Water confiscated after Security in Buenos Aires
 

This comes up from time to time so is an update for those flying from Buenos Aires back to the US. We flew back to DFW on American Thurs night, Aug 4 and water (and other liquids) were confiscated after Security. We bought water at the gate and than had a secondary bag check when boarding and all liquids were taken.

BTW, the advice to get to the airport at least 3 hours ahead of our flight was right on. Everything moved VERY slowly. If you want to receive your VAT refund, let your partner/friend stand in the long line to check your bag while you go stand in the long line to get the Customs' stamp . . . otherwise, you might need 4 hours! This is before the LONG line you will stand in for Passport Control.

Another note RE: American . . . our plane was a Boeing 767-300 . . . old plane, no seatback entertainment, seats VERY close together. I'm 5'2" and never have a problem with legroom or seats in general, this configuration was horrible. If the person in front reclines at all, you can't get out of your seat. I did not recline (trying to be considerate) and it was a tortuous 11-hour flight. I'll really have to think long and hard before I commit to another of American's 767-300s.

BTW, we had a fabulous time in BA. It was 55° there and 110° back in Texas and that was just one of the perks!

Sandy (in Denton)

That's the case in many countries for flights to the U.S.: There's a secondary inspection at the gate right before boarding and beverages purchased beyond security are confiscated.

that's happened to me or others I've seen in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Seoul -- very common. (TSA rules are for US airports -- other countries can/do handle things differently)

If you were sitting in front of me and didn't recline your seat on an 11-hour flight then I wouldn't think that you were being considerate. I would think that you were torturing yourself for some reason.

If you had reclined your seat (for hours) and then raised it when meals were delivered or when you weren't actually reclining in the seat, then I would think that you were a wonderful, considerate person.

Common procedure with liquids worldwide particularly

with folks stuffing liquid bombs in their jockey shorts

these days... AA.com has their oldest crappiest planes

on the SA routes have had to stop X 2 because a part fell off

30% of the time my seats do not even works on the old planes.

The good news is AA made the largest deal in the world

to upgrade their fleet so should improve soon...

Like taca.com lan.com a lot better even copaair.com spirit.com

better than AA in SA for me. aurlinequality.com reviews...

"Common procedure with liquids worldwide particularly"

No it isn't. Confiscating liquids bought airside is a US thing.

This happens on international flights TO the U.S. When I fly from Costa Rica to neighboring countries on Taca or Copa, there's no secondary inspection at the gate.

But it doesn't happen airside in U.S. airports themselves.

I don't know if it happens everywhere if you are coming to the US, but they got me in Frankfurt the same way. And Jeff says Costa Rica. I just quit 'testing'them.

It would REALLY be nice if someone made a list of where this happens because sometimes it can take you a long time after boarding to get a drink. Maybe there is a way to find out which airports have this second security check at the gate?????

I will attest to a pretty good sampling of Central and South America:

San Jose
Tegucigalpa
San Pedro Sula
Guatemala City
San Salvador
Panama City
Bogota
Lima
Quito
Guayaquil
Santiago
Buenos Aires
Montevideo

On flights to the U.S., there is a secondary inspection at the gate. You'll have liquid beverages confiscated if you purchase them beyond security. If you buy a bottle of rum or wine or something at a shop in the boarding area, it will be delivered in a sealed package to you on the jetway as you board the plane.

On flights to other countries in the region there is no secondary inspection.

"It would REALLY be nice if someone made a list of where this happens because sometimes it can take you a long time after boarding to get a drink. Maybe there is a way to find out which airports have this second security check at the gate?????"

It's nothing to do with airports, it's the US itself who imposes that rule and hence all international flights to the US are affected.

There's little reason for anybody who is not out in direct sunlight/heat not to be able to go a few hours without liquid intake.

Same rules leaving Seoul, Korea for US the other week. The PA announcement kept saying that you could not take liquids on board flights to the US and the gate agent made the same announcement. They did not mention the quart plastic bag, which is allowed by TSA.

