I thought the rules were that no liquids or gels were to be carried onto international flights (except the two 100 ml bottles). This is strictly enforced on flights out of Australia and Bangkok. Every time I've come through the latter somebody has had bottles of alcohol confiscated. From memory I lost a bottle of water I'd forgotten about in my backpack when leaving Yangon earlier in the year.

That is 100% normal procedure, due to TSA requirement. Write to your representative/senator/president if you don't like it.

The OP stated that he purchased the water after going through security. Last year I boarded a KAL flight from BKK to ICN with water and then boarded a flight from ICN - JFK with water I purchased at the airport. They maybe getting stricter, but I just returned DCA-FLL with my water too.

The OP is talking about water purchased AFTER going through security -- are the others talking about that? I've never heard of security taking bottles purchased by the gateways after clearing the security.

NeoPatrick - I don't know what the others are talking about either. Like you, I never had water taken away from me after clearing security.

I don't know about Seoul, but I have had water purchased after security confiscated before US bound flights a number of times. (You'd think I'd learn, but it seems you never know). From Moscow, Managua, Guanajuato/Leon, Taipei off the top of my head. People going other places at other gates were carrying their water on in plain sight in Moscow. Just not US bound flights.. maybe there were others, hard to tell for sure.

But water bought after security was not confiscated in London or Melbourne before US bound flights. And there's never a problem outbound *from* the US.

Same heading to Australia from Bali, but not from Hong Kong, so it's not just about the TSA in the US.

Perhaps it's got something to do with the faith the US, or Australia, has in the airport security at the other end?

I've had beverages purchased after clearing security confiscated from me at both FCO and AMS. This was a couple of years ago, but it still REALLY ticked me off and ticked a number of other passengers off, too. In one instance, there was a soft drink bottle vending machine right in the boarding area, and a thirsty kid of about 11 or 12 had literally just purchased a beverage there and began drinking it while waiting to board. He was required to surrender it before boarding! Hello? If you don't want your passengers to do this, shouldn't you ban these vending machines from the boarding area?? I highly doubt the President of the country or the airline had anything at all to do with the policy.

BC

Almost a kind of entrapment, isn't it? You buy a bottle of water for the flight and it's taken away. If they want you consume it before boarding is it so difficult to put up a sign by the vending machine stating all beverages must be consumed before boarding your flight?
What's unclear to me is whether the airline's--not the airport's--own security on boarding would have the means to detect an unopened bottle concealed within a carryon bag.

Since you need to be at an airport two hours before an international flight, and most of the time when I am, I end up at the gate, checked in and through security with still almost two hours to spare, it would be cruel NOT to sell drinks or water in the gate area.

I am so surprised by this post. I've just never heard of such a thing, and question how they manage all the liquor purchased in duty free after security being delivered onto the plane. On domestic flights, I've often purchased a take away lunch and a bottle of water in the gate area, and have never heard of anyone having it taken away.

Many many international airports have secondary screening for US-bound flights. All AFTER regular security screening for the airport. At many gates at many airports, that secondary screening are AT the jetway.

LGW, CDG, HKG, ZRH, etc. All like that.

Totally normal and nothing unusual at all of OP's experience since soon after 9/11.

I've filled my empty water bottle after going through security within the past year at NRT and CDG on the way back to the US - JFK - and no problems. That is terribly annoying - wonder if it's something new....

I've had similar experiences, and there doesn't seem to be any consistency to the "rule." Traveling to the US from Narita I've had my water taken away and also been allowed to keep it on different occasions. Same airline and same flight but different trip.

When it's been taken away, no big deal. I use the bottle they give out on the plane and refill it often by asking in the galley. Often they give me a big bottle of Evian when it becomes clear that I drink a lot of water. But anyway, drinking a lot, getting up often to refill and use the bathroom is good on long flights to help prevent dvt.

Personally, I'm not impressed with the mindset behind the whole anti-liquids thing. But if that's how it is, I'm grateful too that they sell drinks past security, even if they don't allow them on your plane. It's nice to at least be able to have some refreshment before boarding.

And I realize they may not be able to easily post something about restrictions at the point of purchase since they don't know which plane you'll be on. Some flights seem to restrict, some don't. It seems to depend on where you're going and the requirements of the country at the other end and the list likely changes regularly. But it sure would be nice to put something at the gate... that way you could go look and decide what to purchase before they surprise you with it at the last minute. It's not like the liquids they confiscate get tested, so springing a surprise isn't going to catch someone in the act. It stops the liquid getting on but so would a sign.

Guess we could each go ask at the gate. That'd probably get signs put up fast.

I had a water bottle confiscated in Izmir, Turkey last month (purchased at the bar by our gate), and in Japan(KIX) and India in the past few years. Seems to be quite random.

Thanks for all of the responses. Sounds like others have had similar experiences. I am forewarned now about international flights for the US and water bottles!

Meanwhile more than 10% of the samples of water served on airplanes are contaminated with e. coli bacteria.

I witnessed a guy having a duty free bottle of whisky being relieved of it at the X-ray machines, in narita. Felt sorry for,him especially since he seemed very civil about it.

I've even had my EMPTY water bottle confiscated in Dubai. I often carry an empty bottle with a "sport" (pull opening) cap, so I can fill up from a drinking fountain after security (at least in countries where water is not a problem). But it was taken at the secondary gate check; others had ALL batteries (which they had been told NOT to put in their checked luggage), dabs of Purell/hand lotion/toothpaste found in purses (outside the quart-zip-locked sack) etc. taken. And, believe me, you don't argue with the authorities in the UAE.

On our recent KAL flight we asked for and recieved all the bottled water we wanted. All we did was walk back to the galley area. We have had open and closed bottles taken from us many times. all you can do is go with the "flo".

From what I understand, it's not the airline that enforces the security measures, it's the airport and their security. And yes there are lapses all the time, not due to any evil intentions, I'm pretty sure, just poor training and low wages/poor working conditions. I have had mascara and chapsticks confiscated in Indonesia, and in Bangkok boarded with a full bottle of water that I forgot was in my bag, although I did have to give up the half full bottle in my other bag.