has anyone packed alcohol in suitcase before your flight?

[SamRoc]

sorry if this has been asked before, but i did a search and nothing came up. would like to fly with a few of our bottles of homemade wine but am a little afraid of breakage. have heard of bottle wise and it looks pretty safe, but some people have told me to use plenty of bubble wrap and that works too. any good ideas? thanks.

 

[shancan911]

Funny story. My BIL and SIL cruised over Thanksgiving last year, and were coming home on my niece's 21st birthday. So, bought her this super cool bottle of rum on the ship. I guess it had a ship and palm tree inside the bottle. The clerk at the ship store wrapped it for transport, and they put it in their luggage. Set the luggage outside the door. When they went down to get it in the morning, let's just say they smelled it before they saw it. Suitcase ruined, clothes had to be washed SEVERAL times, and no cool gift for DN. I don't think that this happens often, or noone would pack it to go. I think their's was doomed because of the stuff inside the bottle. Good luck to ya!

 

[jedijill]

I bought severa bottles of wine and olive oil in Italy a couple of years ago. I wrapped each bottle in bubble wrap, put in a plastic bag and then wrapped clothes around them. Nothing broked between Rome and Kansas City.

HTH

Jill in CO

 

[MegaMouseHouse]

Yep, bubble wrap and then wrapped in clothes. You want to make sure there is room for movement overall in the suitcase however. I have had breakage two times. Once the bottles were too close together and must have smashed together during the airport handling and the second was when I packed the suitcase too full and the pressure of all the stuff in there was too much against the bottles. The bottle that broke that time was a square bottom one rather than round.

 

[Olga]

DCL packed my beverages very well in bubble wrap and a sturdy box. TSA opened the package and did not rewrap but left me a note. Luckily nothing broke and it was not secure at all.
You can pack it as well as you want, but if an unpleasant TSA employee unwraps, you may or may not arrive home with everything intact.

 

[lbgraves]

I don't think that this happens often, or noone would pack it to go. I think their's was doomed because of the stuff inside the bottle. Good luck to ya!

It happens...even being loaded onto the ship. Someone posted a couple months ago that their suitcase was ruined by someone else's broken bottles, which is why it is best to put those things in your carryon when boarding the ship.

 

[pennymom]

I'd check some more into the fact that's it's homemade. I've heard that while TSA is ok with alcohol in a carry-on bag, that is because it is in a sealed bottle with label. With a homemade product, they can't identify exactly what it is or if it's safe/legal, and could confiscate.

I've traveled from Europe three times with multiple bottles in checked luggage, and never has a problem. I put each into a very large zip-lock bag, then rolled in clothing to cushion.

 

[Tneah]

If you are staying at a hotel the night before the cruise, you could see if you could mail a box down there.


I packed 3 bottles of wine to take home from the cruise. I wrapped/rolled each one with a towel and placed them in a large sized ziplock baggie. I made sure that they were in the middle and that they couldn't move. Clothing surrounding my wine.
I roll my clothing when I pack. I think this helped from items shifting in my luggage.

It worked!

 

[hgon76]

I bought rum in St. Thomas and brought it back on my flight from MCO to Boston. Thanks to advice from the DISboards..... I bought some bubble wrap before my cruise, packed it in my suitcase, and wrapped my bottle in that. Then I wrapped some towels around it and it made the trip home with no problem.

 

[kcashner]

I packed a bottle of wine for our Panama canal cruise. Bought a cardboard wine carrier from a craft store (on the way home, it worked well for some of the lithos, etc. ) The bottle was a little smaller than the carrier, so wrapped in thin bubble wrap, put in carrier. Put carrier in the middle of clothes. No problems....

However, given the damage to our luggage on our last trip, I don't think I'd trust anyone!

 

[ScouterJT]

it helps if you pack it in a hard sided suitcase.

if you are packing in a soft sided suitcase, pack the suitcase as full as possible (with the fragile items away from the edges). Basically, you want the suitcase to be one solid object -- so any shock is transferred straight through it.

there is absolutely nothing "gentle" about the way the bags are handled at the end of the cruise.

