carry-ons only to save $$$?

[drcmk]

I'm planning to avoid checking any luggage on our upcoming flight to save $$$, but really also to save hassle (I have a stopover and fear my luggage could be lost, don't want to wait for it at my destination etc.)

I have access to washer/dryer, so I'm just packing half a week's worth of clothes and I am carefully measuring my liquid toiletries into 3 oz containers and storing in quart baggies. Has anyone else done this successfully (or unsuccessfully)? Do you have any tips for me?

Is it okay to pack solid deodorant on a carry-on?

TIA

 

[kaytieeldr]

Solid deodorant is fine. The restriction is on liquid/gel/paste consistency items. Are your three ounce containers marked with the size by the manufacturer? Do your items fit comfortably in the bag allowing it to seal completely with all sizes visible? Do you have just one quart-size bag per ticketed passenger?

Then you'll be fine.

 

[mommyoftwinfants]

We just did this last month, everything worked out great. I even managed to get by with only using two for the three of us. It was actually very easy and saved time not having to wait in line to check your luggage.

I packed my solid deodorant in my carry on.

 

[cbrfan]

We recently took a 2 1/2 week vacation with carryons for DH and I. Got by just fine. We even had clothes that were never even worn. And we only had 1 personal item for the two of us. So we could have taken even more stuff if we'd wanted to. I say go for it!

 

[drcmk]

Solid deodorant is fine. The restriction is on liquid/gel/paste consistency items. Are your three ounce containers marked with the size by the manufacturer? Do your items fit comfortably in the bag allowing it to seal completely with all sizes visible? Do you have just one quart-size bag per ticketed passenger?

1) If solid deodorant is fine, then chapstick is fine, too. Right?

2) Yes, I have one baggie per passenger.

3) My containers are not all marked by the manufacturer. Some are in empty travel-size containers that I bought for this purpose. I did measure the volume by filling marked containers and pouring the liquid into my empty containers to make sure they were small enough. Is that okay? The TSA website didn't say that the containers had to be labeled.

4) Everything will fit in the baggies with the baggies sealed. I'm not sure that everything will lay flat inside the baggie without any overlap. Is that necessary?

This might be harder than I thought.

 

[mitsybella]

The items must be clearly marked other wise they will take them away, they took stuff from my husband last time he traveled

 

[drcmk]

The items must be clearly marked other wise they will take them away, they took stuff from my husband last time he traveled

Really?!! Rats. It doesn't say that on the TSA website. Some of the things I need to bring don't come in travel-size.

Has anyone successfully traveled with unmarked 3 oz bottles of liquids in their carry-on luggage?

 

[RachelEllen]

The unmarked bottles are one of those grey areas. Some people will get them through just fine. Some will be confiscated. (Even though I agree, I haven't seen where labeling is required on the TSA website)

THe best workaround is to save an empty bottle from a different travel toiletry and use that, instead of an unmarked bottle.

 

[crisi]

We tend to just use toiletries given to us by the hotel when we do this. I do it usually for business trips. Sometimes I'm stuck buying something at a local drugstore, but it seldom ends up costing me more than the luggage fee would have been.

 

[ParrotBill]

I travel with unmarked 3oz liquids all the time, there are many kits of such bottles sold for that purpose.

If an agent tries to challenge it, your decision to let it happen or ask for a supervisor and ask politely where the rule says bottles have to be marked.

I've never had them even look at what's in the quart ziplock bag.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I've never had them even look at what's in the quart ziplock bag.

I did, once. I have 100 milliliter bottles of 'my' shampoo and conditioner. Those are the containers that are actually 3.4 ounces (to accommodate travelers from the many countries that use the metric system) and one of the inspectors picked up my 3-1-1 bag and held it about six inches from her face until she was satisfied the contents complied.

Note that some in-compliance containers are actually pretty big - my haircare products, as I said, but I also noticed yesterday that my full-size Lady Mitchum Clear Gel is 2.25 ounces.

 

[drcmk]

I really appreciate everyone's input.

I've been agonizing over this a little bit since I learned that security personnel might refuse to let me bring unmarked bottles of liquid onto the plane. Based on what I've read here and through a few Google searches, I've decided to bring my questionable bottles anyway. So many places sell kits of unmarked bottles that are marketed as "3-1-1 compliant" and the photos on the TSA website are unmarked bottles. I figure the worst that can happen is that they will throw away my bottles and I'll have to buy a few things after I arrive. I have to buy sunscreen anyway (we'll need WAY more than 3 oz of that) so it won't be a major inconvenience.

