Alcohol & flying

pcgmom

Mouseketeer
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Dec 27, 2005
Messages
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We are wondering how much alcohol (bourbon, specifically) you are allowed to carry in your checked baggage. I checked the TSA website, and it said you can take as much as allowed, but I could not find any specific listing for how much is allowed. Will I be able to make my purchase before we get to the airport and put it in our baggage to check? As I understand it, I will not be able to carry it on. We will be flying within the US, and we want to take some of our local brand to a friend. Thanks in advance.
 
Your post is a bit confusing, because the concept of duty-free ONLY applies when you are importing goods into a country, which you would have to cross the national border to do. Those limits are set by the US Customs Service, not TSA, and presently are set at 1 litre per adult traveller. Amounts in excess of that require that import tax be paid on it; at most the tax is a few dollars per litre.

If you are flying domestically, there is something of a practical limit, though the FAA's limit only says that you cannot pack liquor that is greater than 140 proof, because it is too flammable. You cannot pack an amount that would equate to a commercial shipment, because there are state taxes to be paid on liquor shipments that cross state lines. (Not paying the relevant taxes on a large shipment is considered bootlegging.) I know people who have been told that a case of liquor is too much, but I've moved 3-4 bottles of wine many times without any question being asked. You will need to pack it VERY carefully so that if it shatters it will not leak, otherwise you might be liable for damage to other baggage.
 
We are wondering how much alcohol (bourbon, specifically) you are allowed to carry in your checked baggage. I checked the TSA website, and it said you can take as much as allowed, but I could not find any specific listing for how much is allowed. Will I be able to make my purchase before we get to the airport and put it in our baggage to check? As I understand it, I will not be able to carry it on. We will be flying within the US, and we want to take some of our local brand to a friend. Thanks in advance.

Your topic name asks about duty-free, but then you wrote, "We will be flying within the US." Duty-free applies to international travel.

I think you're simply asking about bringing bottles of alcohol onto a domestic flight. You're undoubtedly already aware that you can't bring the bottles through the TSA checkpoint, so you can't bring them in carry-on luggage.

I'm sure there are people who successfully put bottles of alcohol in checked luggage. I'm also sure there are also people whose bottles in checked luggage are broken or stolen. Keep in mind that you're not allowed to lock checked luggage (except with TSA approved locks that really won't keep a thief out). Also, keep in mind that the TSA opens many checked bags for inspection, and may not repack them as well as you originally packed them. Finally, keep mind that checked luggage is dropped, smashed, thrown, and sent plummeting down ramps and chutes.

Do you still want to put bottles of liquor into checked luggage? If the answer is yes, then the only question is how much you can bring.

States usually have limits on much much alcohol and how many cigarettes you can bring in from another state. The purpose is to prevent the loss of taxes, so such laws are enforced against smugglers who bring in truckloads across state lines from low-tax states. I did a quick Google search, but I didn't find what Florida's limits are (and I'm not sure that Florida is even your destination). I wouldn't worry about a few bottles for personal consumption or to share with friends.

Wouldn't it be easier to buy the bourbon at your destination?
 
I apologize for the confusion in my original post. That just shows how long it's been since we have flown. We successfully brought back several bottles of wine before, but that was long before the new restrictions. My first reaction was just to buy the bourbon when we get to Florida, but since it is made locally, DH wants to get it here. It's just one bottle we are talking about--just to take a friend a little taste from home.
 

If you are flying domestically, there is something of a practical limit, though the FAA's limit only says that you cannot pack liquor that is greater than 140 proof, because it is too flammable.
The FAA rule also limits liquor between 48 and 140 proof to less than literes. There are no FAA restrictions under 48 proof.

One bottle should be fine. First double bad the thing, then pack super careful.
 
Keep in mind that you're not allowed to lock checked luggage (except with TSA approved locks that really won't keep a thief out)

Why do so many people believe this? It's not true; you may use ANY type of lock you want to secure checked baggage. However, if your bag is selected for inspection, your non TSA lock willl be cut off and you will not be owed any compensation.

As for alcohol, on a domestic flight, you may check as much as you please within the proof limits. I have shipped a whole case of wine that way with no problems. Careful packaging is a must.
 
Why do so many people believe this? It's not true; you may use ANY type of lock you want to secure checked baggage. However, if your bag is selected for inspection, your non TSA lock willl be cut off and you will not be owed any compensation.
Exactly. I have seen airport TSA people with bolt cutters, seemingly cutting the lock off every bag with a lock. So why bother using a lock that's not approved?

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtm

A plastic wire tie is a a better choice than an unapproved lock. When the TSA cuts off a plastic wire tie, they're supposed to replace it with a new one.

Even back before the TSA inspected checked bags, I considered a luggage lock simply to be a way to reduce the chance that the bag would open up and spill its contents, not an effective way to secure the contents from thieves.
 
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I have seen airport TSA people with bolt cutters, seemingly cutting the lock off every bag with a lock. So why bother using a lock that's not approved?

That wasn't the issue. I simply was correcting the statement that you are not allowed to use non-TSA locks. You are.

I do agree that locks are useful primarily to prevent accidental bag openings.
 

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