[Sanran]

Hello,
Does anyone know who sets the rules and how for allowing or not lighter on the aircraft?
I always have one in my pocket and I am getting puzzled lately, here a couple of examples.
Singapore to Jakarta – allowed
Jakarta to Singapore – not allowed
Miami to San Pedro Sula – allowed
San Pedro to Miami – allowed with united, not with avianca
San Jose to San Pedro Sula via Salvador – allowed till Salvador then got a second security check and wasn’t allowed
Zurich to Nairobi – allowed
Nairobi to Zurich – not allowed

It does seem to me that there is not a clear rule for airports, nor for airlines. Can anyone tell me more about it?

[capetonianm]

I always thought you were allowed to carry a lighter on your person but not in checked or cabin baggage. As a non-smoker I’ve never looked into this properly so I may be wrong.

As we all know, the so-called ‘security’ people at many airports appear to make up the rules as they go along, or simply don’t know them, although one would think that this is clear cut. Some items might be grey areas, for example a jar of marmalade.

I frequently buy Rösti at ZRH and take it through security as hand baggage with no problem. The Swiss of course know what it is and use their common sense. A few weeks ago when I transited LHR with some, they didn’t want to let me take it through, although in fairness I have to say that the lady called a supervisor who asked me to open one of the packs to see what it was, and then let me through with it. It makes a nice change to be able to report someone using their discretion, specially at LHR, but it happened, and they were pleasant about it.

[LuganoPirate]

I always travel with a lighter. Apart from lighting my cigars with it, it’s very useful for cutting (read burning) open plastic straps, ties etc.
I only carry cheap plastic ones and I throw them in my carry on bag and I’ve never had a problem anywhere, including the US.

[Inga]

I flew out of St Lucia a couple of months back, and they confiscated the lighter that I had on me as I went through security. I think that happened to me somewhere else in the Caribbean too…

[openfly]

They take the lighters off you to light their own cigarettes! Nothing to do with rules.

[alainboy56]

In my experience, the only place/routes I have had problems with lighters is in China – absolutely forbidden, within China and on all flights departing China.

[Thuky]

USA allows lighters in hand baggage as long as they are not the welder torch kind. Ordinary lighters are OK. These are also allowed in several major European airports that I have traveled through (FRA, AMS). In Delhi lighters are not allowed but you can take matches on board in your hand baggage. I guess it varies from country to country.

[capetonianm]

In my experience, the only place/routes I have had problems with lighters is in China – absolutely forbidden, within China and on all flights departing China.

Message from friend who travelled back from CN last week.

Last night we made sure we were on time but after going through passport and customs control, the xrays detected C’s Dupont gold cigarette lighter which was in his bag – of course he doesn’t smoke but he took it to China on a previous trip and then had it in his check in baggage and they picked it up through xrays and removed it. So now it’s still in China because they say it is illegal to enter and depart China with a cigarette lighter in check in or hand luggage;

[alainboy56]

That’s right absolutely verboten. However in the smoking rooms/lounges there is provision to light up, some quite modern glowstick tools, kind of heating elements maybe 5 or more per lounge. Then there are others quite basic, like 20no ‘Bics’ all tied up on a loose loop string.

[handbag]

There is not a definitive answer to this, as local regulations are different in each place. As a general rule, they are allowed on ones person on BA aircraft, but I can see with a quick search that places in India and China have exceptions. It would therefore be best to check the destination you are going to, if you do not wish to have item taken away from you.

[stevescoots]

I once had a Zippo lighter in China, I took it to pieces, shell, abrasive wheel, wick holder. threw away the wick and wadding and put each seperate component in seperate bags in my hold luggage. Arriving home i found a note in my case and they took each part out!

[Author]

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