BLOG
Rules and Regulations for Carrying Alcohol in a Flight
Can I bring alcohol on a plane? No matter if you’re bringing it home as a souvenir or a gift, alcohol always makes its way into our bags. If you are also thinking about getting some of this stuff back home then you must read this article. While preparing for your flight you must take care of some basic rules of flying with alcohol. Especially when it comes to international travel there is a lot of confusion. The purpose of this article is to clarify the facts with basic rules and regulations for taking wine and alcohol as baggage onto a plane.
Generally, you are bound by:
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States and other national governments
Individual airline regulations, and
Import rules set by individual countries to enter with alcohol
TSA regulations allow passengers to bring alcohol in limited quantities with them on a plane. Here are the guidelines for carrying alcohol on a plane:
Carry-on Baggage Rules: Passengers can bring wine and hard alcohol in carry-on or cabin baggage, as long as the quantity is less than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters. Also, it must be placed in a quart-sized bag. You must note that only one item per passenger is allowed. There is an exception for wine and other spirits purchased in duty-free stores beyond security checkpoints. But, you have to make sure they are placed in secure, tamper-evident bags (STEBs).
Checked Baggage Rules:
Larger quantities of alcohol are allowed in checked baggage, but there are still restrictions on it. In checked baggage, wine and alcohol are accepted if the alcoholic beverage has less than 24% of alcohol. Other than this, there is some condition mentioned below:
- Alcoholic beverages with alcohol content between 24% and 70% are allowed 5L per person internationally.
- Alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol are prohibited.
Import Laws:
How much alcohol you can bring with you, depends on the import laws set by the country you are entering. Many people get confused about duty-free limits with overall limits on bringing alcohol into a given country. Most countries permit bringing in alcohol over the duty-free limit, but you may (or may not) have to pay the associated duties and taxes. In short, duty-free and overall limits vary by country.
General rules for duty-free purchase of alcohol: You can purchase alcohol at an airport duty-free shop with the following limitations:
- There’s a limit of 5 liters of 24% to 70% ABV (48 to 140 proof) alcohol per person
- The bottles must be packed in a transparent and secure clear plastic bag by the retailer
- You must keep your receipt handy as you may need to prove that the item is purchased in the previous 48 hours.
Packing of Alcohol:
Proper packing of alcohol is necessary to make your bottle reach home in one piece. First of all place the bottle in a sealable plastic bag. In case of a crack in the bottle, the bag will help it from spilling on your other belongings. Give some extra cushioning to the bottle by placing it in between items such as towels, sweaters, pants, and shirts. Then position the bottle in the center of your suitcase and surround it with more clothes to ensure your bottle survives an accidental fall off the baggage carousel.
Drinking your own alcohol on a plane:
Passengers cannot drink their alcohol on the plane. As per the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, drinking your own alcohol on a commercial flight is prohibited. Those who don’t comply may have to face fines too.
In the nutshell, we can say that whether you’re packing mini bottles in your carry-on or bringing a case of beer in your checked bag; make sure the alcohol is unopened and in its original packaging. In this way you don’t raise any issues with the authorities.
Some FAQ:
Q:- Can I fly with alcohol?
Ans :- Yes, you can fly with alcohol but you just need to take care of a few rules and regulations applicable to TSA security checks and airlines.
Q:- Where should I pack my alcohol?
Ans:- It would be better off leaving alcohol in your checked bag due to the 3.4-ounce restriction.
Q:- What is the best way to pack alcohol to bring it onboard?
Ans:-Make sure you pack it in a transparent, secure, tamper-evident bag by the retailer, and should not show signs of tampering while presenting it to TSA for screening.
