Taking frags on planes?

Just pointing out, UPS and FedEx both have policies against shipping corals and other animals. (The UPS list of accepted animals is described as "exhaustive", and corals aren't on it. FedEx allows it only for business-to-business shipments, and each shipment needs to be preapproved, and the packaging needs to be FedEx-approved. Corals aren't on their list, either.)

Lesson: Official policy doesn't always match reality.

 

which is why I said that delta issues their policy and red tape just to cover their own butts... so in the unlikely case that someone's coral leaked, and caused a contamination of the luggage, they could point to their policy and say "see this is why we don't allow it, and this passenger did not follow our policy" and basically remove themselves from any liability.

I would guess a lot of folks box up their corals and check it as luggage... and if you get caught, just play dumb and innocent.

 

Yeah, I was largely comparing to a very close analogue.

 

I read it. It says you can ship fish by UPS Next Day Air service on Monday-Thursday. So if i'm reading this right. People lie to UPS/Fedex to get them to ship their fish/coral?.

http://www.shipyouraquatics.com/

 

No, FedEx and UPS just don't enforce the official policy on whether they'll ship coral. I didn't mention fish, since we were talking about coral in particular here. I'm guessing that the containers are approved by FedEx, and possibly UPS, though, at least in the case of bigger companies that are constantly shipping this stuff.

 

When my wife and I were planning our trip to Orlando to attend MACNA, we looked into flights just so I could take advantage of the deals there and be able to bring some corals home. It was the red tape of making honest claims that changed my mind. There were special handling fees, live animal fees, package weight fees, etc etc. I thought about buying/shipping but that was too much a hassle imo so just went to enjoy myself.

This whole thread reminds me a very funny (IMO) event in my life...

Not long after the Bush Admin. institutes Homeland Security and begins to tighten airport security my wife decides that a trip to Vegas would be an excellent b-day present for me. Of course I was ecstatic when I opened the card and saw the tickets! We get to FSD (the airport in Sioux Falls) and begin the long process of checking in. All is good until we get to boarding and go through security. Since my teens I have carried my grandfathers Old Timers pen knife in my right pocket. It has one blade that when unfolded makes the whole "knife" 2.5" long. I use it to open mail, clean nails, cut fishing line etc. so it never crossed my mind when security asked if I was carrying any "weapons". All hell broke loose when I walked through the metal detectors and was asked to empty my pockets. Let's just say that my wife and I both had to under go almost 3 hours of the most intense questioning I have ever experienced in my life.
Finally we (I) was not deemed a threat to the airline or America and our tickets are bumped to the next flight to Vegas. This one has a meal included (bonus) since it's a later flight. We check in again, this time me without my grandpa's knife. About 30 minutes into the flight the attendant comes by and takes our order. My choices were fish, chicken or steak. I choose the steak when the attendant come to take our order about 30 minutes into the flight. Somewhere, roughly over the Nebraska/Colorado state line my meal comes. I take the lid off the tray and the first thing I notice about my meal is a steak knife with a very sharp serrated 8" blade....

 

@Reefmonkey LOLOLOLOLOL

@gabba thanks for finding that site bud! good to know!

 

That's what I would try to do. Although all of the check in's and security at LAX is INSANE! I hate flying out of there. Can you call and ask???

 

Funny I have stuff shipped all the time from hawaii and its a walk in the park corals fish and all. us airways they ship. I have used a few others southwest was one that I spoke with but did not have flights where I needed to go. I have seen probally 20 boses on u.s and contential. there are people that ship. How do they stores get there corals if nobody ships. overnight it through few ex or ups they ship them. there are options. I got my cross hatch triggers direct fro hawaii on a plane direct 22 hrs to maine they swim all over the tank. I have had shippments of corals from texas to portland maine and they are in the tank. pretty easy to ship this stuff.

 

@Peredhil - I haven't lived in NYC since 1993.