No wine even in checked luggage???
 

I just came across the following on http://www.ifly.com/airline-security

"A couple of rules of thumb for packing checked baggage: you may pack sporting equipment, even swords and knives, but make sure nothing is flammable or explosive. Flammable items also include alcohol, so think twice about bringing that bottle of wine back from France."

My friends and I are planning to take a few styrofoam boxes in order to bring back several bottles of wine from France. The above would seem to indicate that this might not be allowed.

Have the rules changed recently or is this website giving out bad information?

I think you would be hard pressed to set a bottle of wine OR gin on fire. Give it a try.

Hi Betty,

We have had not trouble bringing wine in checked baggage.

The TSA site says it is permitted in checked baggage.

You may even bring it in carryon if you purchase it at the duty free shop after clearing security.

((I))

I was also concerned about this & needed to know the answer prior to selecting an airline.
When I was speaking with Delta, the representative couldn't speak for Alitalia...but, was nice enough to call a rep at Alitalia who confirmed that wine can be in your checked luggage.
It is confusing because there are contradictory postings...I suggest calling your airline directly.

WARNING!

If that "duty free" wine is going to another city with you or if you are flying to someplace like ATL where you have to go BACK through secuirty to exit the airport, you will need to pack it in your checked baggage before you recheck after customs. The TSA gets a lot of "free wine" and "free perfume" collected at that check point that was bought duty free.

My method is LOTS of plastic and padding and so far so good!

Hi,
I've never asked an airline about it, but we have recently brought back a few bottles of wine in our checked bags on Lufthansa and Air France. We put the bottles in plastic bags, wrap them in our "need to be laundered" clothes (also in bags), and place them in the center of our luggage.

Paul

So if I'm a terrorist, all I have to do is to put the gasoline in a thin-walled bottle and stash it in my checked luggage?

God is Great!

Absolutely. I keep saying it and everybody keeps ignoring me, but absolutely every security measure being used is just to 'flatter public opinion'. You can still gouge out eyes with your ballpoint pen, shove your keys down somebody's throat, break any number of items on the plane and use them as daggers. So who cares what is allowed and what isn't? It's just a matter of how desperate or how insane somebody might become some day while on a plane. All of the security issues are ridiculous.

Anyway, regarding bottles in checked luggage, my brother found bubble wrap to be thoroughly effective for protecting all of his checked bottles.

Judging from the number of wine-soaked bags I've seen and smelled coming down the luggage carousel, you won't be the only one who's tried it.

Hi CarolA
Date: 05/13/2007, 01:32 pm

WARNING!

>....if you are flying to someplace like ATL where you have to go BACK through secuirty to exit the airport, you will need to pack it in your checked baggage before you recheck after customs. <

We will be coming into ATL.

Assume that I have some wine from the Duty Free shop that I am carrying in my carryon.

I am not going to another city.

Do I have to put the wine in my checked luggage after I retrieve it from the carousel and before I go through Customs?

((I))

"Do I have to put the wine in my checked luggage after I retrieve it from the carousel and before I go through Customs?"

Depends.

In ATL you do since there is NO way from the International Terminal to the exit without entering the main terminal area. If your airport has a direct route out where you don't have to go back through security then you can just carry your wine out. If you must be "rescreened" and go thru security you have to put your liquids in your checked baggage which is then put on some type of system and delivered to you at baggage claim. (ATL)

As for the comment about a terrorist using checking gas. I don't think they are going to bother. It would be easier just to ship the cargo where you could put the whole bomb. WHy "hope" your gas explodes?

Ira,
I responded without really understanding you were were coming into ATL.

YES your wine or other liquids purchased at the CDG duty free must be put in your checked luggage. Your airline will take your checked luggage and SLOWLY (VERY SLOWLY) transport it to baggage claim (I am always convinced they lost mine between point A & B it takes so long)

Terrorism is about scaring people. A freight liner disappearing over the Pacific wouldn't be anywhere near as dramatic as an Airbus with 300 passengers aboard.

Most passenger jets carry some freight.

I brought home two bottles last time, wrapped in lots of clothes...had no problems at all.

Jules

Hi Carol,

Thanks.

Just to make sure I understand; even though I am flying nonstop to ATL, and it is my final destination, wines have to be in my checked luggage, even if bought from the Duty Free shop in Europe.

((I))

can some kind person explain why some US airports [yes i know this is the europe forum, but Ira raised it here] make you collect your checked luggage, [eg orlando, Fl] then give it back again, and re-collect it?

really puzzled me then, and now!

regards, ann

"Most passenger jets carry some freight."

The vast majority of freight isn't carried on passenger jets, which typically max out with baggage. Your odds of inflicting mass casualties by randomly freighting bombs aren't very good.

When we came back from Paris in March, US customs didn't bother with the wine but the Salmon Roe (my Wife called it Red Caviar, she's Ex-Russian), they had a moment of excitement (me frustration, gotta luv her!).

Packing duty free items in checked baggage at CDG, no possibe! Your checked baggage is done before you enter the duty free/security zone.
Our wine was winked at in both CDG/DFW, American Airlines could have cared less at either.

