I flew this summer and knitted on the plane with no trouble. I don't think you'll have a problem, but I will say that circular needles are easier than regular needles. They don't stick out so far, and you can't drop one of them.
I dropped a regular needle between my seat and the side of the airplane and had to ask the person behind me to get it.

I do it all the time. I agree that circular needles may be preferred. I have a yarn cutter which is a circular thing with blades in the middle of it. The only way it will cut is if you slide the yarn down into a little slot. I always carry that with me on the plane. I did have one security guy tell me that if it was up to him to make the rules he wouldn't allow knitting needles. I asked why and he said "You could stab me with one of these". I replied before I thought, "I could stab you with a ballpoint pen!" Probably wasn't a good thing to say to the airport security. But he let me on with my needles, so all was well.

Check with the airlines, and someone had posted a website with the list of things allowed/disallowed, can't remember what it was. Maybe someone will remember & post it again. I have heard that the bamboo/wooden needles are allowed, but not metal. They might even allow the new acrylic ones.

Tami

I have a family member who works for TSA. Wear comfortable clothes and be prepared to take your shoes off. Listen to the person droning on about what you need to do to go through the thingy. I'm told people who don't listen slow the line down when they get to it and have to be told, again, what to do. I will let you imagine what he has to say about people who don't listen.

Here is a link that might be useful: TSA

When I flew to Germany in August, I brought a metal crochet hook, and a wood one. My metal one was confinscated in Detroit on the way back, but I got through Minneapolis, Chicago and Frankfurt just fine.

What I'm saying is that it also depends on the airports you go through. I would recommend bringing a self-addressed, stamped envelope, just in case they do want to take your needles.

~ Kit

It really depends on the airport. Invest in a a set of plastic or wood interchangeable needles like Denise. That way you'll have multiple sizes in case getting gauge is a problem or if you see some fabulous yarn on your trip and want to start a new project!

I just returned from a flight overseas. The man in front of me in line to get through security had a lighter confiscated and was told he could take matches on board but not a lighter. I, then, had a pair of baby scissors with rounded tips taken and sternly told "this is forbidden". I'm fairly sure the knitting needles never would have made it. I have taken those little scissors in a carry-on many times.
I agree it all depends on the airlines.

I fly all the time with knitting needles. They are on the approved TSA list for domestic flights. However, I did have a pair of thread nippers confiscated in Mexico, but they had no problem with my needles........go figure!

About ten years ago, I brought knitting needles to jury duty, where I was in the juror selection room. They made me take them out to the car. Yet I saw on the TSA website that knitting needles are okay on planes.

According to the TSA website, they do allow knitting or crochet needles, but you can't have scissors of any kind. Nail clippers are allowed and are a good make-do yarn cutter.

TSA only applies to domestic flights though. My understanding is that many European countries don't allow knitting needles.

Lots of people get away with bringing needles where they are technically not allowed, but I would hate to have them taken away. Probably best to check with your airline if you are flying outside the US.

A good tip I saw on another site was to pack a padded envelope just in case you need to mail your knitting to yourself (rather thn have it confiscated)

Here is a link that might be useful: craftfetish blog

You can buy a little disc about the size of a 50 cent piece made by Clover that has a recessed cutting edge. They seem to overlook that item--safe and yet they do not recognize it for what it is!

In summer of 2002, when security people were overzealous, DH and I flew round trip from San Diego to Albany, NY, with several stops both ways. They looked at, then let me keep, my kindergarten scissors that I always have in my carryon bag. What they never noticed and I had completely forgotten about, was a little folding knife on a chain that came with a man's pocket watch, which I carry in my makeup bag in my pocketbook. I was dumbfounded when I realized it was in there and they never noticed.