Help me transport a pie on Thanksgiving!

This will lead to heartbreak. Bring something sturdy, like fruitcake, or already in pieces, like nuts or candy, well packaged. Or, if you insist on pie, hit the grocery store on arrival, and make it when you get there.

Can you make it up in advance, freeze it before the flight, and bake it when you get there?

What kind of pie is it? 6 hours with no fridge is OK for some pies, not great for others, I think. I would look into Pyrex/tupperware.

I would be surprised if TSA regulations allowed you to take a pie on a plane (i.e., is it above 3 ounces of "gel"?). I would not count on this working out. The pie won't go bad in six hours, though. Arrange for a nice pie at your destination from a local shop.

You're gonna want a full double-crust pie there, kiddo... either that or to stabilize the hell out of your filling with cornstarch/tapioca/thickener-of-choice. Unless the pie has an uncooked filling with perishable ingredients (milk, eggs, butter, etc.), it will most likely be a-okay for a few hours sans refrigeration. In lieu of a fruit filling, I'd go for as dense and rich a filling as you can stand... pecan or mincemeat or chocolate-caramel are more robust and less ooey-gooey than fruit, and can probably take a jostling with better results. I'm in favor of checkin' that pie, but I have NO idea what kind of container you might use. Definitely something hard-sided, though. A hatbox with both container/lid cut down to 3" - 4" high might work.

ACTUALLY, something that just occurred to me... blind-bake the crust, parcook the filling, assembled the pie, then FREEZE THE HELL OUT OF THAT PUPPY the night before your flight. A frozen, half-baked pie will stand up to a LOT more (jostling, inspection, flight delays) than a fresh, tender pie.

Even TSA Blogger Bob says you can bring pies through: http://blog.tsa.gov/2008/11/easy-as-pie.html I spoke with the TSA Contact center today to see what the number one travel question was so far this holiday season. Drum roll please… Can I take my pie with me on the plane? The answer is yes! Just send it through the X-ray and you’ll be one step closer to enjoying your delicious pie. We do suggest you take it as a carryon so it doesn’t get squashed in your checked luggage. Mmmm. I like pie. I dig Pecan, Rhubarb and Sesame Seed pie. Mmmmm! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Can you make http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/bourbon-peach-hand-pies/ instead? Significantly less risk for complete disaster. Speaking as a person who carried a cake from on a cross-country flight, I had zero issue with TSA, I just explained to them what was in the box as well as wrote "BIRTHDAY CAKE" on the outside of the box.

Seconding the suggestion of pecan pie; it's a Thanksgiving favorite, and the more pecan-y versions are pretty dang solid, in my experience. If you can, bring some mounting squares or double-sided tape to secure the pie dish to the bottom of the carrier so it doesn't bounce around and chip the crust. A transparent carrier clearly designed for baked goods might help allay some of the TSA's misgivings. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002PEVOPE/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/, but your local big-boxes and grocery stores should all stock some variant at this time of the year.