When getting together with friends, my husband and I have been known to pack a few (OK, sometimes more than just a few) bottles into our checked luggage. We’ve also been known to bring home some bottles from other states or even countries.
For the most part, it’s OK to travel with alcohol. But there are a few rules you need to follow. If you don’t, you may discover, when you retrieve your bag from the luggage carousel, that TSA has confiscated them.
The rules
The rules for transporting bottled alcoholic beverages are pretty straightforward:
Alcoholic beverages
IMPORTANT: Check with your airline before bringing any alcohol beverages on board. FAA regulations prohibit travelers from consuming alcohol on board an aircraft unless served by a flight attendant. Additionally, Flight Attendants are not permitted to serve a passenger who is intoxicated.
Alcoholic beverages with more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) per passenger and must be in unopened retail packaging. Alcoholic beverages with 24% alcohol or less are not subject to limitations in checked bags.
Mini bottles of alcohol in carry-on must be able to comfortably fit into a single quart-sized bag.
For more information, see FAA regulation: 49 CFR 175.10(a)(4).
What does this mean?
Probably the most important thing to keep in mind is that alcoholic beverages (typically, but not always, spirits) that are more than 70% alcohol (read: 140 proof) are not allowed on commercial flights in, out or within the United States.
Why can’t you bring those on the plane?
But if I’m getting them at the duty free shop at the airport…?
How do I know what percent of alcohol is in the bottle?
The bottle will be marked with a number somewhere on the label (i.e., for below, “one-fifty,” “100,” and “179.8” proof. Of these 3, only the Smirnoff would be able to be loaded onto the plane)
What are the rules for wine?
As far as we can see, there is no wine that is anywhere near 70% alcohol. Even port tends to be a maximum of about 22%. So wine, as a general rule of thumb, doesn’t have the same issues with flammability. With that, you can travel with as much wine as you’d like, domestically, in your checked bag. Alaska Airlines even makes it super simple AND FREE, depending on where you’re flying from.
Are the rules the same in other countries?
Nope. Different countries have different rules, which may cover, not only the proof and amount of alcohol you can bring into the country, but the age of the person bringing the alcohol into the country.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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