If you are flying, it is possible to take a cake with you. Recent changes in the FAA rules have made it more challenging, but not impossible. For instance, do you know that cake fillings can be considered a gel/liquid and falls under the 3.1.1 rule? In other words, if they think you have more than 3 oz. of filling in your cake, they won't let you carry it on. Absurd, but true and in these times, unfortunate. 

Also gone are the days when we could place a larger cake box in with the flight attendants luggage up front. This is now a big no-no. So how does one get around this? Well you could buy your cake a seat on the plane, or take the chance there might be an open one available on your flight, but that might be a bit extreme. You could also come a day early and hook up with someone in the host city to borrow their kitchen and create your work form scratch. Please do not plan to create your masterpiece at the Cake Hospital. It is there for repairs and final assembly purposes only. For the very trusting, you could ship the larger main pieces by FedEx of UPS and then bring the more fragile trim elements with you to finish off the cake on-site. But baring those options, here's what we found works.

When you book your flight
The first thing you need to do before even designing your show piece, is some basic homework. Book your flights and find out the model of the airplane you'll be on (usually this information is available at the same time you make your reservations). When reserving your seat try to avoid  the 1st row (no under seat storage), or the emergency exit rows. Try for the middle seats, as they have the best under-seat room. Window seats have less because of the slanted side walls, and aisle seats have the risk of people kicking your box when they pass by. 

Info to know
Next call the airline and make friends with your customer service representative. The key information you need is: What is the maximum size under the seat and in the overhead compartment for the plane model you will be traveling on. Is there a weight and number of items restriction for carry on luggage?  What provisions can be made for perishable items flying with you? Be nice, and patient, it may take a few transfers before you find a human with this information.

How big can you make it?
Once you have these dimensions, design your cake boxes to these sizes. Then design your cakes to the box sizes. This saves a lot of trouble in the end.  Bear in mind, when they say 10 1/2" they actually mean 10 1/2" not 10 3/4". Use nice sturdy cardboard boxes, not cake boxes, and tie them up with string and a carrying handle and glue a piece of non-skid to the bottom of the box.  Commercially available hat boxes with carrying strings also make nice containers. Make sure the box size securely  fits the cake base size to avoid movement when traveling. Label the box with a nice sign saying THIS SIDE UP-  DISPLAY CAKE - FRAGILE. Also have your name, address and contact info for the hotel clearly displayed on the outside. Sometimes it is nice to have a photo on the outside of the box of the cake inside, this saves answering a lot of questions.  If you are traveling with a tiered cake, separate each layer into its own box and arrange them together once you arrive on site at the cake hospital. Make sure you can disassemble it again if you plan to travel home with it. Some people have custom Plexiglas carriers made for their cakes. These are nice and have the added benefit of showing off your work, but they are also expensive, and heavier than plain old cardboard.

At the airport
Next your cake must go through the metal detectors at the airport. The flaps to these machines are lined with lead which makes them heavy. Your lightweight foam display in your box may be tipped over by these flaps as it goes into the machine. To avoid this, place a heavy larger object (like your suitcase) directly behind the box to brace it as it goes into the machine. You can also try and ask for it to be removed from the machine right after it has been screened so that it does not have to go down the rollers to the bottom. Again, be patient, it may even be opened for additional screening, so have some packing tape (rippable kind, no scissors or serrated cutting edges) on hand to reseal your box (also handy when packing up to come home).

Can I check it?
If you are thinking of checking your cake, you might request to do this at the gate along with the other people who are checking strollers and car seats. The hope would be that it would be the last thing hand carried on, and the first thing hand carried off. Although this might sound like a good plan in letting you carry a larger cake, remember that your cake could be sitting in the heat on the tarmac until loaded, or even for an extended period in the open very hot hull of the plane. Also note that the baggage area is not as heated in flight as the cabin area, so sweating on your piece might occur from these temperature changes.

Alternatives
If this still does not seem feasible, remember, having your work on a flat cake plaque is a great idea too. Or think miniature, and bring a few small cakes. They pack well, and can still show off your talent.  In the past beautiful cakes have been transported from Africa, Japan, India, South and Central America, and Europe, and what a thrill it is to see them! So think about bringing your work to convention next time. It's worth it!