Air travel with braids

[Patty lou]

Hubby, me and both daughters are planning in January on doing some Air travel,
I was thinking for us gals (me included) to just wear our hair in 2 english braids
as I think this would be a comfortable style and no metal pins to worry about at security.
What have you gals been doing on this.

Patty lou.

[Roseate]

Sounds good. I usually do a French braid- no metal pins, stays put, comfortable against the airline headrest. 2 English would be just as good. Enjoy your trip!

[KatKeRo]

I always do 2 English braids when travelling. It's the most comfortable for me.

[Stagecoach]

I typically do one english braid and re-braid at any layovers with enough time.

[PineappleJello]

This is something I never thought about, in a few months I'll be having two 14 hr flights and a few smaller ones so this is an excellant question :)

I think when I go I'll wear my hair in either two english or french braids.

[teela1978]

I usually just put it up in a bun with a hairstick. Never had a problem. I usually take it down on the plane.

[ddiana1979]

At Thanksgiving I wore a ponytail to fly, because I was afraid my standard bun with all the Goody Spin Pins would set off the alarm. Boy was that a mistake. It was very uncomfortable against the headrest. Took it down about halfway through my four hour flight.

[dropinthebucket]

They're fine with wooden hair sticks, as long as there's no metal detailing. The sharper horn sticks may or may not be an issue, depends on the airport. Smaller, metal clips are often allowed, though they do set off the detector. Under no circumstances will airports allows flyers into North America, or other high security zones, with sharp metal sticks. (guess who has a relative who works in airport security? :) ) Oh, and be warned: bulky hair toys that *look* like they might have compartments for drugs or explosives may be confiscated and/or searched.

[tinti]

I usually wear my hair loose or braided when airtraveling. My bobbypinned/clipped bangs has never been a problem.

[CaityBear]

When my mom and I had went on a trip to Europe with a group of people from school I wore my hair in braids. I didn't want a metal pin and hair sticks would get in the way so a braid seemed the easier. Plus we were flying out at 3 in the morning....and then stopping in Toronto for 8 hours then flying to London where it ended up being overnight and we immediately started a tour when we got to London so I definitely needed something I could sleep in.

[luxepiggy]

I travel with my hair loose and keep a pair of blunt resin hairsticks, along with several hair elastics, in my carry-on bag. I figure if I sleep with my hair loose at home, I can do the same on the plane - not like I've got tons of room to be rolling about in my sleep on the plane, KWIM? (^(oo)^)

[ooo]

My plan is to wear classics or two english braids. Since I'll have a lot of time on the plane. I can braid there.

[spidermom]

Last time I traveled, I wore my hair in 2 braids. So easy!

[eresh]

I usually just put it up in a bun with a hairstick. Never had a problem. I usually take it down on the plane.


Me too :-)
But no extra pins, just the hairstick.(with blunt ends)
Security has never even once made a comment about it.

[pepperminttea]

I use a low single English braid for travelling. It's what I'm used to sleeping in and has yet to give me any trouble at customs. :) I might tuck it to shorten it if I was travelling with a backpack though.

[maus]

They're fine with wooden hair sticks, as long as there's no metal detailing.
I just flew back from Houston, where they took my Ketylo hair stick! I am very mad! :luke:

[Pierre]

Last time I got on a plane, I wore two Dutch braids with tiny Flexis. No problem. The inspector was quizzical about my concertina, though.

[dropinthebucket]

Oh no, Maus! did it have metal, or did they just think it was too sharp? I don't like it that they actually confiscate and you can't get the item back, really.

[C. sinensis]

I flew two twelve-hour flights in braids...it's a good style. :)

[Arctic_Mama]

I'm all about pigtails (braided or no) when traveling. I've tried ponytails, buns, and single braids, but none have been comfortable for lengthier trips. So braided tails it is.

[Lielananna]

Every time I would fly between Hawaii and Texas (which is a 7 hour or more flight depending on layovers) I would always put my hair in twin English braids. I find them the most comfortable style to wear on those long flights. The last couple of times I flew I also started to wash my hair the day of travel and then braid my hair wet. My braids tend to get fuzzy really easily so that prevents them from getting too fuzzy and I can actually wear the braids around the next day, since I'm usually on a red-eye flight, without it looking horrible. I use the metal-free hairbands to tie back my braids as well.

[Chanteuse87]

I fly at least a few times a year, and usually wear two English braids. However, on my last flight I pinned the two braids up milkmaid style -- it's my new favorite! No worries about the braids getting caught in bag straps, under coats and scarves, etc., and still very comfortable against the back of the seat in the plane.

[cubedcoley]

I have been wondering about this question myself as we are about to leave for a 3 hour plane ride, and I don't want to set off the metal detectors with Spin Pins or hairpins. probably going to go for two English braids or maybe two messy buns on the side: I will still be able to lean back and then I will have some curl for the destination!!! San Antonio, baby, WHAT?!!!??? :thumbsup:

[Masara]

I ususally do a single French braid that I bun with a Ficcare. I take the ficcare off to go through security (I don't know if I have to, but I'd rather not try it) and then rebun after.
That way when I lean my head against the seat, it rubs on the ficcare and not on my hair and if I want to take my braid down, it's easy.

Last time I flew, I came up on a random security check and the security agent actually squeezed all the way down my braid.

