Travel Information
We want your experience with BCA to be enjoyable, fast, and efficient. Please use these guidelines when flying with us.
Check-in
- At Port Angeles and Boeing Field, check-in no later than 20 minutes before the departure for your flight. Failure to check-in befoe these times will require rebooking on a later departure.
- Government-issued photo ID is required for adult passengers on domestic routes. Proof of age is required for Lap Infants on domestic routes. Do you have a REAL ID? Beginning May 7, 2025, you will need a state-issued REAL ID compliant license or identification card, or another acceptable form of ID (such as a passport), to fly within the United States.
Baggage
Follow the 1+1+1 Rule:
Each ticketed guest will have the following baggage allowance:
- 1 Checked bag not to exceed 50 lbs. or 62 linear inches (length + width + height = 62”)
- 1 Gate-Checked bag sufficiently small and lightweight not to exceed 45 linear inches (length + width + height = 45”)
- 1 Personal Item (e.g. small purse, briefcase, electronic device) not to exceed 36 linear inches (length + width + height = 36”).
The aircraft does not contain storage space under the seat or overhead in which to safely stow in-cabin items. Accordingly, most Personal Items must be carried to the aircraft by the Guest and stowed by a Backcountry agent into the designated baggage compartments prior to boarding. For additional baggage related details including liability limits, prohibited items, and accessibility requirements please refer to the Backcountry contract of carriage.
Since Backcountry does not have agreements with other airlines, luggage cannot be transferred to other airlines.
Due to limited baggage capacity, we strongly encourage passengers to limit themselves to the baggage allowances specified above.
Baggage Fees
Due to the smaller aircraft size and limited space, we will strictly enforce these policies. The below charges apply each way and are cumulative.
If traveling with wheelchairs or other mobility assistance devices, please contact our customer service team to discuss handling at 206-558-2500.
Item | Fee |
---|---|
Carry-on or Personal Item | Free |
1st Checked Bag | |
0 – 50 lbs | Free |
Oversized | $25 |
2nd Checked Bag | |
0 – 50 lbs | $25 |
Oversized | $50 |
3rd Checked Bag | |
0 – 50 lbs | $75 |
Oversized | $100 |
Restricted Articles
- Federal law prohibits the carriage of hazardous materials aboard aircraft in your luggage or on your person. Many everyday products are considered hazardous under these regulations.
- Categories of items that are generally prohibited include but are not limited to: flammable substances, explosives, oxidizers, poisons, compressed gases, infectious agents and radioactive materials.
- Examples of specific prohibited articles include: aerosols, spray starch, fireworks, strike-anywhere matches, gasoline, lighter fluid, butane, pesticides, paint, scuba tanks, propane cylinders and loose lithium batteries.
- More information is available at the Department of Transportation’s Safe Travel
- Passengers violating Federal hazardous materials laws are subject to fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.
Delays & Cancellations
Safety of operation is Backcountry’s top priority, and all flights are conducted weather permitting. Low visibility and high wind conditions are examples of poor weather conditions experienced in the Pacific Northwest that could affect flight operations.
If your flight is delayed or canceled due to poor weather conditions, our team will make every effort to provide you with the following:
- Prompt flight status updates for any delay or cancellation – be sure to include your cell number in your reservation
- Provide clear alternatives: reschedule to another flight departure, provide a full flight credit for use another day, or provide a full refund of the booking.
- Provide clear information on alternative routes/modes of transport specific to your geographic location.
Incidental expenses incurred due to weather delays or cancellations are the full responsibility of the guest. These include but are not limited to re-accommodation penalties on other airlines, meals, overnight accommodation expenses and passenger-arranged alternate transportation.
If your flight is delayed or canceled as a result of a controllable factor (such as maintenance, crew, or other operational event) Backcountry will provide compensation in the form of a credit for future flights, or provide a full refund of the booking. We will also work diligently to provide alternative transportation to your final destination at our expense.
Please note, Backcountry does not have partnerships with other airlines and is not responsible for missed flights or penalties for non-Backcountry marketed flights. We will do our best to accommodate guests on earlier/later Backcountry marketed flights due to schedule irregularities. Please contact us for assistance.
Unaccompanied Minors
We welcome young Guests on our flights, but, for their safety, we have policies about when a minor can travel alone and when an adult must accompany the child during travel. There is no additional service charge or escort fee for Unaccompanied Minors traveling on Backcountry-marketed flights. Please refer to the chart below:
Age of Minor Traveling Alone* | Rule |
---|---|
Minors < seven (7) years | Not accepted for travel if traveling alone* |
Minors seven (7) – fourteen (14) years, up until the fifteenth (15) birthday, Unaccompanied Minor Rule applies |
Accepted for travel on non-stop BCA-marketed flights under the rules and requirements for travel as an Unaccompanied Minor. No online connections permitted. |
Minors or adults fifteen (15) years and older | Parents or guardians may request any person to be escorted as an Unaccompanied Minor per the Unaccompanied Minor rules on non-stop BCA-marketed flights. |
* “Traveling Alone” means a minor traveling physically unaccompanied or traveling with a Guest who is less than the age of a “Young Traveler” defined as young adults between fifteen (15) and seventeen (17) years (up until the 18th birthday) who may travel independently, as adults, on Backcountry-marketed flights. Escort services like those provided for Unaccompanied Minors are generally not provided for Young Travelers.
When travel as an Unaccompanied Minor is NOT permitted:
- Not permitted on any connecting Backcountry-marketed itinerary. Travel must be on a non-stop flight.