The Duty Free Shops (within the seccurity zone) packed our purchases in SEALED plastic bags, sometimes with Aluminum foil wrapped around the item, don't break the seal, if USA Custom's Officer does, get a follow-on statement (that is what I think its called), if you are transferring within the same airport.
By the way you have to clear both checked and carry-on at your re-enter point.
To clear the point if your coming back from another country TSA doesn't know what is checked or carry-on, that is determined by the national agents at the point of embarkation/boarding, that is per the TSA.
WHAT IS LOADED INTO AN INBOUND AIRCRAFT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY BELONGS TO THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT CARGO AND/OR PASSENGER(S) REMAINS WITH THAT COUNTRY UNTIL IT LANDS IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.
Cumbersome statement, which boils down to "If France (for example) allows you to load 14 cases of wine, USA customs doesn't care until you have to pay the Duty Tax".
We have had no problems with wine/liquors/whiskey in either checked or carry-on, what is taxed on your re-enter?

I'm curious about that, too, ann, but can I bring it back to my original question for a moment? If I'm understanding what you all are saying the answer is "B" i.e. that information on ifly is just wrong. So we don't need to worry about our styrofoam cases as long as they are checked?

Three of us will be traveling CDG to EWR to CLT; one will return via Houston and ATL. Do we need to be concerned about state (NJ, NC, TX or GA) laws about "importing" wine for personal use? Each person may have up to a dozen bottles.

Thanks again.

No one has addressed this. Wine can be very sensitive to changes in temperature. Last December, we attempted to get 2 bottles from Italy to England in hand baggage. OK we’re idiots. Well, the security folks were kind enough to allow us to go back and try to put it in our checked baggage. No problem with the airline. But, when we opened it on Christmas, it was spoiled. Since then, we have spoken with a number of wine experts. With the quick changes in temperature and rough baggage handling, wine does not travel well. Bottom line is be careful; no since in shipping wine if it will be spoiled anyway.

"Just to make sure I understand; even though I am flying nonstop to ATL, and it is my final destination, wines have to be in my checked luggage, even if bought from the Duty Free shop in Europe."

Yes, What I do is open my suitcase, stick the bottle in the middle (still wrapped in it's duty free bag for additional protection) and cross my fingers. So far so good.

ATL has no way for you to get from the international arrival area to the exit without requiring you to re-enter the main terminal. So once you hit US soil the TSA takes over. (The airlines yell to remind folks, but every time I have flown international lately I have seen LOTS of wine and perfume at the TSA counter. Guess they have good parties and smell nice!)

hi, bktport,

there was quite a long recent thread on this [title was about a 20 year old trying to import wine into the US, but we segued off point a bit, as per usual].

the general opinion was that the possibly large changes in temp COULD cause severe damage to the wine. better overall to buy at home.

regards, ann

<i>Flammable items also include alcohol, so think twice about bringing that bottle of wine back from France.</i>

Distilled spirits are flammable if heated.

I hope it doesn't get that hot in the baggage compartment, for one simple reason: it's the same atmosphere the passengers and crew are in.

Hi Betty,

&gt;..we don't need to worry about our styrofoam cases as long as they are checked? &lt;

That is correct.

Make sure to declare what you have, even if it is above the 1 L pp limit. The Customs duty is so low that they don't bother to collect it, but they like you to declare it.

((I))

Thank you, Carol.

((I))

And thank you, Ira. Unless someone tells me different I will assume there is no problem bringing this amount into the states mentioned. It sounds like it's a situation where, if they wanted to be mean about it they could, but isn't likely to happen. Hope so, anyway. We'll try not to ruffle anyone's feathers!

Distilled spirits are flammable IF heated and then LIGHTED. If you heat them, they simmer.

I believe that &quot;flammable&quot; and &quot;<u>in</u>flammable (oddly enough) both mean &quot;capable of being ignited.&quot;

So warming spirits does, in fact, render them capable of being LIGHTED.

But (as I said above), this warming will not happen to liquor in the baggage hold any more than it will to liquor in the passenger compartment.

People sure have some weird ideas about how aircraft are put together.

I haven't read all of the other posts but Ira is right when he says that you can take wine on the flight if you buy it in duty free. Be aware that if you have to connect to another flight in the US on the return you have to put the wine in your checked bag when you recheck your luggage after customs.

Concerning wine: I am 20-years-old and traveling to Italy for 2 weeks. Since I am of legal age to drink in Italy, I can purchase wine. However, I was planning on bringing home a bottle or two for my family in my check-in luggage back to the U.S.

Is this a problem since I'm still underage in America?

Hi cc,

Technically, you aren't allowed to bring alcohol into the US.

In practice, it is unlikely that you will be searched and seized.

((I))

We are leaving tomorrow so I need a quick response- is it ok to bring food items in sealed bags in your carry on bag. (I understand no liquids are allowed- but what about food items?)

Bill,
You can bring food items - sealed bag or not nobody cares - as long as they aren't liquid (incl yogurt, apple sauce etc).

Or maybe not:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/cl..._prod_inus.xml

Robs,
I took Bill's question to mean can he bring food past security to eat on the plane (answer is YES).

If he meant importing food items into the US, you are correct.

Betty - to specifically answer your question about going to/through IAH, you do not need to be concerned about bringing wine for personal use to IAH. Coming to IAH from Italy, we had wine packed in checked baggage. Those of us who exceeded the 1L limit, paid duty on the excess. But otherwise, no problem.

I just came back with 6 bottles in my bag from Paris - no problems, &amp; my sister 4 bottles. Our bags were even over the weight limit due to that and at first we were going to be charged $25 overage for each, then only $25.00 for both bags, then the very nice airport guy said just remember for next time. Left France with a good feeling, but I think you have more to worry about weight than packing the bottles.

To be flamable, your booze would have to be 100 proof - after all, that was the test - if it burned, that was 100% proof that it was alcohol