I'm a little more worried about having my baggies "overfull." I can zip them shut with ease, but they don't lay flat without overlap. Do you think that is okay?

 

[Carriemel]

The bottles DO have to be CLEARLY marked that they are under the 3.4 ounce limit. If there is no marking, the TSO is NOT permitted to make a judgement call if the item in question is or is not under the 3.4 ounces.

I work for TSA.

 

[cbrfan]

As long as they can clearly see what in the bag without having to open it up or move things around, you should be fine. Keep in mind that each person gets to bring a bag, so if you have several people in your group, you can distribute items into each other's bags. Also, items like contact solutions, etc. are considerable medical items and can be carried in a different bag. Just be sure to tell the agent that you have them. Sometimes they want you take them out, other times they don't.

 

[starrzone]

The items must be clearly marked other wise they will take them away, they took stuff from my husband last time he traveled

Really?!! Rats. It doesn't say that on the TSA website. Some of the things I need to bring don't come in travel-size.

Has anyone successfully traveled with unmarked 3 oz bottles of liquids in their carry-on luggage?

The unmarked bottles are one of those grey areas. Some people will get them through just fine. Some will be confiscated. (Even though I agree, I haven't seen where labeling is required on the TSA website)

THe best workaround is to save an empty bottle from a different travel toiletry and use that, instead of an unmarked bottle.

I travel with unmarked 3oz liquids all the time, there are many kits of such bottles sold for that purpose.

If an agent tries to challenge it, your decision to let it happen or ask for a supervisor and ask politely where the rule says bottles have to be marked.

I've never had them even look at what's in the quart ziplock bag.

I went through this last year, and learned my lesson! I put some of my (expensive) face cream into an unmarked film container...STUPID, but at least there wasn't much of it! The TSA agent understandably took it away, with the comment that "How do we know that it's actually face cream"? I felt like saying (but didn't, because I have common sense) "Well, do you test EVERY bottle? How do you KNOW that what's in the bottle is what the bottle says it is"?

I think there are 2 "types" of unmarked bottles; Type A will say "Pert Plus Shampoo" but not have a 3 oz symbol stamped on it, and Type B is a bottle sold in a drug store (that you fill yourself) that has a 3 oz symbol stamped on it somewhere. PERSONALLY, I have had better luck with Type A because the bottle LOOKS like it is 3 oz.

 

[uva185]

The bottles DO have to be CLEARLY marked that they are under the 3.4 ounce limit. If there is no marking, the TSO is NOT permitted to make a judgement call if the item in question is or is not under the 3.4 ounces.

I work for TSA.

Well, the TSO may not have the authority to make a judgment call but the Supervisor does.

I travel with cologne that is 4.2 ounces (it was 90% full). After about 20 flights they finally caught me with it. I was running late for my flight and a supervisor said I could keep it as long as it's in a clear zip lock bag. Now I did not have any other liquids or gels so I'm not exactly sure what a zip lock bag is going to do, but a fellow pax gave me one and they let me keep the cologne.

So Supervisors are definitely allowed to make judgment calls.

 

[shoes99]

TSA will work with you if the liquid is for medicinal purposes. I have eye problems and use baby shampoo to wash out the eyes before I apply a cream ointment. I put the 4 oz baby shampoo and the cream ointment in its own quart zip lock bag. The TSA at ACY inspected it then ok'd it...
I make sure all the liquids are in their own original travel size containers if I carry them on.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I have traveled thousands of miles, from the US to Australia, to Europe, to Africa. My bottles are compliant but not marked 3 oz. Sometimes I use a travel-size commercially-produced bottle, but most of the time my stuff is in clear plastic travel bottles. I use a label gun to make tags "conditioner" or "hair gel." I have never had a single problem. Most of the time, the agents aren't even looking at my plastic zip-lock bag.

And to the OP, overlapping is fine as long as everything is clearly visible and the bag closes easily.

 

[champ.49er]

We just recently came back from WDW and here's what we did. Each of us had a carry-on bag, even DD6, but I carried it for her. We then checked in one large suitcase for all our toiletry items and half of our clothes. This way, if the airline did lose our luggage, we still have clothes in on carry-on bags.