 

[MouseLovinMom]

We took 2 bottles of alcohol with us on our last trip without a problem. I wrapped each bottle in bubble wrap, put it in a ziploc bag, and then packed them in a small rubbermaid tub which went into our suitcase. I figured if anything broke, the mess would be largely contained. Fortunately, the bottles made it through the airline baggage system safely. Once we got into Orlando, I transferred the alcohol to my carry on for the ship. On the return trip home I used the small tub for fragile items.

 

[JADA]

We bought several bottles of Rum during our 3 day cruise in October '08. We bubble wrapped, boxed, and packed in the middle of our suitcases. All bottles came home safe and sound!

 

[lds0191]

I found this on SW's website:

Alcoholic Beverages

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Southwest allows alcohol to be carried in checked luggage under the following conditions:

Alcohol (wine and liquor) must be in the original unopened container with the manufacturer’s label when transported in or as checked baggage.
The maximum quantity of liquor that may be transported in or as checked baggage on Southwest Airlines is five liters per Customer. Wine is not subject to the five-liter per Customer limitation.
Alcohol content may not exceed 70% by volume (140 proof).
Alcohol (wine and liquor) in checked baggage must be securely packaged in a leak-proof bag with adequate professional packaging designed to fit the proportions of the bottle to prevent breakage.
Alcohol (wine and liquor) accepted as checked baggage must be contained within a corrugated box secured with sealing tape. The contents must be packaged in a leak-proof bag with professional packaging designed to fit the proportions of the bottle to prevent breakage.
Liquor and wine packaging is available for sale at Southwest Airlines ticket counters for $5.00 per unit.
Southwest Airlines does not accept liability for breakage of liquids or fragile items in checked luggage even if transported in special packaging purchased from Southwest Airlines.
Packaging purchased at Southwest Airlines ticket counters is intended for liquor or wine placed inside checked baggage only.
Professional packaging by alcohol and wine suppliers (e.g.,cruise lines, wineries, duty-free shops) is acceptable as long as the contents have adequate cushioning and the packaging prevents leakage.
All alcohol (wine and liquor) is subject to TSA screening.

 

[mikehn]

If you are really concerned with leakage, they sell large dry bags at any sporting goods store, located in the aisle with canoe and kayak assessories. You can pack your bottles any way you want then put them inside the dry bags.

 

[PizzieDuster]

My DD10 loves John and Kate Plus 8. She loved the hermit crabs the girls got (with the painted shells). While visiting my son at college, we found these crabs with the cutest painted, faked jewel encrusted shells. The lady told me to wrap them in a wet towel and they should travel fine. We did, then we rolled that wet towel in more towels. They came through just great!

Friends of ours went on their first cruise last year. They were so afraid of breakage that they put their favorite rum in a listerine bottle and was able to seal it at their business. They came home and said it was useless....the rum tasted like listerine - even though the cleaned and cleaned the plastic bottle.



I'd be horrified to ruin others luggage. I'd be mortified to be standing there with my children while they asked me "what's that smell mom?"

 

[PoohBear543]

On our last cruise we bought a bottle of tequila and put it in the suitcase wrapped in clothes. When we got off the plane and went to get the luggage, I said why is the suitcase wet. Well when it got in front of me, I took one sniff and knew. It made the car smell on the way home but the funny thing is that by the time we got it out of the car, it was dry!! It took several washings to get the smell out.

 

[WVMD]

These work quite well! I've used them many times before....

Wineskins...

http://www.ftscontent.com/

Virgil

 

[LAWalz23]

We have brought back liquor several times in our suitcases. We leave them packed in the boxes that they are packed in then put bubble wrap around the box and place it in the middle of clothes. When my sister tried to carry bottles just wrapped in clothes one burst.

 

[Anal Annie]

I have taken bottles of Captain Morgan and the smaller screw top bottles of wine in checked luggage before. I usually take smaller size products that I can wrap in bubble wrap and then seal into a gallon size ziplock bag. I think now they make larger size ziplocks maybe tho. But I would highly recommend sealing them in something leakproof. I've never had a problem but have heard of others who have. Next time I pack Captain Morgan I am putting it into a plastic water bottle (as water is odorless...). I'm wondering about those people mentioned in another post who used a Listerine bottle...WHY THAT?? Why not empty WATER bottles?!