I apologize if this is a dumb question.... I will be going the the south-east US in a few weeks... Just wondering if its legal to bring back a couple of bottles of beer in luggage?
It is not illegal to pack beer in a checked piece of luggage, but policies change depending on the airline.
I'm out of town currently and was curious about the same thing. These are the rules for Delta which I'm flying, but they're similar to the TSA rules I found earlier as well. http://www.delta.com/content/www/en...aggage/before-your-trip/restricted-items.html *edit - I found the TSA guidelines, but still strongly suggest checking with your carrier. http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/alcoholic-beverages
I've checked bags packed with beer on United, Southwest, Delta, British Airways, American, US Airways, Virgin and others, and have never had a problem aside from making sure the bag didn't exceed the weight limit, which is usually 50 pounds. Just make sure they're packed well, wrapped in bubble wrap or clothes or something, and won't clang together.
Yep, I've heard of nosy desk attendants giving people trouble about booze in checked baggage, but I've never experienced it, nor have I ever had an issue with the TSA messing with checked beer. If you travel at all frequently and like to bring beer home, a handheld luggage scale is a damn good investment. I've used mine several times to get bags right into the 48.5 - 50 lb range and never had an issue with it reading lower than the airport scale.
I had an interesting case a few months back flying back to LA from Chicago. Was bringing some bottles back and our main suitacase was JUST over the weight limit so we had to do a quick re-arranging between bags. Desk attendant saw a 2 bottles come loose out of the clothes they were wrapped in and instantly started laying into me saying that they wouldn't check bags unless the bottles were bubble wrapped. Naturally, Southwest was more than willing to charge me $5 per bottle to have them bubble wrapped and securely placed in my luggage. I went ahead and had them package up the 2 bottles she saw since I didn't want to miss our flight or get any more grief. She asked me if there were any more (of course there were) to which I replied "no" since I wanted to avoid the shakedown. Luckily she just left it at that, we zipped up our suitcases, and she flung them with wreckless abandon and an accompanying smirk onto the conveyor belt. All bottles made it home safely, but I definitely learned my lesson to weigh bags ahead of time to avoid a similar incident in the future. The bubble wrap sleeve I got for the other two bottles is actually pretty nifty and I have used it a few times since.
Last year my mother-in-law got me a couple sets of bottle protectors as a birthday gift. They're kind of extravagant but actually very convenient. They weigh nothing empty and it's nice to be able to just stick a bottle in one and seal it without hassling with bubble wrap or putting bottles in socks or wrapping them in t-shirts or whatever. You can probably find cheaper ones on ebay or amazon or something. It's a nice in-law kind of gift
I have a large luggage that I fill with beers when I travel home to Michigan or to the east coast to visit my boyfriend. Usually I will pack it up until it weighs 48.5 lbs. I've only ever used clothes and minimal bubble wrap and it's been fine, I use the same principles as when I'm packing a trades box- make sure the sides are padded, each bottle wrapped up and that the luggage is full enough where nothing moves when I shake it. I weigh it by standing on a scale at home, standing on the scale with the bag and subtracting former from the latter. I prefer to fly with alcohol instead of shipping it because it is: 1) Usually cheaper (50 lbs for $25 is a steal) 2) Quicker (1 day shipping, essentially) 3) Less risky (it's only getting handled by 2-3 people by hand instead of multiple people with possible forklifts)
When I fly Southwest I sometimes bring a 12 bottle wine shipper with me since you get 2 free bags checked in. Never had an issue-have even been asked if there is "wine" in the shipper and when I said yes they didn't have an issue. On a trip to Europe a few summers ago I brought back 7-8 bottles in a backpack and was searched at customs. They didn't give a damn at all but they did ask me if I was planning on selling them. I think that you are supposed to declare them if they are worth over a certain amount or for selling.
Thanks guys. A friend of mines is going to a marathon in the New Orleans area in late January. She agreed to bring some beer back for me as long as she doesn't get in trouble.
my bags always fly free so I use a hard sided gun case that I pack beers into. I also don't get charged extra for heavy bags. It was expensive but the peace of mind in knowing that my precious cargo is highly unlikely to be damaged in transport was worth it.
I've never had issue with checking in bottles. Best to zip them in a gallon ziplock bag, then bubble wrap for extra safety. Happy trails!
If it's only a couple bottles, I'll wrap 'em in tees or sweats... never had an issue. If I'm flying on the company's dime, I take an extra suitcase and stuff a bottle shipper in it... This Uhaul box works perfect - It's great for transporting both 12 oz bottles and 750's: http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Protective-stuff/Glass-Pack-Kit?id=2701 I sprinkle in foam peanuts for extra caution.
