• Tools such a saw are not allowed on American Airlines flights.wood saw image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
  
  With heightened security, many airline passengers become caught unawares when forced to give up items before boarding a flight. These forbidden items, which are banned for the safety of all passengers, often cause a bit of confusion for travelers when preparing their packing list. American Airlines allows most normal, household items, but bans others.
  
  

Alcoholic Beverages

• American Airlines prohibits any alcoholic beverages that are 70 percent alcohol by volume or higher on their planes. Guests may bring on items under 70 percent alcohol, which includes the majority of retail beer, wine and liquor sold on the market. If the item's alcohol by volume percentage lies between 24 and 70, only five liters (5.3 quarts) per passenger may be brought onto the plane. The airline does not restrict alcoholic beverages under 24 percent alcohol by volume.
  
  

Firearms and Explosives

• The airline restricts travelers from bringing aboard any explosives such as fireworks, or flares of any kind whether checked in or carried on. Guests may bring a firearm aboard, however, the item must be stored in checked luggage and must be declared during the flight check in. As of 2007, the company prohibits guests traveling to and from the United Kingdom from bringing aboard any firearms.
  
  

Household Items

• Typical household items may not be brought aboard the plane such as bleaches, solvents, insect repellents, spray starch and drain cleaners. American Airlines refuses guests who attempt to board with these items.
  
  

Flammable Items

• Guests will have to keep their lighters and matches at home as the airline refuses to allow passengers to board with these items. Other items such as fuels, flammable paints, flammable glues, epoxies and gas torches may not be brought aboard the plane either in carry-on or checked-in baggage.
  
  

Tools

• The airline refuses to check in tools such as crowbars, hammers, power drills and saws. These items must be left at home. However, small scissors with a cutting edge of a maximum length of four inches and tools seven inches or smaller such as screwdrivers, pliers and wrenches may be brought aboard in carry-on or checked baggage.
  
  

Other items

• The airline restricts passengers from bringing self-heating meals, self-inflating life vests and defensive sprays such as pepper spray and mace on board the aircraft whether as a carry-on item or checked baggage.