Drinking on Planes
November 22, 2006 by Greg
After the security threat level was recently escalated to orange, travelers were now restricted in the liquids they may carry on the flight. No longer permitted to bring liquids and gels on board domestic flights in quantities greater than 3 ounces, I found myself with a puzzle. How am I going to drink on the plane?
According to the TSA…
3 –1–1 for carry-ons = 3 ounce bottle or less; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure.
I thought, well, I could fit a lot of little 1.5 ounce of bottles of liquor in a 1 quart zip loc bag. But is alcohol permissable?
After searching the best I could find was…
Beverages brought from home or purchased before reaching the security checkpoint in a 3 oz. or smaller container and in your quart-size, zip-top plastic bag. Carry-on: Yes
That was good enough for me. It was time for the real life test.
Cash and I recently journeyed to Las Vegas, so it made the perfect opportunity for a trial. We stocked up on a dozen 1.5 ounce bottles of stoli vanilla, blueberry, and orange. Cramming 6 bottles into a 1 quart bag, we were ready to fly.
As I entered the TSA screening area, I pulled the bag out to be examined. On the other side of the metal detector I waited for my booze to come through. I nervously watched as a TSA officer picked up my liquids.
The result?
Success!
Another lesson learned? No matter how tempting.. and oh yes it will be tempting; do NOT partake in the bottles before the flight begins.
Splurge on a tall beer or something @ the airport bar to insure you’re adequately stocked on the flight itself.
You silly guys…Greg don’t forget
If you really want to carry more onto the airplane, try this. Buy little empty 3-4oz. plastic bottles at King Soopers (mainly used for shampoo, condition, lotion and TSA doesn’t know a difference between 3 and 4oz.) then fill with liquor from your own handle. Then you can pack more into the quart sized bag because instead of having six plastic bottles, you only have four. (Your precious space is not being taken up by plastic!) I think you can fit 4 into the bag (maybe more) and that equals at least 12oz, if not 16! And it is cheaper because shooters add up when you buy a lot…and well a handle is a handle. Always a good deal. I have taken these plastic bottles onto the plane so it should work. Just an idea… Happy Thanksgiving.
Attn Jilian: between this and your suggested ‘men’s gift’ of a filled flask, you may be my new hero.
Excellent advice.
I’m sure I have shared this with Greg before but the site that immediately popped into my head when I saw the title of this post is http://www.gettingdrunkinfirstclass.com
My favorite travel site.
I got away often by carrying those small bottles of booze in the zip top bag, but a few months while transferring through Atlanta GA, a lady TSA person took all of my little bottles of alcohol. I told her TSA approved it at the prior airport, and she just said that it was illegal. I figured she was wrong, be I am not stupid enough to argue with TSA.
[...] You know what they haven’t vetoed? 3oz shooter bottles. And plenty of em. In fact, Greg did a whole post on this very topic. [...]