carry-on food for long plane trips

[FruitsAlive]

Hi everyone. DP is going home to the VI tonight and I need some suggestions for how to pack food she is bringing. She always stocks up on things that they can't get over there before she goes. We have everything in the freezer right now and I made sure that all of the food is visible in its packaging. It's a twelve hour trip from here to there with one stop. Do you have any suggestions for how to get everything there? I was thinking of putting it in an insulated carry-on bag. Has anyone traveled with food lately?
I heard that putting it in the checked luggage is a bad idea, but I am worried about confiscations of carry-ons as well.
TIA

[rosen]

Your best bet is to call the airport & try to speak to someone in authority there. I have no idea where you are, so have no idea of how large the airport/airline. Is there a flight change? More than 1 airline involved? Some airline phone #'s are for general info, some are for a local carrier. How has she carried these items before? Can a packed cooler be checked thru?

Does DP mean Dear Parent? Does VI mean Virgin Islands?

[aggie94]

I think an insulated carry-on bag would be a good idea, but keep in mind that you won't actually be able to use the freezer gel-packs, unless they're 3 ounces or smaller each, and you pull them out and put them in a quart-sized ziploc bag to go through security. Instead, I would keep everything refrigerated/frozen until just before leaving the house, and hopefully the insulated bag will keep it cool for the trip.

I have not had any problems traveling with food (as recently as returning from San Francisco this past weekend), so long as it is not liquid.

[Miss_Liss]

Most airlines and airports have a copy of the carry-on and prohibited items policy online. Might be worth checking but it's really liquids and gels you need to watch out for.

[Robyn1007]

Yep, your biggest worry should be any gels or liquids. So, that can mean jams, soups, juices, soda anything like that. I had a jar of jam and a bottle of water confiscated in Portland because I complete forgot about it. :rolleyes: If you are wanting to take things like that I think I'd pack it in a styrofoam cooler with gel packs, tape well, very well, label with name and contact info inside and out and cross your fingers that it doesn't get delayed. Or maybe do a combination. Take on what you can and then check the rest.

[FruitsAlive]

Rosen - DP is dear partner and (US)VI is Virgin Islands. There is only one airline involved, but I think there's a plane change.

I am in southern california, and she is flying out of Ontario International. Luckily there aren't going to be any stops in Puerto Rico this time, and she's only taking meats and chocolates. I hadn't thought of the gel pack thing, though. I'm hoping that the frozen meat will keep everything cold. We usually go together, but it's just too much with our five furkids this time. :( Maybe we should just check it with the bags and hope for the best.

[aggie94]

I would think a couple of frozen blocks of meat in an insulated bag would be fine for 12 hours. And the chocolates are definitely fine to carry on. I carried back from SF this past weekend a bag of chocolate snacks (chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate-peanut clusters, etc.), and in the fall, coming home from Napa, I had a large box of assorted chocolates and truffles in my carry-on that did not cause me any problems.