Carry on Alcohol??
Mar 2nd, 2003, 04:40 PM
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Carry on Alcohol??
Can you take the mini bottles of alcohol in your purse or carry on luggage? <BR><BR>Yes, I am cheap so I bring my own when I fly so I don't have to pay 4 dollars a piece for a drink. <BR><BR><BR>I wasn't sure if this was still allowed or not through security.<BR><BR>thank you
Mar 3rd, 2003, 02:13 PM
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I have carried little bottles of wine on many of times. They have to be factory sealed. My husband just came back from the Caymans and brought on 2 bottles of rum as a carry on. So my guess, as long as they have never been opened it's ok. Just be discreet about opening them.
Mar 4th, 2003, 03:28 PM
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Thank you for the responses. I will try and take them along. <BR>I just wasn't sure with all the security, but I guess that if the mini bottles are sealed it will be ok.<BR><BR>I don't think they can be used as a weapon.
Mar 4th, 2005, 07:00 PM
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I was wondering the same thing, so I checked NW site & they do allow carry on booze (never opened), I think there's a limit of 1-2 liters per adult. My horror story - on Air Canada from Newfoundland, I was stupid & had an opened, 1/4 empty 5th of Bombay Sapphire in my carry on. Security wouldn't let it on board & wouldn't let me throw it out at security. The line was long, so an agent escorted me back to the public area, where I held up my gin (and a bottle of vermouth) & cried, "Anybody want a drink?!" I got dozens of confused, blank stares, but then 1 gent w/ a thick Newfie accent approached & said, "I'll put that to good use, miss!" Now I've learned... 
Mar 5th, 2005, 07:23 AM
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I have carried home the remains of vacation alcohol on planes many times. Just don't put it in the bottle it came in. Put it in a plastic water bottle in a carry on to get xrayed. No one has ever said a thing.
I would not try to drink it on the plane though, that is a different matter.
I would not try to drink it on the plane though, that is a different matter.
Mar 5th, 2005, 10:20 AM
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FYI, most airlines have kicked it up to $5-- beer, wine or the hard stuff.
And you can't consume alcohol on the plane that the flight attendants haven't physically handed to you. That's Federal law. You'll have to sneak your drinks-- and wouldn't that seem a little pathetic? Makes you look like a willful drunk rather than a frugal traveler....
And you can't consume alcohol on the plane that the flight attendants haven't physically handed to you. That's Federal law. You'll have to sneak your drinks-- and wouldn't that seem a little pathetic? Makes you look like a willful drunk rather than a frugal traveler....
Mar 5th, 2005, 10:42 AM
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emd - good idea about changing bottles, except that didn't the TSA give some women a hard time about her bottle of breast milk? I've been in fights w/ them over tiny allen wrenches, so I dunno if I'd chance it - my luck ain't so good!
So the FA needs to hand me my drink (thinks back to when a friend grabbed 4 mini bottles of wine off the cart - no, it was complementary, but the FA was busy).
Can I BYOB & drink at the gate instead?
So the FA needs to hand me my drink (thinks back to when a friend grabbed 4 mini bottles of wine off the cart - no, it was complementary, but the FA was busy).
Can I BYOB & drink at the gate instead?
Mar 6th, 2005, 02:51 AM
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erika: I guess breast milk is a more politically hot terrorist issue than alcohol.
What I don't understand is why they allow a full bottle of wine or booze or anything in a glass bottle on the plane. It has always puzzled me, because can't you easily use a broken bottle as a weapon?
What I don't understand is why they allow a full bottle of wine or booze or anything in a glass bottle on the plane. It has always puzzled me, because can't you easily use a broken bottle as a weapon?
Mar 6th, 2005, 04:03 PM
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Let me put it this way. Putting alcohol in any container other than the one that it came in, unsealed, and attempting to carry it on board an aircraft could land you in big. big trouble with the TSA, as well it should. Alcohol is a flammable liquid, a hazarous material, and when you so cavalierly put it in a plastic bottle to carry on board you are in effect creating a potentially distrastrous situation. And I'm not going to spell it out for you how that is-you can look that up on your own.
However I think the screeners would get to you first. X-ray machines and other screener detection technology in use at the airports right now is very sophisticated. If the screeners catch you carrying alcohol in some unsealed bottle, but particularly, trying to DISGUISE it through subterfuge and to carry it on the aircraft-you're looking at possible criminal and at the very least, steep civil sanctions from the TSA-not to mention missing your flight.
As LoveItaly pointed out, it is a violation of Federal law to carry opened alcohol on board an aircraft, and it is a violation of Federal law to drink alcohol that you have brought on board with you, and not served to you by a F/A. Those rules are there for a very very good safety reason, like TO NOT PUT PASSENGERS' LIVES AT RISK. And oh by the way, criminals and terrorists have been known to try to bring alcohol on board an aircraft to use as a weapon.
