How much liquor in your checked bags on an airplane?

[Charlutz]

Does anyone know definitively how much liquor you can check in your bags when you fly? Is it a total limit or per bag? I'm taking a short trip to Atlanta tomorrow and the size and number of bags I take are flexible. Not sure if I will find anything but I want to be prepared in case I get lucky. Thanks!

[cwalker022]

Not sure about amount but something else to consider is liquor proof. I. Relieve the is a limit around 130 proof. Anything above is not allowed even in checked bags. I'm not 100% sure about this though.

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[Golferpimp1]

Not sure about amount but something else to consider is liquor proof. I. Relieve the is a limit around 130 proof. Anything above is not allowed even in checked bags. I'm not 100% sure about this though.

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I think it's 140 proof which is why they call anything over that "haz-mat". I believe I read that somewhere.

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[ThirstyinOhio]

Travelers may take up to five liters of alcohol with alcohol content between 24% and 70% per person as checked luggage if it's packaged in a sealable bottle or flask. Alcoholic beverages with less than 24% alcohol content are not subject to hazardous materials regulations

 

 

[JoeTerp]

I always thought it was 3 L. I would have brought more back on a few trips. 

[fishnbowljoe]

7 hours ago, JoeTerp said:

I always thought it was 3 L. I would have brought more back on a few trips. 

 

Maybe for non domestic flights?

[jfw]

Southwest allows 5L per person.  So, six 750ml checked under one person's name.  I don't know if other airlines have other rules.  The ONLY place anyone has ever asked about the quantity of bourbon is flying out of KY.   Nobody cares about wine. 

[BigD]

I used to fly a bit, Check the airlines policy for who you are flying they are Different!  If memory serves Delta allowed more than United.  I know I brought three originally sealed bottles of 90 proof carefully wrapped in clothes to ensure no breakage home from the east coast since 911.

[JoeTerp]

2 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

 

Maybe for non domestic flights?

I just thought it was 3, but confirmed on TSA's site that it is indeed 5. 

 

Now I guess that it's possible an individual airline had a limit of 3, but I don't feel like checking to confirm. 

[Charlutz]

Thanks guys! Hopefully I'll get lucky, find a few things and test those limits!

[KyleCBreese]

I'll be headed to London in February, so I'll be sure to max out the bottle limit. Anyone have any recommendations for bourbon bars or shops to visit?

[jvd99]

What technique would you use to pack out 6 750's in one piece of luggage?

[jbutler]

Here's what the TSA has to say on the matter.

[silverc]

2 hours ago, jvd99 said:

What technique would you use to pack out 6 750's in one piece of luggage?

I packed 6 750-ml bottles and 1 375ml bottle in a big luggage bag once. I bought some bubble wrap and a small roll of packing tape. I used gallon zip lock bags to double bag each one (this is possible with most bottles but not the really tall ones like SAOS or BTAC). Then I wrapped each in bubble wrap and then put them in my luggage using clothing as cushions.

 

You can also tell the airlines when you check the bag that you have liquor and ask them to put a fragile sticker on the bag. I've done this twice without any damage to bottles. You always take a risk, but if you package them well the odds are good you won't have any damage.

 

But also keep in mind that 6 750ml bottles are heavy, so be careful you don't go over the weight limit. You can put 6 750mls and 1 375ml and be under the 50lb limit (including clothes as packing), but it's pretty close. I think my bag was 48 or 49 lbs, and I didn't have a lot of other stuff in there (laptop, etc.).

[jvd99]

The fragile sticker is a good tip.  Any experience with TSA or customs ruining the packing job?  It would seem the more intricate the packing job, the higher the likelihood of some inspector/agent getting overly aggressive in trying to undo it.

[jfw]

21 hours ago, KyleCBreese said:

I'll be headed to London in February, so I'll be sure to max out the bottle limit. Anyone have any recommendations for bourbon bars or shops to visit?

 

If you are in London, definitely visit the whiskey exchange.   At a minimum they usually have Blanton's gold.  It's  worth the price and I stock up whenever I visit the U.K.  Blanton's Straight from the Barrel is also available but hit or miss whether it is in stock or not. 

 

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/shop/london/coventgarden

 

I take some bubble wrap with me and wrap the bottles and pack them in clothes.  I also usually take gallon size zip lock bags for things like Blanton's or FR.   The only bourbon I have had leak is a Blanton's. 

 

[jsrudd]

15 hours ago, jvd99 said:

What technique would you use to pack out 6 750's in one piece of luggage?

I've found the cannisters that some bourbons and scotches come in to be very good for packing. Just wrap the bottle in bubble wrap, slide it into the cannister, add some bubble wrap around the neck of the bottle and put the top on. 

 

In case anyone is curious, the actual regulations are at 49 CFR 175.10(a)(4). Airlines, of course, are free to have more stringent limits. 

Edited November 16, 2016 by jsrudd

[stickly]

I just got back from San Francisco a couple weeks ago, and I used these to successfully transport 6 bottles back home.  They come deflated so they are easy to pack.  They worked very well.

