Bringing back Alcohol on return flight

[indycdca]

How do you bring full bottles of alcohol back on Airline through security? Years ago it didn't count as a carry on either.

[chrysalis]

in your checked suitcase...

Edited February 21, 2019 by chrysalis

[d9704011]

You’ll have to purchase at the duty free after clearing the security.  Doesn’t normally count as part of your ‘carry on’ allowance.  Be careful about any connections you may have to make; if you need to go through another security clearance you could lose the booze.

[chrysalis]

2 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

You’ll have to purchase at the duty free after clearing the security.  Doesn’t normally count as part of your ‘carry on’ allowance.  Be careful about any connections you may have to make; if you need to go through another security clearance you could lose the booze.

...but you can only buy duty free, if your flight is leaving the country that you are flying from.

[d9704011]

Just now, chrysalis said:

...but you can only buy duty free, if your flight is leaving the country that you are flying from.

Yes, that’s true.  If it’s a domestic flight about all you can do is pack it in checked luggage as you noted earlier.

[paul929207]

If you take an international flight that connects with a domestic US flight you will not be able to  carry a bottle thru security 

[indycdca]

Wow such quick replies! Thank you!  I had planned to get alcohol at Mega in Cozumel. Leaving 3/2/19 Caribbean Princess and I believe Mega is the best prices on this western itinerary . Ive been reading and reading about what to do and overwhelmed. Got it down to royal palms on grand cayman; nachi cocom or paradise beach Cozumel; belieze ruins but which one? Roatan west bay or staying at mahogany..not sure

[WisCruiser2]

Some places will box your alcohol when purchased (as they will on the ship). We recently bought a bottle of whiskey in St. Maarten - the store just wrapped it in newspaper. We put it in a ziplock packing bag and surrounded it with our dirty clothes in the suitcase. Made it home fine.

Re Roatan - if you want to snorkel, go to West Bay. Check out the Grand Roatan Resort as a place to hang out.

[TriumphGuy]

1 hour ago, chrysalis said:

in your checked suitcase...

Did that once with a couple bottles of Kahlua. Didn't make it. All our clothes were ruined, never again!!

[TracieABD]

They do make special padded bags to use to pack bottles of liquor and wine. Not sure if they are fool-proof, but it might protect your investment.

[FlyerTalker]

In the days before the current liquids "security theater", I was always amazed at the folks bringing back booze on which they saved maybe $5 per bottle.  Perhaps on a percentage basis it was a "bargain" - let's buy some Bacardi or Smirnoff cheap.

 

Now, you have airline baggage fees and weight limitations, restrictions on onboard liquids and more.  Is this penny-wise and pound foolish?  In the big picture, I've always sought out the rare and unusual - local whiskeys or other spirits that aren't imported into the USA.  If you have a limited allowance you can bring in, make it worthwhile.

 

And remember, just because it is "duty-free", you may not be allowed to bring in more than 1 liter per person without customs declaration.

[LHT28]

I used the padded bottle bags  for wine last year  but DH bought a bottle of Cognac & the bottle was too wide to fit the bag

I wrapped it bubble wrap & plastic  bag then in clothes & put it in checked bag

it made it home just fine

 

[Zach1213]

I regularly bring back alcohol from my trips because so often there's great stuff where I go that I simply can't get back home...good Cachaca in Brazil, Tej in Ethiopia, whisky in Scotland that I can't get back home, etc. etc. Sometimes, it's the only reason I check a bag. As such, when I am going somewhere that I am likely to buy a bottle, I do bring the padded wine sleeves and they're a god-send. So far (knock on wood), nothing has broken.

 

I will say, I rarely buy something because of the price...it's usually not that good of a deal (exceptions do apply) to be worth lugging it halfway around the world. I buy things because I like them but can't get them at home, which makes it worth it in my opinion.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Zach1213

[SRF]

2 hours ago, paul929207 said:

If you take an international flight that connects with a domestic US flight you will not be able to  carry a bottle thru security 

 

However, you will collect your luggage for customs at your first port of entry.  So you can open your checked bag, and put the bottles in, and re-check (they don't weigh it again 😄 ).

 

I have done this a number of times.

[SRF]

I have carried alcohol many times in my checked luggage.

 

I just wrap in clothes and put it in the middle of a hard sided suitcase.

 

In all the years, and MANY bottles, I have had 2 break.  One was a bottle of sake that ended up in the corner of a softside suitcase, and it looked like they dropped it on that corner.