So go ahead, do as emd says, and try and take your alcohol on board with you in a plastic container. That is, if the consequences of getting caught don't matter. But a minimum $10,000 violation and a possible criminal charge by the U.S. Attorney's Office would make ME think twice about doing that.
However I think the screeners would get to you first. X-ray machines and other screener detection technology in use at the airports right now is very sophisticated. If the screeners catch you carrying alcohol in some unsealed bottle, but particularly, trying to DISGUISE it through subterfuge and to carry it on the aircraft-you're looking at possible criminal and at the very least, steep civil sanctions from the TSA-not to mention missing your flight.
As LoveItaly pointed out, it is a violation of Federal law to carry opened alcohol on board an aircraft, and it is a violation of Federal law to drink alcohol that you have brought on board with you, and not served to you by a F/A. Those rules are there for a very very good safety reason, like TO NOT PUT PASSENGERS' LIVES AT RISK. And oh by the way, criminals and terrorists have been known to try to bring alcohol on board an aircraft to use as a weapon.
So go ahead, do as emd says, and try and take your alcohol on board with you in a plastic container. That is, if the consequences of getting caught don't matter. But a minimum $10,000 violation and a possible criminal charge by the U.S. Attorney's Office would make ME think twice about doing that.
Mar 7th, 2005, 03:09 AM
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Have a good laugh! It's on me!
I recently went through the security line at the Ft. Lauderdale airport on a flight to Cape Town, South Africa. I had an opened bottle of red wine and I guess the cork wasn't in quite hard enough. Red wine (the entire bottle) went everywhere; on the conveyer belt and everywhere in my carry on bag. I went to the men's restroom and emptied my bag and washed it in the sink. I put everything back in the backpack. It was dry by the time I got to South Africa.
By the way, South African Airways still gives free drinks in coach. I had seven glasses of wine on the flight and needed everyone.
I recently went through the security line at the Ft. Lauderdale airport on a flight to Cape Town, South Africa. I had an opened bottle of red wine and I guess the cork wasn't in quite hard enough. Red wine (the entire bottle) went everywhere; on the conveyer belt and everywhere in my carry on bag. I went to the men's restroom and emptied my bag and washed it in the sink. I put everything back in the backpack. It was dry by the time I got to South Africa.
By the way, South African Airways still gives free drinks in coach. I had seven glasses of wine on the flight and needed everyone.
Mar 7th, 2005, 06:40 AM
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Screeners see and pass thousands of bottles of alcohol and other liquids every day. A bottle that has the seal broken does not jump out from the others.
I often carry alcohol in different bottles for ease in packing. A small plastic bottle travels better (and is safer) than a glass 1 liter bottle. Never been hastled.
Keith
Screeners see and pass thousands of bottles of alcohol and other liquids every day. A bottle that has the seal broken does not jump out from the others.
I often carry alcohol in different bottles for ease in packing. A small plastic bottle travels better (and is safer) than a glass 1 liter bottle. Never been hastled.
Keith
Mar 7th, 2005, 12:12 PM
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Whew, its getting a little shrill in here.
I know the FAA regulation requires that alcohol be served by a member of the crew, because I looked that up the last time this came up.
I don't believe the TSA bans alcohol, sealed or not, as I went to their site and they list what you can and cannot take into what they cleverly call the "sterile" area, and they do not list alcohol as banned. Interestingly, you can bring a safety razor and blades! Shortly, they will be banning lighters, but not matches. They do point out that the FAA does ban hazardous substances so I went to the FAA site. While I didn't look up the actual regulations, they do have a list of what can and cannot fly, and they do not list alcohol as being banned, but just don't get caught with excessive deodorant sprays. It makes sense that they would not ban alcohol as a hazardous substance, as they allow the airlines to carry all kinds of alcohol that they will sell to you. However, in the back of my mind I recall some authority that bans alcohol of 70 proof or higher as a hazardous substance. Most drinking alcohol is well below that proof, and is not in fact flammable.
All this could be complicated, of course, by laws of various jurisdictions that could apply. Each of our united states has its own liquor laws so if you have an unsealed container in a vehicle, for instance, you may have breached a local law.
I know the FAA regulation requires that alcohol be served by a member of the crew, because I looked that up the last time this came up.
