Picture this: you have just started getting ready for an incredible bachelorette trip to Las Vegas with your bridal party. Or maybe your destination is more of a romantic getaway besides the love of your life. Your trip might just be a corporate retreat and you want to bring your own alcoholic beverages along to unwind after lectures or activities.
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But can you bring alcohol on a plane? While this is kind of a common question, with a few different answers, we are not getting to that just yet.
Because I don’t know about you, but it seems each time I am getting ready for a trip I have to google the same answers again. So in this article, our goal is to answer the main question of ‘Can you bring alcohol on a plane?’. And we are also going over other frequently asked questions related to it. Like this, we will make sure you are not caught surprised by flight attendants or airport security.
No matter the amount of alcohol you plan on carrying during air travel, you may be wondering…
So, Can You Bring Alcohol on a Plane?
Well, to give you the short answer: yes! I mean, some domestic flights even have flight attendants offering alcoholic drinks as a drink option. What about personal use of alcohol? So long as it is on its unopened retail packaging, flight attendants won’t even bat an eye. However, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will have the final say on whether or not we can bring our own alcohol on the plane.
There are also TSA guidelines that will tell passengers how to bring it. So let’s get to answering it, and know their own rules more in-depth to avoid getting hung up on a security checkpoint!
Where to Pack Your Spirits?
So, even though the answer to ‘Can you bring alcohol on a plane?’ is yes, your next steps will be thinking about where to pack your own alcohol. Because depending on where you end up packing it, no matter if it is duty-free alcohol or alcohol content from your own home, there will be a different set of rules. And if you mess up with them, no number of flight attendants will be able to help you.
Your carry-on luggage will be subjected to what we call the three-one-one rule. It lets you bring three four-ounce bottles of any liquid, including alcohol content, packed into only one quart-size plastic bag. This means that those pretty little mini bottles of alcohol are good to go! So long as your mini liquor bottles fit into a clear plastic and your alcohol content sticks to the legal limits established by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
ย As for your checked luggage, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will have the final say, especially when it comes to your own alcohol. Federal regulations set by the FAA dictate that you can pack up to five liters of alcohol, or about a hundred and seventy ounces, for your personal use. Just be careful, because all of that alcohol content needs to be in its original unopened retail packaging. Your checked luggage is the perfect place for taking a special bottle of wine, or maybe bringing back a nice bottle of tequila from abroad.
No matter where you plan on carrying your own alcohol, protect the original packaging nicely with lots of bubble wrap and be far away from hard items. Can you imagine the flight attendants’ faces if the liquid starts leaking from an overhead compartment?
Know the Different Rules for Your Next Flight
Although we have covered some of the most important rules to make sure you make it past the security checkpoint with no issues, there are still a couple of other things for us to go over! First, we have to talk about the
Specific Rules for 140-Proof Alcohol
You may be wondering what exactly is a hundred and forty alcohol. To understand that, you need to know that alcohol proof refers to how much alcohol content is in alcoholic beverages. Most common liquors are somewhere between 60 and 80 proof, meaning thirty to forty percent alcohol per volume. Anything above a hundred and forty proof, meaning more than seventy percent alcohol, is considered too volatile and can’t be transported by plane. That happens because anything with more than seventy percent ABV is deemed too volatile. So it isn’t just a senseless prohibition, it is actually a safety measurement.
Pay Attention to the Restrictions and Costs of Carrying Your Own Alcohol
Now that we know some more flammable varieties of alcohol are limited to land transport only, we need to go over some restrictions as well. Because the specific airline you are flying with will probably have clear regulations since ‘Can you bring alcohol on a plane?’ is such a common question. Beyond that, we always have the Transportation Security Administration to look at when things are still not clear. Plus, some things like the 3-1-1 rule and the 140 140-proof hard liquor are standard pretty much everywhere.
As for costs, we’ve discussed them before. Alcohol content transport rules have to coexist with weight limits so planning ahead will be your best friend. A tip from someone who has traveled with a connecting flight often, check for different weight limits. International flights have a twenty-three kilos/fifty pounds limit on checked bags while domestic flights can vary. When you purchase your tickets, reach out to the airline’s customer service to be certain of how much you take with you!
We also have a most obvious restriction on the legal age for alcohol consumption. While you need to be twenty-one to drink in the United States, your destination country can have a different legal limit. And even if you are old enough to drink, stick to your common sense and avoid excessive drinking! You will always be subject to the laws of the place you are visiting, so it is best to stay just on this side of tipsy.
What to Expect at the Border Security Checkpoint?
You’ve reached your destination, said goodbye to the flight attendants, and are at the security checkpoint to enter a new country with your own alcohol. What to expect? Each country’s border protection agency expects visitors to comply with strict rules for imports. The quantity of liquid alcohol content you can bring into a country will often be measured in liters, and will likely be different from what you are able to bring on a plane.
Our safest bet? Do thorough research before packing, that way you are in the know about what to expect. It is much better to invest a few minutes into a Google search than having to throw away your own bottle of alcohol.
Take Advantage of at Least One Duty-Free Store
A duty-free shop is often found in every international airport, with plenty of national products to be bought as a memento. They will also be a place to look for your preferred American brands in case something is left behind.
Most people end up buying alcohol there because once you have moved past the security checkpoint for boarding your plane, you have the advantage of not worrying so much about your bag’s weight. Duty-free alcohol still counts towards the limits of what can go into the country or plane, though.ย
So if your plans to start the trip right include shopping at the duty-free store, go for it! But please go responsibly since flight attendants should not have to deal with tons of extra bags just because we get carried away. Oh, remember: although there aren’t duty-free limits on alcohol purchase, everything should remain in its unopened retail packaging just in case.`
What About Alcohol Infused Food?
My favorite chocolate brand is Lindt, they have a delicious liquor-infused chocolate I often purchase at a duty-free store as a little pre-plane treat. What does that have to do with our original question ‘can you take alcohol on a plane?’ Well, alcohol-infused food goes into another entire category so you can bring it without thinking of the liquid alcohol content limit!
Solid foods can be transported in your carry-on luggage or checked baggage. They don’t need to be in their unopened retail packaging but you might be subjected to some extra inspection at the pre-boarding security checkpoint. As for liquid and gel food items, they will count towards your liquid transport limit according to TSA rules.ย
We all know our trips start long before we have to hop on international flights or get on a short domestic one to somewhere in the United States. As we plan how to take our own alcohol content to its destination, I want to urge you to always check federal regulations as many times as it takes because it is better to be safe than sorry. Things can change quite literally overnight!
Before we part so your adventure can begin, can I give you a final piece of advice? By now, you are able to answer your original question ‘can you bring alcohol on a plane?’. Just don’t forget to ask yourself another question: will I have space to bring it back? Duty-free alcohol looks enticing; local bottles will be a nice addition to your home bar.
But even if bottles are on the smaller side of things, you will wrap so much bubble wrap around them to avoid accidents. On top of that, new alcohol bottles can be quite heavy. In order to avoid any unpleasant surprises like overweight luggage fees, I highly recommend getting a digital luggage scale. That will help you keep an eye on the number because not everything can just be moved to your carry-on baggage.
It shouldn’t be some poor flight attendant’s job to deal with your duty-free store loot. So it might be best to wait until you are past a security checkpoint on your way home to get that sweet duty-free alcohol content.
With that in mind, I hope you feel very prepared to embark on your adventure! Drink responsibly and have so much fun!
