Airport security and whisky

[kljostad]

The not-so-recent changes in security policies in our airports have made it very difficult indeed to bring liquid goods you have purchased on your trip with you home. Every time I go abroad, I tend to by Whisky or Wines with me home that it would be difficult or impossible to get where I live. Now that I can’t bring the bottles with me on the plane, it takes out much of the fun of travelling for me. Even if I have a hard suitcase, I will not send expensive whisky and wine as regular luggage.

I know that you in other countries can order rare whiskies and wines on the Internet, but that is not possible where I live. And anyhow, much of the fun is to buy the goods at the producer, and tell the story when you share it with friends.

I am interested to know what others think of the new security policies (are we letting the terrorists win?), and even more: Do you know a good way around it? How can you send bottles on a plane without fear of breaking them?

[les taylor]

Kljostad I know how you feel. Last year we travelled to Australia and came home via Los Angeles. I did pack my bits in my suitcase which went into the hold and had no problems, whatsoever. So I guess that's the decision that we have to make. Pack or not buy.

[Deactivated Member]

I know it is not an ideal solution, but if you ensure there is enough space in your suitcase and you take some bubblewrap with you, you will find that you can safely protect your bottles and they will arrive safely.
MT

[Deactivated Member]

Many shops will bubblewrap for you if you say you are travelling - trouble is, the whisky takes up even more space. You can now buy whisky airside in the UK and carry it as handluggage provided you are flying to your final destination.

[Deactivated Member]

Many shops will bubblewrap for you if you say you are travelling - trouble is, the whisky takes up even more space. You can now buy whisky airside in the UK and carry it as handluggage provided you are flying to your final destination.

Yes, anything bought airside may now be taken on board, but as you say, what many don't realise is that if you are not flying to your final destination and have to use "transit" at the next airport, your purchases will be confiscated at that point!!!!

Just the other day I saw a news report detailing how much whisky and other spirits were being thrown away because of people not realising this.
MT

[Deactivated Member]

At least in the Edinburgh Airport shop, they are very careful to ask every customer whether his or her boarding card shows his or her final destination.

[Deactivated Member]

Excellent and well done Edinburgh.
It seems that some airport shops (not necessarily UK) are not so honourable.
MT

[kljostad]

I have tried to send Whsiky in my luggage a few times, but stopped after a bottle broke. The suitcase looked like a battlefield, and most of my cothes was ruined. I smelled like a boozers convention on my way home from the airport.

But I have tried something that actually worked. But that was wine. We got some wooden wine cases, bubble wrapped the wine, and sent the whole case as special luggage. That went well, but it recuires that you buy 6 bottles.

In Norway, we have tax-free shop at arrivals, with a nice selection, but nothing special.

[Ann-Helen]

We`re going to Edinburgh now in march but we`re going by sea!!
We bring along our car too so it`s easier.

[les taylor]

Ann-Helen that is definitely the answer if it's short haul. If its a long flight its rather difficult. We went down to the Dordogne in France last year and bought back some whiskies that are only available on the continent plus some goodies for my wine rack. The car is definitely the way to do it.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

I heard a statistic on this lately. I can't remember which German airport but it was either Berlin or Munich confiscated over 20 tons of duty free etc last year which came from travellers getting transfers.

Mainly Alcohol and perfume.

[Deactivated Member]

IWC,
that sounds like the story I also heard about MUNICH!



PS. I have just booked my flight back to the UK for a couple of days next week, but at least it's direct.

[Di Blasi]

I would always hand carry my bottles prior to the new regulations. I was very skeptical of sending them with the suitcase when I had to start doing that, but I bubble wrap the hell out of them, with many many layers, and place them in between clothes, with soft things between them, like clothes. I have yet to have a problem. But do be aware of the weight issue. I guess each 1 liter bottle is about 2 kilos?? (We've discussed this topic before and there is lots more information and help as how to deal with this too.) I'm going to Scotland in mid-April and I'll actually bring over 2 bags to make sure I can fit all of the bottles and bubblewrap! Oh, and the folks at the checkin desk are usually kind enough to give me "FRAGILE" stickers. If that direction is followed or not, who knows??

[Di Blasi]

We`re going to Edinburgh now in march but we`re going by sea!!
We bring along our car too so it`s easier.

Good going Ann-Helen! The best way to go, pack that car full of whisky!! Or will you actually bring a trailer to carry it all??

[Deactivated Member]

Good point about weight DB.
When packing for postage it usually works out around 1 to 1.25kg for a 'normal' bottle - 70cl, typical style bottle (Glendronach, Glenlivet, Macallan classic style ...etc).
Macallan new style (taller and slightly heavier) are more like 1.5 kg and the even heavier (dumpy) Bruichladdichs are 1.75kg with tin.

MT

[Deactivated Member]

I'll actually bring over 2 bags ...

I'd also bring some spare money if you want to fly with British Airways

[kljostad]

Now you are on to one of the main advantages of bringing the bottles as hand luggage. For some strange reason, my suitcase is always on the weight limit, so If I want to bring anything without paying overweight, I will have to bring it onboard.

For the time being, I have solved the problem just as Ann-Helen. We are going to Islay by car.

[les taylor]

Reading through these posts its a scandal that they want to try to get you to buy at the airports through advertising etc. Then they confiscate it off you. What a disgrace.

