New Rules For Airport Wheels

I’ve been using airport wheels (the type not attached originally to a piece of luggage) for decades, and today -- here at the airport in Montevideo, Uruguay -- was the first time that airport security’s boarding checkpoint refused to allow me to board the plane with them.

"¿Están confiscándolas?"  I asked the taciturn woman who stepped up to tell me that such wheels are now banned at her airport.  (Are you confiscating them?)

"Si, señor."

Fortunately, there was virtually no line anywhere at this airport and so I had plenty of time to go back past the security screening area and arrange for my airline, Aerolineas, to send the wheels on to my connecting airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, along with checked luggage.  There was no charge even though I already had checked two bags earlier -- and paid $60 ($6 US per pound for ten pounds) for excess luggage weight.

Then it was back to security for a second total screening.

The take-aways for me are the following, going forward:

1.  Pack anything that’s not light in checked luggage.

2.  Consider replacing my current carry-on bag with one that has wheels.  These were not banned at MVD.

3.  If desiring to board with wheels, ask at the airline counter and/or the entrance to security-boarding as to a specific airport’s wheels rules, not waiting until having already been screened.

cccmedia at Montevideo International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay