When you are on a vacation, you might go through different climate changes. You can’t predict the whole weather condition during traveling. To tackle any metrological mood swings, you need to be fully prepared. Having an umbrella can make you enjoy the trip whether it’s heavy rain or a hot sunny day. Because no one would like to stay in hotels on a trip due to an unbalanced climate. Are you also the one who wants to make the best use of vacations without bothering weather fluctuations? Then an umbrella can save your day.
But can you bring an umbrella on a plane? Will the TSA allow you to pack it in carry-on or checked luggage? What are the rules and guidelines for packing an umbrella? Get to know all the answers with us. So without any ado let’s dig into the details.
Can you bring an umbrella on a plane?
TSA permits you to bring the small foldable umbrella on a plane without any doubt. As the umbrella under 20 inches can adjust in the overhead section or under the front seat effortlessly so it’s good to go with the small ones. Some of the airlines do favour their passengers and allow them to carry an umbrella apart from hand luggage. It means an umbrella isn’t counted as a personal item in your carry-on luggage. But this rule can vary among different airlines.
Moreover, you must consider the type of umbrella before taking it on a plane as some specific umbrellas are banned by different airports. So let’s have a look at different umbrellas’ shapes and their allowance on a plane.
What type of umbrella should you consider in hand luggage?
Ferrule umbrella
Ferrule umbrella with a pointed end can cause damage to other belongings due to which some airlines and airports banned them from taking on a plane. After thorough research, we find that Turkish airlines and Amsterdam airport schools don’t allow people to pack pointed-end umbrellas. So to avoid any hassle, we don’t recommend you to take a ferrule umbrella but if you want to then confirm from the airline before packing.
Classic umbrella
Regular umbrellas are long and straight that don’t have sharp ends but can be problematic to bring on a plane. Most airlines allow you to take an umbrella irrespective of carrying on so they must consider the size before boarding. If your umbrella exceeds the size limit of 21-24 inches, you can’t take it on a plane. That’s why small foldable umbrellas are suggested during the flight.
Foldable umbrella
The only umbrella that you can take without any doubt on all airlines is a short, foldable umbrella. This type of umbrella is easy to pack and handle. Also, you don’t need to adjust it in your hand luggage weight as airport security doesn’t consider it as a personal item.
Can you bring an umbrella in your checked luggage?
Yes, you can pack any type of umbrella in your checked luggage without any agony. Hand luggage packing of umbrellas may restrict you at some points but in checked luggage, you will not find any sort of restrictions. Umbrellas in checked bags need an extra inspection in case they are pointed and made up of sharp metal. Ferrule umbrella is constricted in carry-ons but not in checked luggage.
The one important thing that you need to consider before packing an umbrella in checked luggage is size. Mostly checked bag longer than 32 inches is not permitted by many airlines. So keep your umbrella size below 32 inches so that it can pack smoothly in a bag. But still, if you want to take longer ones, use the postal services.
Can you bring an umbrella in your cabin luggage?
All types of umbrellas are allowed to go in cabin baggage. It means you can take a beach, golf, or patio umbrella without any doubt but you have to consider its size for the stress-free security check.
Popular airlines and their restrictions on umbrella
Here we have listed down the top airlines and their restrictions on umbrella size in checked and carry-on luggage.
American airlines
Size allowed: should not exceed 21 inches
Personal item: No (not counted towards your carry-on belonging)
Delta airlines
Size allowed: Shouldn’t exceed 21 inches
Personal item: No (not counted towards your carry-on belonging)
Southwest airlines
Size allowed: Shouldn’t be more than 24 inches
Personal item: No (not counted as your carry-on belonging)
United airlines
Size allowed: Must be less than 22 inches
Personal item: No (not counted as your carry-on belonging)
Air Canada
Size allowed: Shouldn’t exceed 21.5 inches
Personal item: Umbrella with a length of 10-17 inches isn’t considered a carry-on belonging but if the size lies between 17-21.5 inches then it is taken as a personal item.
Alaska airlines
Size allowed: Should be small enough to fit in the suitcase or under the front seat. The size must be less than 22 inches or as per hand luggage length
Personal item: No (not counted as your carry-on belonging)
JetBlue airlines
Size allowed: Shouldn’t exceed 22 inches
Personal item: No (not counted as your carry-on belonging)
Spirit airlines
Size allowed: Shouldn’t exceed 22 inches or length of hand luggage
Personal item: No (not counted as your carry-on belonging)
Lufthansa
Size allowed: Shouldn’t exceed 15 inches as per personal items length restriction. But if you are not carrying hand luggage then you can take an umbrella of fewer than 21 inches.
Personal item: Count as a personal item if not packed in a carry-on.
Air France
Size allowed: Shouldn’t be longer than 21.7 inches
Personal item: Not counted as carry-on belonging.
Ryanair
Size allowed: Shouldn’t be more than 21.6 inches
Personal item: Not counted as carry-on belonging.
British airways
Size allowed: Shouldn’t be more than 22 inches
Personal item: If an umbrella is not packed inside the hand luggage it is considered an additional carry-on. 10-16 inches Umbrellas are counted as personal items while the larger ones as extra carry-on pieces.
Turkish airlines
Size allowed: Shouldn’t exceed 21.6 inches
Personal item: Not considered as a hand luggage item. (This airline strictly prohibits pointed umbrellas).
Can you bring a beach umbrella on a plane?
Yes, you are allowed to bring a beach umbrella on a plane. But you have to check its size and design before packing. A beach umbrella that can be folded just like a regular umbrella can be packed in hand luggage. But if you are planning to bring an oversized beach umbrella then you have to pack it in checked luggage. Avoid bringing a pointed beach umbrella as it can create problems for you at the checkpoint.
Different airlines and their policies about taking umbrellas on a plane
We have come through the different airlines to discover their restrictions and guidelines regarding umbrellas on a plane. Let’s have a look at what airlines reply to their passengers when they ask different queries about taking an umbrella on a flight.
After reading the responses from all the airlines we come up to the point that only international airlines don’t consider an umbrella as a personal item. You can take it free of cost. But cheaper airlines don’t permit passengers to take umbrellas if they are not packed in hand luggage. Such airlines allow less free luggage. So before taking an umbrella on a plane, check your airline’s rules carefully.
Conclusion
Can you bring an umbrella on a plane? Yes, for sure but you have to keep in mind the special instructions that we have discussed above. Also, don’t forget to ask your airline about restrictions before boarding. Hope this article helps out in your packing. Do check out our packing tip series for smart and easy-to-go packing.