Beer on Planes?

[rhinostylee]

I'm travelling for the holidays this year, and would like to bring some of my homebrews.

Is there any legal issues with bringing a 12-pack of beer on a plane? I imagine you'd have to keep it in your carry-on luggage or the bottles would break.

 

[Walker]

there is no problem with this. There are "personal use" limitations imposed by the airlines, so you can't bring a whole 5 gallon batch, but a 12pack is probably fine.

Also, they will NOT allow you to drink your own alcohol on the plane, so don't try that one!

Hmmmm... I wonder if there would be an issue in this post-9/11 world? They might not allow you on a plane with a bunch of bottles full of liquid. I only travel with Tequila when going to Vegas, and I pack it in my checked luggage, so I have never had any issues.

-walker

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Domestically (USA) there aren't really any issues these days. If you're flying internationally there may be regulations on how much alcohol you can bring in to the country.

The cargo holds on modern jet aircraft are pressurized to the same pressure as the passenger cabin according to a flight engineer neighbor I once had, so your bottles will be just as safe in the cargo hold as they will in your carry on from a pressure point of view, but you'll of course be able to be more gentle with them yourself than the salaried suitcase heavers.

I go to Mexico relatively frequently and often come back with a 12 pack in my checked baggage, but it's a hardcase and I pack it pretty carefully.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I just came back from Germany in July and had 2 - 5 liter kegs in my checked in baggage and 2 more in my carry on (1 in my backpack and another in a carry-on bag). The German guy asked my if it was only beer (nur bier?), and I said "ja". Then my second bag came through and he said "zwei" (two), and I told him "gestern war meine Geburtstag" (yesterday was my birthday - which was true at the time). Other than that no one said a word.

As far as bottles (glass) is concerned, I've been told you can't drink it on board. I said "fair enough, I purchased them for my collection not for the flight", and all was cool.

The only ones who are going to question it will be at the x-ray machines. If they do tell them that you are hand-carrying them for a gate check-in. That's what they do for (families with children's) strollers. A "gate check-in".

 

[PT Ray]

About ten years ago, I checked a case of beer on a flight from California. To my surprise all come home still intact without any special packaging.

 

[rhinostylee]

It seems to me that if you check it, there are little problems.

Personally, since I have to fly out of LAX, I'm thinking it would not be worth checking a bag just to bring my beer. The lines to check bags and the wait to get them back is awful.

During the holidays, you need to wait in an hour long line just to check your bag, it's the worst! I vowed to never check a bag again! LAX is most unpleasant.

 

[Brewsmith]

LAX is most unpleasant.

From another angelino, AMEN, bro. To everyone else out there, use Long Beach, OC John Wayne, Ontario, or Burbank before even trying LAX.