- Not permitted on the last flight of the day from any Backcountry location, UNLESS at the time of accepting the Unaccompanied Minor at the departure location, the Backcountry agent is able make contact with the responsible adult at the destination location and the responsible adult is either at the destination location or is able to demonstrate to Backcountry’s satisfaction that he or she will be at the destination location prior to the flight’s arrival. Backcountry strongly recommends against booking an Unaccompanied Minor on the last flight of the day from any Backcountry location.
Pets
Cats and dogs are welcome aboard Backcountry-marketed flights. For the comfort and safety of our passengers, we maintain a limit of one pet per flight.
- The pet must be harmless, inoffensive, odorless, require no attention inflight, and remain in one location for the duration of the flight.
- Advance bookings are required for all pets, regardless of size or weight, and fees may apply, according to the table below. Arriving for your flight without advance bookings for your pet may result in unanticipated fees or denial of boarding. Your pet will be listed on your emailed itinerary. You can reserve space for your pet when booking your flight, or to add a pet to your booking, please contact customer service.
Pet Weight | Fee |
---|---|
25 lbs. (11kg) or less | No fee; counts toward standard baggage allowance |
26 – 50 lbs. (12-23kg) | $25 each way |
51 – 75 lbs. (24-34kg) | $75 |
> 75 lbs. (34kg) | $95 |
- All cats must travel in a small, soft sided, duffel-bag style carrier.
- Most dog kennels will not fit onboard the aircraft of scheduled service flights, however, charter service may be an option. Please contact our Charter group at 206-558-2500 to discuss options.
- Unaccompanied pet transport services are not available.
Miscellaneous
- All passengers and baggage traveling on any Backcountry-marketed flight or within the confines of any Backcountry facility are subject to search at the discretion of Backcountry Aviation.
- Backcountry has the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason.
Security Information
Please comply with all Backcountry Aviation and federal guidelines.
Security & Travel Requirements
Screening & Baggage Handling
All passengers, accessible property, and checked baggage are subject
to TSA security screening. Backcountry Aviation works with
TSA to ensure all baggage is screened before being loaded on the aircraft.
If TSA cannot complete screening of a bag, that bag will not be
transported. Additionally:
- Mishandled/misdirected baggage is stored in a secure area until
returned to the passenger or re-screened as necessary. - Passengers must present valid government-issued photo ID at check-in.
- All travelers should maintain control of their baggage and should
never accept items from unknown individuals.
Firearms & Ammunition in Checked Baggage
Backcountry Aviation follows federal regulations governing
the transport of firearms in checked baggage (49 CFR 1544.203(f)).
The following requirements apply:
- Age Requirement: The passenger checking the firearm must be
at least 18 years of age. - Declaration: You must declare verbally or in writing that
you have an unloaded firearm in your checked baggage before the
bag is checked. - Locked, Hard-Sided Container: The firearm must be stored in a
locked, hard-sided case, and only you may retain the key or combination. - Ammunition: Ammunition must be in its original packaging
or a sturdy, secure container specifically designed to hold ammo.
Clips/magazines must be securely boxed so no ammo is loose or exposed.
No more than 11 lbs of ammunition is allowed. - No Loaded Firearms: Firearms must be unloaded
(no live round in the chamber, nor in any inserted clip, magazine, or cylinder). - Placement of Declaration: A completed “Firearms Unloaded Declaration”
form (provided at check-in) must be placed:- Inside the checked bag, near (but not in) the locked container if that case
is inside another piece of luggage, or - Inside the locked container if it is a standalone rifle/handgun case.
- Inside the checked bag, near (but not in) the locked container if that case
- Transport on Aircraft: Firearms must be carried in an area of
the aircraft inaccessible to passengers (not in the cabin). Passengers
will not be asked to demonstrate that a firearm is unloaded. - Penalties: Passengers who fail to declare or attempt to transport
loaded firearms may face substantial civil or criminal penalties.
Note: Unauthorized explosive or incendiary devices are
prohibited in checked baggage. This includes any item that could pose a security threat.
Liquids, Aerosols, & Gels (3-1-1 Rule)
Per TSA guidelines, passengers:
- Must pack liquids in travel-size containers of
3.4 oz (100 ml) or less in their carry-on. - All liquid containers must fit within
one transparent, resealable 1-quart (1-liter) plastic bag. - Must declare any liquids or gels that exceed the 3.4 oz (100 ml) limit
or pack them in checked baggage. - May be subject to additional screening if liquids are in carry-on bags.
More details are available at:
TSA Liquids Rule.
REAL ID Compliance
In accordance with federal regulations, travelers must present a
REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another form of acceptable
identification to fly within the United States, beginning
May 7, 2025 (or as amended by TSA).
Please see
www.tsa.gov for a list of acceptable IDs and further information.
“Do you have a REAL ID? Beginning May 7, 2025, you will need a state-issued REAL ID-compliant
license or identification card, or another acceptable form of ID (such as a passport),
to fly within the United States.”
Baggage Acceptance & Control
- Check-In Requirements: Checked baggage is accepted only from
the passenger presenting a valid ticket/reservation (or an authorized family group member). - Ownership & ID: You may be asked to present a valid photo ID
before checking baggage. - Maintain Possession: Never leave bags unattended, and do not
accept items from strangers. - Checked Baggage Screening: We post signage at all baggage
acceptance counters reminding you that your bag is subject to TSA screening.
Once Backcountry Aviation takes control of your checked bag,
we safeguard it until you retrieve it at your destination.
In the event of a baggage irregularity, it remains in our secure area
until claimed or forwarded.
Warning: Attempting to transport any explosive or unauthorized incendiary
device in checked baggage or on your person is strictly prohibited. Violations
may result in severe civil or criminal penalties.
For a comprehensive list of prohibited items, please visit:
TSA’s “What Can I Bring?”.