AlanRow, more than once I have taken bottles of water from overseas onto flights to the US. Just last year I took a bottle of water from CDG on a flight to Houston. Maybe this is true coming from some countries but certainly not all flights to the US.

We must have been lucky - I flew RT Miami-Buenos Aires last fall on American and daughter flew Buenos Aires-Dulles on United in the winter - both of us carried on water bought after security without a problem and neither of us had any gate security or secondary searches.

It depends on airport setup and sudden/random secondary checks are always possible for flights TO the US.

There are two ways a traveler can be happy:

1. Assume there is a secondary check and don't buy/take liquids after primary security;
2. Don't get upset if your liquid is taken at the gate after you buy/take your expensive liquids after primary security.

It's simple as that. Choose 1. or choose 2. Then you won't come back to this forum and others to complain.

I did not come back here to complain about the water being taken, I posted as an FYI, as this comes up from time to time.

I did complain about the uncomfortable plane, but that could not be solved by my picking choice 1 or 2 . . . that could have been solved by not flying AA's old, crappy 767s (I know know better for next time)!

Sandy (in Denton)

Happens departing Mexico too.

It happens departing from Sydney, Australia for the US. I don't think it happens for departures to any other destination, when you query it they always say it's a US regulation.

Amen, rkkwan. I think your advice falls under the mottos: "be prepared" and "don't sweat the small stuff".

NoFlyZone, I think your post sums up the water issue quite well.

Sandy, if you were being considerate by not reclining your seat on an <u>11-hour</u> flight then does that mean that the reclining person in front of you was being inconsiderate?

I think that the flight comfort issue is more interesting than the water thing (not that we really need another discussion about seat recline) but I do have an idea about water: put a small funnel in your carry-on. Get a bottle of water after securiity, chug it down before boarding, and then take the empty bottle onboard. As soon as the seat-belt light goes off and you are getting up to go pee, take the water bottle with you. Go to the galley and use the funnel to fill up the bottle with water.

My bottled water was taken in Santiago, Chile as I was boarding a flight to the US.

I'm just back from Europe. I flew yesterday from Frankfurt to Houston and they did not take my water. I suppose it depends on a few factors as to why some airport workers will take your water and some won't, but it certainly does not apply to ALL flights to the US.

I've never had it happen coming back from Europe either. Only out of Mexico, in my personal flight experience. I never knew exactly why but fly from Puerto Vallarta often enough at least I now expected it (not like others who buy beverages after security then are disgruntled they can't take it on the flight).

There was a secondary screening at the gate at FCO last week (Delta), but it was just a few days after 9/11. I didn't encounter a gate screening last year at FCO.

I cannot remember where I read it or what city it was about but it said that liquids, such as perfumes, duty free alcohol was confiscated AFTER going through customs/immigration and security. Some in the story said they bought expensive alcohol at the duty free store only to be told 5 mins later upon boarding that they would have to throw it away.

MissGreen - That can happen anytime when there's a secondary screening at the gate for flights going to the US. These secondary screenings can be regular at some airports and random at others.

At those airports where the screening is regularly done, the dutyfree shop will have a service to deliver the liquid items to the gate AFTER the secondary screening. You don't just grab a bottle off the shelf.

In the last year, I have flown to the US from Frankfurt, Munich, and Toronto without secondary screening and brought water aboard.

However, when flying out of Singapore (to Bali and Tokyo), water was confiscated.

november_moon - SIN has security set up just before a cluster of gates, after the shops and restaurants. Those are their MAIN security, not secondary ones. You definitely cannot take over 100ml of liquids past those security. Similar to AMS.

rkkwan - I realize that. I was just offering up an example to show that not being able to bring a bottle of water on board isn't due only to the PITA USA TSA.

Don't remember all airports, but in Copenhagen I was taken aside at the gates - and I said, I have a bottle of water, they said it's fine, keep it. They swabbed my hands and purse for explosives, walked me through the metal gate, don't remember if anything else - but they didn't take the water bottle.