Tips for flying with wine in checked luggage?

[CruizinMama1026]

I went and got our two allotted bottles of wine for our cruise this weekend and I'm trying to figure out the best way to pack them to fly to Miami. Any advice :confused:

[jimbo5544]

I went and got our two allotted bottles of wine for our cruise this weekend and I'm trying to figure out the best way to pack them to fly to Miami. Any advice :confused:

 

My advice is to buy the wine when you get to Miami.

[2Shoes2Go]

Weight and risk for breakage is high. Get it in Miami. :)

[Laurie S.]

Bubble wrap them well, put them in a plastic bag and seal it well. Wrap clothes around and they will do just fine.

[Doctorsbaby]

I just roll them up in pants, then put in the middle of clothes in the suitcase. I've done this multiple times without any issue.

 

 

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[YubaSutter]

We belong to a wine club. They ship the wine is o us in a 2 bottle shipper. We bring the shipper with us.

[jimbo5544]

Weight and risk for breakage is high. Get it in Miami. :)

Or you can suck on your clothes if they do break.. Imagine sitting on the balcony enjoying a nice pinot noir, want some , here is a pant leg to suck on.:eek:

Edited May 12, 2015 by jimbo5544

[MistyRo76]

As someone who worked for an airline for a decade, I would also recommend buying the wine in Miami! I've seen too many bags tossed carelessly or fall out of a moving baggage cart onto the ramp and run over accidentally. Even the best wrapped bottle of wine can break and then your clothes and everything else are soaked in wine for the week. A couple guys I met on a previous cruise, emailed me after and told me of their well-packed duty-free liquor from the cruise ship breaking in their luggage on their return flight. They could smell the rum before they even saw their bags on the baggage carousel. I wouldn't chance it. :)

 

Misty

[mzloolue]

Seal your clothes in plastic.

Bring lots of quarters.

Bring only wine colored clothing.

 

Buy wine after the flight.

[Sixtytwo]

Well, there you have it! Looks like you can either pack the wine in bubble wrap and put it in the the middle of the suitcase or you can buy it in Miami! :D

 

We actually have packed 13 liters of libation in our suitcases that were checked coming back from a cruise and, believe it or not, all were good as new when we got home! No sucking on ruined clothes or other such issues! Just lots of porch sitting with a good adult beverage!

 

My advice, pack well and enjoy your wine. Just remember to put it in your carry on or you'll have to figure out how to pack it for the return flight home after the cruise! :eek:

[SMSACE6]

I would not pack wine in my checked bag, even on a direct flight. First thing I would suspect would be theft. Second thing breakage. But...if I were to do this I would just wrap the wine in bubble wrap, and then pack it between layers of clothing. Also...not sure how it is when flying within the US, but from Canada, we are not allowed to lock our baggage, (things may have changed), so what I do is to use twist ties to tie the two ends of the zipper together, and I twist and twist them together many times, which I think would take a baggage thief some time to open...and maybe be caught in the act. Sometimes my bag makes it to FLL or MIA with twist tie in tact, and some times not. I do not however pack wine or any other valuables in my baggage, because I can usually buy wine and booze cheaper in the US.

 

Still I would just rather buy it on arrival somewhere enroute to the port. JMO

[Lerin]

While we've never packed wine to the cruise, we've taken many bottles back home.

We put them in socks and then pack tons of clothing and/or something very study (such as a box or our child's beach pail) all around.

Never had an issue, however wouldn't recommend taking wine to your cruise. Too much of a mess on the off chance the airline doesn't handle it as nicely as you would like.

Even if you pack it really tightly in bubble wrap and clothing, there is no guarantee the TSA won't decide to open your luggage. They most certainly won't take time to re-pack with loving care.

[Ashland]

If you need to pack them in checked luggage try using "Wine Diaper's" or "Jet Bags". You can get them online from Amazon. They work great.

[H20mac3]

We have traveled with our favorite wines to Europe & Alaska with nary a drop lost. Altho unless it's a really special wine (the one we love can only be purchased at the winery) it is easier to purchase your wine in Miami. Not to mention the added weight to your luggage.

 

However, if you want to pack it what I would suggest is go to a wine shop and buy the sealable travel containers for wine. If you want to bring wine home buy extra containers (BevMo) as they are really only good for one use. It's like bubble wrap made for bottles. Before you put your wine in the travel bag wrap each bottle thoroughly in a couple of layers of plastic/saran wrap. That way if the bottle does get broken the saran wrap will help hold it together. Then place the bottle in the special wine container and seal it up. If you want an added layer of protection then place your bottle in one of those extra large ziplock bags. I hope this helps! Enjoy!

