, they are interested in bombs and such, not your undies. And yes, they have seen it all.

Steph

[Lizzie Kay]

You are limited to having carry on liquids in containers of 3 ounces or less. Toothpaste, liquid soaps, medicine all has to be placed in a ziploc bag for easy viewing.

If you plan on taking more, best to check it through and not carry on!

Hope that helps Monica!

Liz

[MonikaW]

I fly on a regular basis with a suitcase full of my feminine things, and I have even flown while fully dressed. There is never a problem. They don't care. All they are looking for a dangerous materials.

[Vivian Best]

I haven't flown for several years since I'm retired so I can't give any first hand information. The only thing I would be remotely concerned about would be silicon breasforms. To me, there might be a small chance an inspector might mistake them for plastic explosives. Now isn't that a bang!

[Jaydee]

Monica,
Take a deep breath and relax. I travel regularly both domestically and internationally and have never had a problem. If you check your bag, the TSA will likely just x-ray it. They don't know if you are a man or woman or a couple traveling together. When I travel with my wife, my bags are always half full of her things, seems she never has enough room in hers.
The same thing goes for carry on bags. They wouldn't know if you were traveling with your wife and she had gone ahead of you. That is my mental cover story if asked. The screeners are too busy to care.
I have seen the shadow of my heels on the x-ray screen, but again I often wind up with my wife's shoes when we travel together. I have not been able to spot my breast forms on the screen, I don't know if I just couldn't pick them out.
Just relax and have fun.

Jaydee

[EDNA]

Before 911 and while being employed with an Airline. I knew the Security Rules. #1. That no Security person. Was allowed to have any Passager. To remove any part of thier Clothes. #2. If there was any Question about a Passagers and could not ID the item. #3. A LEO is to be called. Then Two Police Officers [of the same Sex.] Would take that Passager. To a private area. To check them out and if needbe. Have the Passager to strip.

This was done. For the safty of the other Passagers and Security Person. On the Check Point. In case a Gun or other Dangerous item was found. In which was found on some Males amd Females. While I was working at the Airline. Plus that Security Person. Would get a $50.00 bonus. For any Gun that was found.

[eliot]

Recently traveled with my femme items, including my breast forms, in my checked baggage. When I opened by bag at home I found a form note from TSA that they had opened my bag for inspection. Dont know if this was random or that the forms might have been noted as suspicious on the xray screen. All the items were in the same place I had packed them.

[TxKimberly]

Has anyone had issues or incidents when traveling with breastforms and clothing, etc.? I will be traveling by air in a week or so, but will be taking my CDing with me as check in luggage. I've never done this before. I'll be taking silicon breastforms, v-string, wigs, clothing, etc. My concern is security screening in the form of baggage inspections. I don't want to draw unnecessary attention to myself. Thanks in advance.

Monica

I myself have not traveled "dressed" so can't comment on that.
As for taking your stuff with you, I do that all the time! I travel for a living and have taken my stuff with me to propbably half the major cities in the Eastern US. You check that stuff - put it in your checked bags. Yes, the probably will go through it, but it will be a long way from you when they open it, they wont know you, have no idea if your traveling with a woman, and it's 100% NOT a problem.
If you try wearing it through security, or carrying it through security, it's a whole different situation though. Haven't done that and so can't offer advice based on first hand experience.

[shauna 9]

I travel a lot for work . Sometimes I travel with my breast forms a lingerie when I travel with my breast forms . I open up my bags I always find A tag from TSA that they had opened my bag for inspection. I think it might be my breast forms go through the x ray screen. when I don’t have my breast forms I never receive a tag.