Can I take motor oil on a commercial airliner?

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Patman

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My girlfriend and I are taking a mini vacation in St Petersburg Florida in the new year, and while I was down there I thought I would grab a couple of jugs of Pennzoil Ultra (since it's not sold up here anymore), but I'm wondering now if I would even be able to bring that on the airplane back home, or would they not allow it?
 
I doubt it. Even sealed.

They would not allow me to take on a normal SEALED water bottle when I flew last.

They are winning....
frown.gif
 
Ship it home, that's the only way to get it back these days, they are afraid you drained it then filled it with gas and c4 and the detonator on on your cell phone.

They are indeed winning....
 
As a carry-on, definitely not. And even if the oil is part of checked baggage, TSA will open your bag and remove it.

Some things just weren't meant to fly!
 
Anything liquid over 3oz cannot be carried on, and the airline will not allow motor oils for the check-in luggage. Any security over-reactions aside, even just to minimize risks of a fubar mess and a potentially large headache and liability (ruining other luggage) this is not meant to fly.

Pack it well and ship it, or give it away to a friend or a charity like a Goodwill store.
 
Motor oil can be check in as normal baggage. NOT CARRY-ON. I do it all the time I am a frequent flier on Delta and have no issues as normal checked baggage. Just pack it well as it may explode after baggage handlers get their hold on them. If flying delta and are not part of a frequent flier program your first checked bag is going to be 25 dollars and second is going to be like 75 dollars so keep in mind it might be cheaper to ship them home. I have a delta american express card which gives me my first bag free and then i am a frequent platnium medallion member which gives me the next two bags free a total of 3 so i have nothing to worry about but many do not have this luxury.
 
Seems like a p.i.t.a. though to pack jugs of oil in luggage that, once on the belt at the airport, is in the hands of baggage handlers who aren't exactly going to lightly place the baggage on the cart and into the plane.

Are you flying on Air Canada? If so, http://aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/security.html#-explosives-corrosives-liquids

Seeing you are in Mississauga, why not just pick a day to go for a ride in the Corvette to Buffalo and pick up some there?
 
Already stated, but to make it simple: You cannot carry it on.

You can't check it in regular luggage, motor oil is considered dangerous goods and the airlines are not supposed to ship it in checked luggage. You can make special shipping arrangements with the carrier (but it's a headache...) Here is one airline's policy:

Hazardous materials
Articles listed in the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations and/or the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations are restricted. These will only be accepted subject to advance arrangements and compliance with regulations.

For safety reasons, dangerous goods may not be packed in checked or carry-on baggage or taken on board with you. Restricted articles include but are not limited to:

Lighters
Lighter fluid
Acid
Explosives
Flammable solids/liquids
Oxidizing materials
Corrosive materials
Compressed gases
Poisons
Etiologic agents
Radioactive materials
Irritating or incapacitating sprays
Mercury
Noxious materials
Briefcases and attaché cases with installed alarm devices

Call United at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) for more information about hazardous materials.
 
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Originally Posted By: sir1900
Are you flying on Air Canada? If so, http://aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/security.html#-explosives-corrosives-liquids


Reading this section by itself one might think one could get away sneaking 2 quarts of oil in. However, opening up the tabs down a few sections it does mention oils under flammables (though they hardly are flammable under temps under 450 to 500f)

Quote:
Flammable liquids and solids:

Flammable liquids are not accepted in either carry-on or checked baggage. These include but are not limited to: gasoline, petroleum spirits, oil-based paint, lacquer, stains, shellac, oils, wood alcohol, lighter or heating fuels.


Oddly enough... they even have a section for ionizers! Don't fly with your air purifiers peeps!

Quote:
Air purifiers and ionizers

Air purifiers and ionizers are not accepted in either carry-on or checked baggage and must not be used on board the aircraft at any time.
 
Originally Posted By: Timothy Ferguson
Motor oil can be check in as normal baggage. NOT CARRY-ON. I do it all the time I am a frequent flier on Delta and have no issues as normal checked baggage. Just pack it well as it may explode after baggage handlers get their hold on them. If flying delta and are not part of a frequent flier program your first checked bag is going to be 25 dollars and second is going to be like 75 dollars so keep in mind it might be cheaper to ship them home. I have a delta american express card which gives me my first bag free and then i am a frequent platnium medallion member which gives me the next two bags free a total of 3 so i have nothing to worry about but many do not have this luxury.


Wow, they must not screen that stuff carefully out of wherever you fly out of.
 
They don't screen stuff all that carefully out of anywhere we've ever been.
We have routinely inadvertantly carried liquids through security in quantities well beyond 3 oz, for example.
Nothing flamable, though.
For that matter, you can carry on anything bought inside security, and duty free liquor is certainly flamable.
 
Googling "Motor oil bagggage" brings up:
Motor Oil and Fluids: While they are not regulated as hazardous materials, items such as motor oil, hydraulic fluids, brake fluid, and transmission fluid are not allowed in checked or carryon baggage due to the damage they can cause if spilled.
http://www.flyswiftair.com/BaggagePolicy.html

Motor Oil and Fluids: While they are not regulated as hazardous materials, items such as motor oil, hydraulic fluids, brake fluid, and transmission fluid are not allowed in checked or carryon baggage due to the damage they can cause if spilled.
http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/special-luggage-pol.html

Can I take tools on a plane?
You may not have them in your carry-on bag. No flammables (oil, grease, etc.) Keep in mind the weight guidelines for checked baggage.
http://yumainternationalairport.com/yuma...c9?OpenDocument

It's not a TSA issue it's an airline issue.
 
I just checked Delta's site, and motor oil is not excluded for checked items.
We will be in the Carribean the week after next, returning on US Air.
Since we'll be returning first class, the usual rules of time and space will not apply to our checked bags.
It would be fun to check and bring home a case of some oil not typically available here.
A neat souviner of our trip.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I just checked Delta's site, and motor oil is not excluded for checked items.
We will be in the Carribean the week after next, returning on US Air.
Since we'll be returning first class, the usual rules of time and space will not apply to our checked bags.
It would be fun to check and bring home a case of some oil not typically available here.
A neat souviner of our trip.



You ARE a BITOG member without question!
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Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Pat, you must really want that stuff bad. Many Walmarts still have left over stock on it, I would go that route.


None of the ones I checked in Mississauga or Brampton had it left, and even if they did, it would be old SM formula and I would want the SN stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: sir1900


Seeing you are in Mississauga, why not just pick a day to go for a ride in the Corvette to Buffalo and pick up some there?


I just hate how long it takes to cross the border! The last time I went across, in the summer of 2009, it took me an hour to cross over into the US and two hours to cross over back home! The thought of spending 3 hours idling either of my cars, just makes me cringe!

So if I can buy the oil during my trip and then ship it back home for $10 (or even $20) it would actually work out better than the cost of fuel to drive there and back. So that's probably what I will do.
 
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