Packing Tips

What to pack and what to leave at home

What travellers can and can’t carry on airplanes and in checked luggage continues to change. The rules are different for travel within Canada, to the United States or to other destinations. Airlines also have their own policies about what items they will transport and how much baggage you can check without paying excess baggage fees.

To avoid difficulty at the airport, it pays to know what you can bring with you and what to leave behind.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority screens all passengers leaving Edmonton International Airport before they board their flights. At the screening points, passengers are asked to:

• Show their ticket or boarding pass
• Remove all metal objects
• Present any liquid or gel-based toiletries they are carrying in a small, clear plastic bag (Passengers travelling with infants can bring baby food, but must declare it to CATSA screeners.)
• Remove laptop computers from their carry-on bags for separate inspection
• Finally, before boarding the aircraft, airline personnel will require photo identification from all adult passengers. They might also remove over-sized items such as strollers for transport in the aircraft’s cargo hold

Canadian law prohibits many items from being taken as carry-on baggage on aircraft, including skates and hockey sticks, toy weapons, tools and pepper sprays. Some items banned from carry-on bags can be included in your checked luggage, although dangerous goods such as pepper sprays and camping fuel are also banned from checked bags. (Visit Transport Canada for a complete list of prohibited carry-on items or for more tips for travellers.)

Additional rules apply for passengers travelling to or through the United States, such as:

• Cigarette lighters are prohibited aboard aircraft
• Passengers are asked to remove their shoes for screening

For more information about packing for travel to or through the United States, visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s "Know Before You Go" page.

(NOTE: Travellers who require breathing apparatus should contact their airline at least 48 hours before their flight. Passengers with battery-powered wheelchairs or other special needs should inform their airline when they make their reservation.)

For More Information:
Edmonton International Airport provides drop boxes for items that can’t be taken aboard aircraft.

To learn more about travel to other countries, contact your airline, travel agent or the government of your destination country.

To learn more about travel outside Canada and returning to Canada, see our International Travel page.

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