Edited May 12, 2015 by H20mac3

[CruisinChandler]

I've never had to check wine for a cruise, but I did check wine to bring home after visiting Napa last year. I used Wine Skins (which are like bubble wrap but contain the leak if the bottle does happen to break) and all 4 bottles made it home intact (and it wasn't a direct flight)! If you absolutely can't wait to purchase your wine in Miami, I'd recommend the Wine Skins. Good luck! :D

Edited May 13, 2015 by CruisinChandler
spelling error

[BeagleOne]

Get a small hard plastic under-airline-seat pet carrier. Wrap the wine bottles up well in clothing and plastic bags. Put bottles in pet carrier. Put pet carrier in suitcase.

[kenish]

Just remember to put it in your carry on or you'll have to figure out how to pack it for the return flight home after the cruise! :eek:

 

Wine cannot be in carry-on luggage in the US and many other countries. It will violate the 3-1-1 liquid limitation and TSA will provide the choice of confiscation, going back to the counter and checking the wine as luggage, mailing it somewhere, or putting it back in your car.

 

Of course, wine purchased at the airport *after* security can be put in carry-on. The potential "gotcha" is if you have to go outside of security at a connecting airport or clearing Customs.

[tnr]

You may want to check out "Platypus bags". They are a heavy duty bags made for backpacking, etc. and are extremely durable. We pour our wine or whatever other drinks and pack them in the suitcase. There is never any odd taste from them and we have used ours for years. An added benefit is that you get rid of the weight of the bottle. We got ours at REI, but you can find them elsewhere online.

[tnr]

An afterthought, they make many different kinds. Get a plain one, not one with a drinking tube.

[CXSoloTrav]

If you need to pack them in checked luggage try using "Wine Diaper's" or "Jet Bags". You can get them online from Amazon. They work great.

 

+1. Used Jet Bags a couple of times returning from travel with special bottles and had zero issues.

[slidergirl]

Wine cannot be in carry-on luggage in the US and many other countries. It will violate the 3-1-1 liquid limitation and TSA will provide the choice of confiscation, going back to the counter and checking the wine as luggage, mailing it somewhere, or putting it back in your car.

 

Of course, wine purchased at the airport *after* security can be put in carry-on. The potential "gotcha" is if you have to go outside of security at a connecting airport or clearing Customs.

 

There is no more "gotcha" unless you get an idiot TSA clerk. Alcohol purchased at a duty free store on the airside of an airport now is placed into a plastic bag and sealed with special tape. You are permitted to take this with you on a connecting flight. Just did this coming back from Europe: purchased 3 bottles of wine in duty-free, changed flights at JFK, the TSA clerk did open the seal and "test" the tops of the bottles for magic explosives, but the bottles back in the bag, re-sealed and I was on my way to my next flight and home.

[kenish]

Alcohol purchased at a duty free store on the airside of an airport now is placed into a plastic bag and sealed with special tape.

 

Thanks, forgot about the new system of Sealed Tamper-Evident Bags (STEBs). There are limitations...not all stores post-security can provide STEBs, you must have the receipt available for security, not all countries allow STEBs, the STEB is usually valid for 48 hours, etc. So definitely ask the airport shop pre-purchase and make sure the connecting airports allow STEBs.

[UKBayern]

As someone who worked for an airline for a decade, I would also recommend buying the wine in Miami! I've seen too many bags tossed carelessly or fall out of a moving baggage cart onto the ramp and run over accidentally. Even the best wrapped bottle of wine can break and then your clothes and everything else are soaked in wine for the week. A couple guys I met on a previous cruise, emailed me after and told me of their well-packed duty-free liquor from the cruise ship breaking in their luggage on their return flight. They could smell the rum before they even saw their bags on the baggage carousel. I wouldn't chance it. :)

 

Yep, former airline employee here too. Nightmare: every flight from Greece you could smell the broken bottles of Ouzo before the luggage came on the belt. The whole conveyor belt would smell of anise for hours and stick like hell. No way that I will ever pack bottles in my suitcase, even if it is a hardcase Samsonite.

[Donray]

Wine bottles are hard to break. Liquor bottles easy to break. Note that most stories are of liquor bottles breaking and not wine bottles.

[slidergirl]

Thanks, forgot about the new system of Sealed Tamper-Evident Bags (STEBs). There are limitations...not all stores post-security can provide STEBs, you must have the receipt available for security, not all countries allow STEBs, the STEB is usually valid for 48 hours, etc. So definitely ask the airport shop pre-purchase and make sure the connecting airports allow STEBs.

 

I don't have a plethora of experience with this yet, just at FCO, JFK, CDG, ATL for my connecting airports and FCO,CDG as my duty-free purchase location. The thing about the receipt - I have not yet been asked for it, but I do have it in my envelope with all other receipts I have that is kept in my "personal item" (lesson learned from trips coming back from Tel Aviv).