I don't believe the TSA bans alcohol, sealed or not, as I went to their site and they list what you can and cannot take into what they cleverly call the "sterile" area, and they do not list alcohol as banned. Interestingly, you can bring a safety razor and blades! Shortly, they will be banning lighters, but not matches. They do point out that the FAA does ban hazardous substances so I went to the FAA site. While I didn't look up the actual regulations, they do have a list of what can and cannot fly, and they do not list alcohol as being banned, but just don't get caught with excessive deodorant sprays. It makes sense that they would not ban alcohol as a hazardous substance, as they allow the airlines to carry all kinds of alcohol that they will sell to you. However, in the back of my mind I recall some authority that bans alcohol of 70 proof or higher as a hazardous substance. Most drinking alcohol is well below that proof, and is not in fact flammable.
All this could be complicated, of course, by laws of various jurisdictions that could apply. Each of our united states has its own liquor laws so if you have an unsealed container in a vehicle, for instance, you may have breached a local law.
Mar 9th, 2005, 03:35 AM
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Uh, hate to disabuse anyone of their notions that this is okay, but TSA WOULD consider alcohol brought on board an aircraft in another container as a prohibited item IF one were using subterfuge by attempting to bring it in some other container than that which it was originally stored in.
And no one said that alcohol in sealed containers could not be brought on board-obviously this is not the case-the point of the matter is, the bottles brought on board by pax through duty free purchases are sealed and secured-the pax picks up the duty-free bottles, and they are stored for the duration of the flight. The same for alcohol served on board an aircraft-on US carriers, miniatures are sealed and stored in their proper containers-in other words-their original containers.
The KEY point is, (in case the point is lost) is the subterfuge in bringing alcohol on board in a container in an attempt to disguise it, thus circumventing both FAA rules on bringing open bottles of alcohol on board the aircraft, and TSA security rules on prohibited items, which could bring you fines from BOTH agencies.
And I even took up this matter with a TSA person who is imminently qualified to speak on this subject just yesterday -and yes, it was confirmed that if a pax was attempting to escape detection by bringing on board alcohol in a container that it did not originate in, that TSA would regard this action as an act of malfeasance, and the alcohol in question as a prohibited item-(it doesn't matter if it is not specifically listed-it would be considered a flammable fuel in the context given above) That individual might then be facing a civil penalty of up to 10,000 per individual. When asked about criminal violations, it was confirmed that the violator could ALSO face criminal sanctions as well, depending on the particular circumstances of the deception.
So, as I said before, go ahead, and attempt to circumvent both FAA and TSA rules by utilizing this idiotic suggestion to bring alcohol on board in another container in order to save a couple of dollars- by all means, if you think you can afford the risk of such penalties that may result if you are caught-why then you deserve exactly what comes to you. At that point, the $5.00 charge for a miniature will never look so good.
And no one said that alcohol in sealed containers could not be brought on board-obviously this is not the case-the point of the matter is, the bottles brought on board by pax through duty free purchases are sealed and secured-the pax picks up the duty-free bottles, and they are stored for the duration of the flight. The same for alcohol served on board an aircraft-on US carriers, miniatures are sealed and stored in their proper containers-in other words-their original containers.
The KEY point is, (in case the point is lost) is the subterfuge in bringing alcohol on board in a container in an attempt to disguise it, thus circumventing both FAA rules on bringing open bottles of alcohol on board the aircraft, and TSA security rules on prohibited items, which could bring you fines from BOTH agencies.
And I even took up this matter with a TSA person who is imminently qualified to speak on this subject just yesterday -and yes, it was confirmed that if a pax was attempting to escape detection by bringing on board alcohol in a container that it did not originate in, that TSA would regard this action as an act of malfeasance, and the alcohol in question as a prohibited item-(it doesn't matter if it is not specifically listed-it would be considered a flammable fuel in the context given above) That individual might then be facing a civil penalty of up to 10,000 per individual. When asked about criminal violations, it was confirmed that the violator could ALSO face criminal sanctions as well, depending on the particular circumstances of the deception.
So, as I said before, go ahead, and attempt to circumvent both FAA and TSA rules by utilizing this idiotic suggestion to bring alcohol on board in another container in order to save a couple of dollars- by all means, if you think you can afford the risk of such penalties that may result if you are caught-why then you deserve exactly what comes to you. At that point, the $5.00 charge for a miniature will never look so good.
Mar 10th, 2005, 02:52 AM
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Guess we need to go back to the marijuana brownies and the PCP mustard on my sandwich. But seriously, this is a big problem in bars today. People are not buying the drinks but instead are doing the drugs. I hope we don't have people overdosing on planes because they don't want to pay $5 for a drink. Not allowing drinks but allowing food brought on board may save the airlines some money but is costing the government "screeners" more money.
Mar 10th, 2005, 07:23 AM
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Maybe people should shuffle their priorities a bit. If you can afford a plane ticket but can't afford $5 for a drink and MUST sneak liquor on a flight because you MUST have a drink-- you might have a bigger problem than we're discussing here....
