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Some years ago before the Covid my wife and I went to spend four days in Bordeaux. We stayed in the middle of town and went on wine trips every day. During our stay we had the fortune to go and vist some wonderful Chateau. Along the way we bought a few bottles to take home.
Batailley
Brane-Cantenac
Giscours
Lynch- Bages
I had all these wines in a very big holdall on boarding the plane we sat down put our belts on and I had the holdall under my seat. As we took off the steward came over to ask what I had in the large bag I told her fine wine. With that she said there is a spare seat in first class would you like me to put your wine on one of the seats. I said that would be wonderful so my wife and traveled economy but my wine traveled first class.
I thought you couldnât take more than 100ml outside of hold luggage
Jerry I am going back a number of years.
The liquid restrictions on planes are a fairly recent thing
I remember the days of cheap flights, weekend breaks and trying to cram delicacies into your bag for the trip home. Wine certainly but also saucisson, cheese and perhaps a can of duck confit in the days before such things were readily available here, at least outside speciality shops (Iâm thinking 90s).
We brought back a can of donkey meat onceâŚ
I still do this now! on Ryanair you can usually get away with 1 bottle of wine, managed 4 on a KLM flight once wrapped in dirty clothes (they gave you full luggage allowance if you pay for a checked bag).
Didnât Steven Spurrier achieve the Judgment of Paris by secreting divers bouteilles of the US wine distributed amongst fellow passengersâ carry-on luggage ? Gosh those were the days.
Since 9/11, i.e 2001, so must be going back quite some time indeed.
I think it was after the âShoe Bomberâ, circa 2006. I remember my carry-on luggage home from Turin round about then was a box of 6 Barbera & Dolcetto from Franco Mondo, a producer near a friendâs place in Piemonte. All neatly tied with string to carry it, the cabin crew had a laugh.
2006 indeed - but a different plot. Richard Reid (shoebomber) was 2001. The liquid restrictions were brought in after the attempt to smuggle liquid explosives (TATP coloured with âtangâ) on to planes.
If you still want to carry wine or spirits in your hand luggage I suggest the TLV - LHR route (nearly all flights in fact from TLV although Iâm guessing US airlines from TLV to US are excluded as I discovered last week on a United flight from TLV to ORD which had a route specific liquids policy)
Anyone know what other airports besides TLV donât enforce a liquids policy?
Schipol to London doesnât in my experience - they have fancy scanners for hand luggage which donât require you to take anything out of your bag.
Yes, Schipol has scanners that do not require you to take anything out of hand baggage, but does that mean its OK to take a bottle of wine in hand baggage? Have you done so, because the 100ml rule is EU law, and restated on the Schipol website?
I suggest that the scanners will detect the bottle and it will be confiscated.
You definitely didnât used to be able to take liquids through security in Schiphol, anything bought in the duty free airside was sealed in plastic bags with the receipt inside.
Yes my partner brought a bottle through last week with no problems. I havenât taken wine through but have taken full bottles of water. Not sure Iâd risk it with anything expensive though as the rules contradict themselves - in some places itâs stated 100ml max but others suggest there isnât a limit.
Seems to be at Security Staffâs discretion, although the official rules on Schiphol.nl still say nothing bigger than 100ml.
They have one of these at London City now. Itâs a game changer for the speed of the security lines
Schipol is a hard no on liquids > 100ml - at least when transiting. I speak from sad personal experience.
Imagine the joy of being able to travel in a manner pre 911 again. Arriving at the airport just an hour before take off. Even less at what used to be smaller airports like Luton where youâd have time for a coffee or a pint even if you arrived 45 minutes before departure.
And the luxury of being able to carry a few bottles or jars of goodies on board.
How simple and gratifying life used to be.