RDU International Introduces Mail Back Program For Prohibited Carry-on Items

Raleigh-Durham International

airport passengers will have the option of mailing home items that are not permitted past the security checkpoint.

RDU is one of the first airports in the country to offer a CheckPoint Mailer program, which solves the challenge of what to do with items that cannot be taken onto the plane but that passengers do not want to leave behind.

CheckPoint Mailers, Inc. of Huntersville, NC, will manage the program through an agreement with the RDU Airport Authority.

"We are excited about offering this new service to RDU's passengers," said Heather Lowry, president of CheckPoint Mailers, Inc. "We understand that passengers sometimes mistakenly place prohibited items in their carryon luggage. With this new service, passengers who do not want to part with an item not permitted past the security checkpoint now have an easy way to ensure it is returned to them."

CheckPoint Mailer is a self-service drop box located adjacent to each of the airport's three security checkpoints. The cost of the service is $6 per package mailed within the United States and $12 for items mailed internationally.

To use CheckPoint Mailer, travelers will complete a mailing label, paying for postage with credit card, cash, check card or check. The items are shipped to passengers' homes or destinations within seven days by the US Postal Service. A list of items that cannot be shipped using CheckPoint Mailer will be posted at the drop box.

Currently, if passengers place a prohibited item in their carry-on luggage, they can either return to the ticket counter and place it in their checked luggage or leave it at the checkpoint. With the addition of the new mail-it-home program, passengers now have another option for handling valued items.

As always, passengers are encouraged to review a list of prohibited items before packing for their trip. A complete list of prohibited and permitted items can be found on the

Transportation Security Administration's

Web site.