 

The other was a bottle of brandy, and broke for no discernible reason.  Clothes smelled GREAT. 😄  Luckily I was coming home, so just tossed everything in the wash.

[navybankerteacher]

It is rare that the dollar savings are worth the hassle of bringing it on a flight or the risk of breakage. I suppose there might be some truly exotic liquor not available at home, but we have enough specialty suppliers around here to provide anything I might want.

[dogs4fun]

6 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I used the padded bottle bags  for wine last year  but DH bought a bottle of Cognac & the bottle was too wide to fit the bag

I wrapped it bubble wrap & plastic  bag then in clothes & put it in checked bag

it made it home just fine

 

I have done the same thing - also made it home fine. I only buy liquor that I cannot purchase in the USA (ex: Wachau apricot liqueur). 

[LHT28]

Just now, dogs4fun said:

I have done the same thing - also made it home fine. I only buy liquor that I cannot purchase in the USA (ex: Wachau apricot liqueur). 

I agree

we only buy  what DH cannot get here  or if a very good price  that makes it worth the effort to transport it 😉

 

We have liquor control board  here  so I can check prices online  before buying  something overseas

usually an unusual Scotch or Cognac

[SRF]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

It is rare that the dollar savings are worth the hassle of bringing it on a flight or the risk of breakage. I suppose there might be some truly exotic liquor not available at home, but we have enough specialty suppliers around here to provide anything I might want.

 

There are plenty of things you cannot get here, that you can overseas.

 

In the US, you will be lucky to find a couple of cachacas.  There is a store in Rio that has 90 different one.

 

Similar with Scotch.   And many local liqueurs.

 

There are also special editions, that are only sold in Duty Free.  Glenmorangie used to have a whisky called Cellar 13.  It was ONLY sold in European Duty Free Stores.   Bailey's was only going to release their flavored Irish Creams only in duty free, but then later released them in general.

 

There are even some things that a specific to a certain airport.  Schipol in Amsterdam has some special bottlings.

 

But I agree, that in most cases, duty free shops are not great prices.  In fact, I have found many times, a shop in that country will have a cheaper price.  And in some cases, the best price I have found, has been in a local US store. 😄

 

 

[Ashland]

Look on Amazon for "Wine Diapers or Jet Bags" they have always worked great for us when bringing back alcohol in our checked luggage.

[flamomo]

If I plan to bring some wine back from Italy or Spain, I pack a couple of "wine-to-go" containers (purchased from Amazon), pour the wine into them (each holds a full 750 ml bottle), and pack on my checked bag. Never had a problem with a single drop of  leakage, plus being more like a heavy duty plastic bag with a screw-on lid, it weighs a lot less than a glass wine bottle. And when empty, they are flat, so take up virtually no suitcase space, and they are reusable over and over.

I would imagine they could work for liquor too.

[SRF]

Hmmmmm, once you decant the wine, it starts oxidizing.  Not a good thing to do with a good bottle of wine.

 

 

[slidergirl]

On 2/21/2019 at 6:33 AM, paul929207 said:

If you take an international flight that connects with a domestic US flight you will not be able to  carry a bottle thru security 

 

Incorrect.  IF you purchase the alcohol at the airport duty free shop, they will put it in a TSA-approved sealed bag.  You may take this on the flight, and it will be checked at any TSA dog & pony checkpoint, but it is allowed through.  I've done this on trips with connections FCO-JFK-home and SJU-ATL-home... 

Now, if you have a bottle that you bought at a liquor store in town, if you want to bring it home, it has to go in your checked bag - TSA needs to have you voluntarily surrender (according to them, they NEVER confiscate 🙄) that bottle that will help with their mealtime beverage service in the TSA cafeteria 😉

[donaldsc]

Our TA brought a well cushioned bottle of red wine back on a trip.  Not cushioned enough!  It is hard to get red wine out of all your clothes.

 

DON

[donaldsc]

12 hours ago, SRF said:

Hmmmmm, once you decant the wine, it starts oxidizing.  Not a good thing to do with a good bottle of wine.

 

 

 

Also, while the bag may be liquid tight, the wine-to-go bag may allow air to diffuse through it.  That means that  there will be double oxidation.  Not a good way to treat a bottle of good wine.  In addition, two 750 ml will add 3 1/2 pounds to the packed weight of your suitcase.  In addition, 'flamano' sounds as if he plans to reuse his wine-to-go containers.  How do you plan to clean the insides of the container so there is no carryover of flavors from filling to filling.

 

Not a good solution as far as I am concerned unless whatever is being bought is only available at an out-of-country location.

 

DON