[GTD]

I am like most on here in that I wrap in bubble wrap and ask for some fragile decals to be placed on my bags.  You can rest assured that TSA will inspect the bag and leave you a note. So far good luck in no breakage yet!

[tanstaafl2]

On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 6:17 PM, stickly said:

I just got back from San Francisco a couple weeks ago, and I used these to successfully transport 6 bottles back home.  They come deflated so they are easy to pack.  They worked very well.

 

I just recently took out of the country (and brought back) 6 750 ml bottles, a 500 ml bottle, a 375ml bottle and a flask that was probably close to 375ml in one suitcase (total of 5.75 liters). The TSA inspected the bag on the way out, leaving one of their cards to confirm they had been poking around in the bag, and they didn't seem to be concerned.

 

I pack using the Styrofoam cutout pieces from past orders from Drink Up NY which happen to fit easily in a hard sided bag I have. I used to have a rolling duffel bag big enough to carry those Styrofoam cut outs AND the box they were shipped in with room left over for an article or two of clothing but I don't use that much anymore as the wheels finally basically gave out. I also have some of the inflated wine bottle size containers that Stickly notes above (those were in the other suitcase with several more bottles! Who needs a lot of clothes when in the Caribbean...). They work well for taller wine shaped bottles although I usually add some Styrofoam peanuts to protect the neck  and put them in a box that holds three bottles so they can't roll around in the bag. And of course everything is wrapped in large garbage bags to help contain leakage in the event of a disaster. So far I have never had one!

 

If you want to go to the trouble the plastic "travel" 750 ml kind of oversized flask shaped bottles that you can find of Beam White label (and probably a couple of other mid/lower shelf brands) help minimize the impact of the heavy and fragile nature of glass. That means drinking a lot of Beam White label of course! Also doesn't help when bringing bottles back unless you are willing to forego the glass bottles.

 

Where there is a will there is a way...

[jbowl]

On 11/25/2016 at 6:05 PM, tanstaafl2 said:

 

I just recently took out of the country (and brought back) 6 750 ml bottles, a 500 ml bottle, a 375ml bottle and a flask that was probably close to 375ml in one suitcase (total of 5.75 liters). The TSA inspected the bag on the way out, leaving one of their cards to confirm they had been poking around in the bag, and they didn't seem to be concerned.

 

I pack using the Styrofoam cutout pieces from past orders from Drink Up NY which happen to fit easily in a hard sided bag I have. I used to have a rolling duffel bag big enough to carry those Styrofoam cut outs AND the box they were shipped in with room left over for an article or two of clothing but I don't use that much anymore as the wheels finally basically gave out. I also have some of the inflated wine bottle size containers that Stickly notes above (those were in the other suitcase with several more bottles! Who needs a lot of clothes when in the Caribbean...). They work well for taller wine shaped bottles although I usually add some Styrofoam peanuts to protect the neck  and put them in a box that holds three bottles so they can't roll around in the bag. And of course everything is wrapped in large garbage bags to help contain leakage in the event of a disaster. So far I have never had one!

 

If you want to go to the trouble the plastic "travel" 750 ml kind of oversized flask shaped bottles that you can find of Beam White label (and probably a couple of other mid/lower shelf brands) help minimize the impact of the heavy and fragile nature of glass. That means drinking a lot of Beam White label of course! Also doesn't help when bringing bottles back unless you are willing to forego the glass bottles.

 

Where there is a will there is a way...

Ok. Don't just tease us. What'd you bring back?

 

[tanstaafl2]

19 hours ago, jbowl said:

Ok. Don't just tease us. What'd you bring back?

 

No tease! Most of it is already posted here. Rum as you can see, and mostly rhum agricole from the French West Indies.

[gburger]

When I go to the Sampler, I bring 2 bags with me.  One with my clothes and an empty large hard sided camera rolling case.  I fill the empty one up with 6 to 8 bottles and then put another 2 in my other bags with my dirty clothes on the trip back.. Southwest has never stopped me, also the $10 tip I give may help. Never had a bottle break.

Edited November 28, 2016 by gburger

[smthgfshy]

I live in Alaska.  Whenever I fly to the lower 48 I check a 2 fish boxes with 50lbs of fish/meat each to give to family and friends.  When I fly back, I pack them full of beer and whiskey to the maximum allowable weight of 50lbs.  I usually have 8-10 bottles of beer, 8-12 cans, and ~8 bottles of whisky.  Last time my wife and I flew down we flew back with 200lbs of alcohol.  (fun fact: we spent $100 to upgrade to first class and checked all four bags for free!!)

[BAO]

I've made several international trips and brought back more than six bottles of bourbon in one bag before. I've packet two cases of odd sized beer in two bags before, too. I've never used bubble wrap and never had a break. 

 

My method is to stuff a bottle in a sock, then wrap it in a tshirt, then preferably wrap in a long sleeved shirt, sweater, or pant.   If you've got small format bottles, I might double up by placing it in a Ziploc.