[Di Blasi]

I heard on BBC News last night 40% business has been lost! It's the problem of transferring after shopping at one airport. And Australia is talking about some pretty serious regulations regarding banning European products because of it, because of all of the money they're losing. In hopes it gets them to wake up and make necessary adjustments.

[Ann-Helen]

DiBlasi

Good going Ann-Helen! The best way to go, pack that car full of whisky!! Or will you actually bring a trailer to carry it all??

we actually drive agrand voyager so hopefully there`s room enough if not then I don`t know

[les taylor]

Ann-Helen you've cracked it. Thats like having a van you'll get plenty of stuff in there, Just hope the border guards don't stop you.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Good Luck A-H hope it is a fruitful (or should I say a whiskyful ) trip. Don't forget to reinforce the axels

[Deactivated Member]

Getting back on-topic (imagine that!), I do think the authorities have overreacted on security issues, and I think the reason is more political than anything--they feel they must be seen to be doing something. The public perception is more important than actual safety. For a while you couldn't bring bottled water bought airside onto a plane, and one airline wouldn't allow me to carry on three 20cl bottles--empty bottles. It seems a bit silly. Nineteen deranged men with boxcutters caught us all off-guard, and now we can't bring anything sharper than spaghetti on the plane. Another lunatic tried to ignite his shoe, and now we all have to take our shoes off. There's always a new rule for the last thing that happened. We are all in favor of vigilance and reasonable measures, but it feels sometimes that common sense (that most oxymoronic of ideals) goes out the window. If someone ever tries to blow up a plane by soaking his underwear in explosives, security lines will get very interesting indeed.

[Deactivated Member]

Its rather simple to weave plastic explosives into knitted clothes...or do it the drug-mule way, swallow condoms filled with unstable liquid explosives and then have a little fistfight on board the plane..! OK, the gruesome point is that theres' about a million ways of smuggling explosives onboard, and I did not even wish to get into the gruesome ones yet in my examples above.

The current regulations leak badly, if you pardon the pun. All they do is make the dutyfree shopping go out of business, and make the whole travel experience that much more unpleasant.

The authorities should quickly start using their brains again.

[kljostad]

Mr. T,

I totally agree with you. It seems that the most important thing for the authorities is that it should look like they are doing something. It would be very interesting indeed to know how many terrorists they have actually caught in the security check.

And what pisses me off, is the inconsequence in their actions. For instance, I was flying out of Italy last year, when the confiscated my camera stand. It was a small, light-weight camera stand, and I had brought it with me on dozens of trips. The beauty of it all that just inside the security check, there was a shop that sold camera stands! Another time, just after 9/11, they confiscated everything sharer than a spoon, but served food with metal steak-knives on the plane…

[Sherried Malt]

I have a better idea than extra bags and bubblewrap... When I know that I'm likely to bring a few bottles back, I bring along an empty cardboard box with molded styrofoam inserts previously used to ship wine. Either a 6 bottle or 12 bottle version does the trick nicely. I check it along with my luggage and have never had any breakage. No signs of damage to the boxes either.

Good luck!

[peergynt323]

I have a better idea than extra bags and bubblewrap... When I know that I'm likely to bring a few bottles back, I bring along an empty cardboard box with molded styrofoam inserts previously used to ship wine. Either a 6 bottle or 12 bottle version does the trick nicely. I check it along with my luggage and have never had any breakage. No signs of damage to the boxes either.

Good luck!

I also own a few of these. Perfect results and rather inconspicuous.

[kljostad]

The styrofoam inserts sounds very smart. Where did you get them?

[fishboy]

When I fly from Edinburgh, I usually buy a couple of bottles from the duty-free and then pick them up on my return from a desk in the arrivals area. This seems to work well - I would assume that most airports would offer somthing similar?

[les taylor]

fishboy I've seen that to. It looks like a good idea. As long as your stuff is waiting for you. What do you do if its not?

[fishboy]

It always has been so far. ':?'

The desk is staffed during office hours, otherwise you phone a number and someone brings a bag with your goodies in. With the system at Edinburgh, you are given a receipt that you have to hand over when you pick up the goods. In the absence of the receipt the only way to get your bottles is to produce the credit card used to make the purchases.

As I said it seems to work really well. Edinburgh has a really good selection of malts and always has quite a few good offers on. I can sympathise with forum members who travel from airports where maybe there isn't such a good choice.

[Deactivated Member]

The shop(s) airside at Munich are dreadful, with very limited choice and relatively high prices. Unless they have a very special offer, most whisky can be bought cheaper on the internet or even in many cases, on the high street.

When I travel, it's usually back to the UK and via Stansted, so a good long visit to WoW and a chat with the staff is usually a necessity.
As Munich is then my final destination directly from Stansted, I just buy and carry on board.



Ohhhh, did I mention I'll be back there for just a couple of das next week?

MT

[Sherried Malt]

The styrofoam inserts sounds very smart. Where did you get them?

They're commonly known as wine shippers. I get them from wine shops or wineries that I've ordered wine from. The styrofoam inserts fill the entire inside of the box and come in various sizes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 bottles.

I don't know your location, but they're very common in the US...

Good luck.

[Deactivated Member]

Just googled "wine shippers" and found this, among many others.

[Wave]

The wine shippers are a nice idea only if I could get them in Scotland before flying home, I'd hate to lug those bulky things around the Scottish countryside for the entire trip.


Cheers!