[Yozhik]

I ususally do a single French braid that I bun with a Ficcare. I take the ficcare off to go through security (I don't know if I have to, but I'd rather not try it) and then rebun after.
That way when I lean my head against the seat, it rubs on the ficcare and not on my hair and if I want to take my braid down, it's easy.

Last time I flew, I came up on a random security check and the security agent actually squeezed all the way down my braid.

I don't usually do any sort of bun because I've found it strains my neck when I lean against the headrests. Last time I did a single English braid; perhaps next time I'll try twin braids.

Masara, eugh! I got really freaked out about your comment of security squeezing your braid. For some reason, that seems like an extremely private liberty to be taking, even though I know it makes sense from a safety perspective.

[Finoriel]

I usually do a fake crown braid, held with a small armada of metal u-pins (about 20 :laugh:).
Comfortable against the headrest, no annoying braid on my lap and stays neat a long time.
Never had a problem with the metal pins, they are too lightweight to set off the metal detectors and they are made of thin wire and easily bent, so they can not be considered weapons.

[Jezerellica]

I just flew back from Houston, where they took my Ketylo hair stick! I am very mad! :luke:
WHAT!!! I'd be super mad too. Mine hardly look dangerous. I was wondering what they might do with some of our very special LHCrs with the huge lovely updos. You could easily hide something in some of the buns I've seen. Been waiting to hear if someone had to take theirs down. Last time I traveled I just left mine down and ended up with damage from backpack. Duh. Am smarter now!

[Dragon]

I have it loose with a hair band near by.

[Amelia]

I'll be flying home this next wednesday and i've been trying to figure out what to do with my hair for the last two months :whistle:

I've came up with a rose bun, and if the bobby pins are consfiscated, I'll still have elastics that i can use to braid it on the plane.

I've thought long and hard about bunning with a fork or a hairstick, and i've become too afraid of having my beloved handmade, costum made sticks taken away from me.. so i'm not temtping the devil, sort of speak;)

[mrs_coffee]

I just flew back from Houston, where they took my Ketylo hair stick! I am very mad!

:disbelief :pins:

[Long_hair_guy]

When I have travelled on a plane I would normally with a simple braid. Its not worth putting anything special in your hair since it can be taken away from you

[Tapioca]

I usually do a pinless braided bun held with a pencil or pen. If I put it in carefully enough, it doesn't snag any hair. and if security takes it away (they never have), it's a pencil.

[Madame J]

I did 2 French braids when I flew from DC to Brazil (almost 24 hours of traveling time!). It worked out really well and my hair didn't look too terrible by the time I got to the hotel. I also think that twin braids make me look "cuter" and contributed to the fact that I got a nice Brazilian man to help me when I was lost in the Sao Paulo airport and didn't know enough Portuguese to get someone to get me through the line quickly enough to make my connection (my inbound flight was late getting in).

I did a single English braid on the trip back and that did not hold up nearly as well.

[Hiriel]

I always do 2 English braids when travelling. It's the most comfortable for me.

Me too. Any time my head will be against a headrest for more than an hour = twin braids.

[cataphract]

After a few years angrily yanking my braids out of bag straps, out from around head phone cords, and out of coat collars through all the de-coating, re-coating and bag shuffling through security, not to mention the bending down (braid shiftage) and standing back up only to have to move my hair again I've decided it's french/dutch crown braids for me. My hair's not even nearly as long as some of y'all's and it has probably been the only frustrating part of air travel for me, really. Plus, it's comfy on the headrests that always end up near the top of my head since I have such a short torso.

[jtl45]

Airline seats are disgusting enough without having my hair touch them! I do the easy top knot!!!
Jim

[teela1978]

Me too :-)
But no extra pins, just the hairstick.(with blunt ends)
Security has never even once made a comment about it.

Once security make a comment... it was more of a "how did you do that" kinda reaction than a "what are you smuggling in your bun" comment though :)

[maus]

Oh no, Maus! did it have metal, or did they just think it was too sharp? I don't like it that they actually confiscate and you can't get the item back, really.
No, no metal, just acrylic, and not pointy or sharp or anything at all! Soooo upsetting! They didn't offer a good explanation. I wonder why they didn't take my pen!

[chargersfan]

I always wear 1 or 2 braids when flying, so I can rest my head and be comfy. I can't wear any type of bun and rest my head on anything and be comfortable. I usually re-braid on landing.

[Shell]

Double dutch braids, pinned at my nape with a plastic clip. I have a pic in my BSL album of this style, but I wore it this way at past classic. I do this because it's comfortable to sleep in, it won't set off security, and it's still out of the way. It looks cute too, and very grown up. :)

[dancingfrog]

I was wondering what they might do with some of our very special LHCrs with the huge lovely updos. You could easily hide something in some of the buns I've seen. Been waiting to hear if someone had to take theirs down.

Yep, the braided bun had to come down and the braids were squeezed and poked at ...
I try not to get too riled up. I am "randomly selected" for extra security screening about 90% of the times I fly.

Does anybody else have recent experiences?

dancingfrog

[Pumpkin3826]

I wore my hair in a side braid earlier this year when I went on a trip and it went off in the metal detector. I use scrunchies so I know there is no metal in there. The TSA agents just had me step aside and she felt my braid to make sure I didn't have anything in there. I have thicker hair and I think it was damp so that could have been what set it off. This next time I fly I am going to wear two French braids then the weight will be dispersed more evenly and hopefully not set off the machine. Lol. :pray: