TravelBuzz! - Bottles or cans of soda or beer in checked luggage @ 30,000 ft [Merged threads]

Hi
I'm going to visit friends in the US tomorrow, and want to take them some "English" soda (a litre bottle or two), but don't want them to explode in my luggage!

Does anyone know if it is safe to take bottles of carbonated drinks in your hold luggage please?!

(I'm flying on Continental, and I've done various google searches, but can't find a definite answer!)

Yes, it's safe. The baggage compartment is pressurised to the same altitude as the cabin (usually equivalent to about 8000 ft.), so it's no more risky putting them in your hold baggage than it is risky for the the flight attendant to put them on the beverage cart.

I would be more worried about the knocking about your bags will receive from the automated baggage systems and the baggage (mis-)handlers - this would be a far more likely cause of a soaked suitcase than the pressure difference.

Hi

Does anyone know if it is safe to take bottles of carbonated drinks in your hold luggage please?!


Yes, it's safe as posted above, and I can confirm because I've checked (several) 2L bottles and not had issues.

(When the airlines came out in favor of TSA's war on water and against common sense, I figured I'd dole out a little punishment in the form of extra fuel costs by checking bag a bag full of 2L bottles on my way home a few times.)

If the hold weren't pressurised, there'd be a lot more exploding ink pen disasters (as well as exploding pet disasters).

If the hold weren't pressurised, there'd be a lot more exploding ink pen disasters (as well as exploding pet disasters).
Fluffy might break wind in case of decompression, but I doubt he’ll explode.

Is the cargo hold pressurized to the same level as the cabin? I have had bottles of cologne leak substantially in checked luggage and I theorized that it was because the cargo hold was not pressurized (or to the same level as the cabin).

When I put cologne in my carry on luggage, I have no leakage issues.

I remember reading somewhere that it is pressurized to about 8000ft, the same as the passenger cabin. The soda will be fine...I've packed a six pack (or more) of .5l bottles or larger of Coca-Cola (I really like non-US Coke) and they've managed to survive the trip just fine in the past.

Yes, the pressure in the hold is identical to that in the cabin. Otherwise, the cabin floor would be under enormous pressure due to the difference.

You're still at 8000ft, so you can see some leakage from bottles -- I squeeze out excess air from lotion bottles, but this won't work on a hard cologne bottle. You may see less leakage when it's in your hand luggage because you keep them upright.

Is the cargo hold pressurized to the same level as the cabin? I have had bottles of cologne leak substantially in checked luggage and I theorized that it was because the cargo hold was not pressurized (or to the same level as the cabin).

When I put cologne in my carry on luggage, I have no leakage issues.

It also depends on how well the bottle is sealed (ie leak proof rubber seal cap) as well as how well the bottle can handle pressure.

I have lugged cheerwine on AS via DCA-LAX-SEA-ANC... The 6 packs made it ok... with one being damaged... but the glass bottles I had checked all made it fine (in the same bag). Be sure to pad around the container well... that was the primary problem with my bag...

I carried a twelve pack of a US regional soda (Vernor's Ginger Ale) back to Dubai and it survived the trip just fine. Expect to find a TSA inspection card inside your suitcase.

This may be common sense, but I figured that I'd post it anyway

Any items should be ok as long as they have air in them which can expand and contract and the container itself is strong enough to withstand the inner and outer pressures.

Really the only thing you need to watch out for is bottles cracking or breaking, I had a friend that had a rather unfortunate experience with a large bottle of marmite, so pack well!

Is the cargo hold pressurized to the same level as the cabin?

Yes. It would be very expensive to have separate pressure vessels and separate controls. More complexity and more weight.

Any items should be ok as long as they have air in them which can expand and contract

Actually, just the opposite. It is the air that expands and contracts, not the liquid, so the less air in the sealed container the better. The liquid does not expand.

The liquid does not expand.It does, just not very much compared to gases.

Have transported Champage with no problems in the hold luggage.

Have transported Champage with no problems in the hold luggage.

Also the Champagne bottles on board at the galley don't explode in the air. :D

Several years ago, I bought an entire carton/case of "Vinegar and Salt" potato chips for a friend in Austria. I, too, was worried that the bags would expand and pop, leaving a whole bunch of chips in the box. But everything made it safely! So, surely, would your bottles of soda.

Actually, just the opposite. It is the air that expands and contracts, not the liquid, so the less air in the sealed container the better. The liquid does not expand.

Whoops...So much for common sense :p

I carry Tab with me a lot in checked bags. it is in cans and I have had "accidents" altho I don't know if it is because of the pressure or because of rough handling. So now I cushion in Bubble wrap and then wrap in a platic garbage bag and with duct tape ( another use for duct tape). So now when something breaks it dosen't get anything wet.

I carry Tab with me a lot in checked bags. it is in cans and I have had "accidents" altho I don't know if it is because of the pressure or because of rough handling. So now I cushion in Bubble wrap and then wrap in a platic garbage bag and with duct tape ( another use for duct tape). So now when something breaks it dosen't get anything wet.

My guess is it was a thinner can, thus any kind of 'rough handling' will undermine the structural integrity of the can... and when there was changes in pressure... pop :D

When I did transport the cans of cheerwine... one was gone (had only the empty can left... not sure what happened to the fluid :rolleyes:) the rest of the cans showed up in various stages of dentedness... Cans are much lighter but inferior devices to transport beverages... would highly recommend glass bottles!

Aluminum cans are *really* thin. I once had a can of beer explode in my carryon pre-liquid ban.

Aluminum cans are amazingly thin (roughly 0.005"), and are highly engineered because of that. Part of the reason most aluminum beverage cans have a concave end is as a safety against expansion.

With travels to California and Mexico I regularly pack liquids in my checked luggage (Hooray Tequila!) The worst that has happened to me is seepage around the cork or stopper. I am guessing the bottle was upside down and the air pressure pushed out the liquid around the seal.

Just don't wrap the soda in any precious clothing and I'm sure it will be fine.

I did BOS-EWR-PDX with a bottle of Vodka in my checked luggage (it was a flavor I didn't have here at home until like 2 months after my trip) and the bottle came home without any damage whatsoever. I wrapped it in a plastic bag and knotted the handles.

Even if the cargo hold were completely unpressurized, it wouldn't make much difference (maybe around 10 psi less than sea level). Soda bottles can withstand ~150-200 psi,

Sludge,
did they make it ok? what did you take? I was wondering if I should take some to my friends in teh US in a coupel fo weeks, I want to bring some sunkist back from the US for a year 11 lesson on food additives!
I did take a can of shandy over a few years ago but no one would believe it was a kids drink

Once had a bag of chips explode while driving up the mountain in Hawaii. It went at about the 10,000 foot level, which implies that the hold of an aircraft is pressurized to a level below that.

The cargo hold is pressurized to the same altitude as the rest of the cabin. It would be prohibitively expensive to have multiple, independently regulated pressure vessels.

I'm flying MSP-AMS-CPH next week in NW WBC (Award) and my Swedish buddy asked if I could bring a case of Miller High Life in camouflage cans. He liked the redneck look of them when he was here in November and since I have lots of luggage allowance I thought maybe I could check them.

Has anyone ever checked a case of beer cans? Not sure if they would make it safely, of if it would be allowed.

I'm flying MSP-AMS-CPH next week in NW WBC (Award) and my Swedish buddy asked if I could bring a case of Miller High Life in camouflage cans. He liked the redneck look of them when he was here in November and since I have lots of luggage allowance I thought maybe I could check them.

Has anyone ever checked a case of beer cans? Not sure if they would make it safely, of if it would be allowed.

I don't know about the alcohol issue, but I once checked one of those zipper coolers (pretty sturdy) full of coke cans. Travelled just fine. I lined the cooler with a plastic bag JIC.

Not a problem at all alcohol-content wise. You shouldn't have any trouble checking them.

I'll be over on the alcohol, he wants a bottle of Makers Mark too, but I'm not concerned about that. I'd like to keep them in their very redneck box, but will need I guess to engineer some kind of protective device around them. Both to keep the liquid contained if they burst, but also to keep the AMS ramp monkeys from opening up his cold ones.

The cargo hold is pressurized to the same altitude as the rest of the cabin.

Sometimes my relatives in HK would request me to bring them some Canadian Maple Syrup Bottles from Toronto. I usually wrap them with those plastics that have pimples on them (don't know what they are called) and place them in my checked-luggage. At the end they've always turned out to be fine. No cracks.

<SNIP> I usually wrap them with those plastics that have pimples on them (don't know what they are called)

Bubble wrap! Or just get some of these padded envelopes (http://fedex.com/us/services/packageshipment/packaging/paddedpak.html) (can't beat the price).

Thanks for the terminology. Also love the popping sound when you squeeze them with your fingers.

I do this all the time. CA wine for friends in Europe, British beer for friends in US. French wine for me!

I just wrap whatever I am checking in clothes and pack it into the suitcase. The most I ever checked in one bag was 9 bottles of wine / champagne, which made the bag a bit heavy, but it arrived without incident.

Thanks for the terminology. Also love the popping sound when you squeeze them with your fingers.

http://www.virtual-bubblewrap.com/index.shtml

Really the only thing you need to watch out for is bottles cracking or breaking, I had a friend that had a rather unfortunate experience with a large bottle of marmite, so pack well!

I can share a rather unfortunate story that starts with a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau and ends with a suitcase full of pink clothing...

I have transported cases of beer from WI back to NY without incident. These were aluminum cans, not bottles.

Being a beer can collector, I have transported full aluminum beer cans in my checked bags from all over without any problems except from MTY. When security searched my luggage before checking it in, they have tried to confiscate my beer. They said that the aircraft compartment wasn't pressurized and the cans would explode. They had the Mexicana ticket agent confirm this nonscense. I ended up taking the beer out and draining it in the bathroom rather than let the thirsty security agents have it.

I tend to check a 6-pack or two of Alaskan Amber back to wherever I'm going when I'm on the West Coast.

Keys are to use a rollaboard (not a duffel bag, gets banged up more that way) and to wrap each bottle in dirty laundry.

After meeting beckoa and others up in ANC (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/communitybuzz/822275-consolidated-anc-meet-up-thread.html) on a business trip, I hauled a couple cases of Cheerwine up there during a followup visit last week.

I was quite proud of my packing job! I took the cans out of the 12-pack boxes and wrapped them in reused bubble wrap. I could wrap a line of 3 or 4 cans with one piece of bubble wrap while still keeping them from touching each other. Each case then went into a trash bag that I tied shut and sealed with packaging tape. Then into a reused Amazon.com box. (I love Amazon Prime!) Grocery bags provided additional filler in the box. I taped the box closed and put some extra tape around the corners and edges for extra protection from the baggage handlers and two connections including an airline change.

I was kind of sorry to give up the cool bubble wrap (http://www.transpack.co.uk/list-products.asp?subcat=17), though. Most of it was sticky on one side, and it was perfect for rolling up a few cans at a time. I saved it from when I ordered some English china bowls before my anniversary back in October. I knew that I'd find a good use for it before Christmas!

After meeting beckoa and others up in ANC (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/communitybuzz/822275-consolidated-anc-meet-up-thread.html) on a business trip, I hauled a couple cases of Cheerwine up there during a followup visit last week.

I was quite proud of my packing job! I took the cans out of the 12-pack boxes and wrapped them in reused bubble wrap. I could wrap a line of 3 or 4 cans with one piece of bubble wrap while still keeping them from touching each other. Each case then went into a trash bag that I tied shut and sealed with packaging tape. Then into a reused Amazon.com box. (I love Amazon Prime!) Grocery bags provided additional filler in the box. I taped the box closed and put some extra tape around the corners and edges for extra protection from the baggage handlers and two connections including an airline change.

I was kind of sorry to give up the cool bubble wrap (http://www.transpack.co.uk/list-products.asp?subcat=17), though. Most of it was sticky on one side, and it was perfect for rolling up a few cans at a time. I saved it from when I ordered some English china bowls before my anniversary back in October. I knew that I'd find a good use for it before Christmas!

Quite an impressive & through packaging job indeed ^ I was impressed with the bubble wrap too :cool:... I kinda had to work to get out a can tonight (its actually still unpacked laying downstairs in the hall :o.

I think the awesome packaging did double duty, insulating the beverages from the near zero degree weather we were experiencing in ANC :cool:

Thanks again sc flyer!

Is this a really stupid idea? My son's fav soda is not offered on our upcoming cruise so I was considering bringing a 12 pack(cans) in the checked luggage, wrapping it in bubblewrap of course.

Our hotel is not near any stores where we can pick up some after we land and we're relying on hotel shuttle from airport to hotel to cruise port.

So has anyone flown with a 12 pack of cans which survived the trip?:confused:

Thanks for your help!

Mom from NC

Lotsa times.

Just make certain that it's wrapped well and I'd recommend a hard-sided suitcase to ensure that it won't be crushed.

I travel soft sided bags, packed cans of soda and beer, plastic 2 liter bottles, fifth and liter sized glass bottles of booze and glass bottles of beer. Never any problems and you should be ok if you pack carefully. I just came back from Amsterdam yesterday with 4-25 ounce and about 10-12 ounce bottles no damage whatsoever and only wrapped with my clothing as padding. Back in January on another Amsterdam trip I had about double that amount and no problems either.

I don't see why you'd need to wrap them. Soda cans can take a lot of abuse. The high pressure inside the sealed can makes them quite sturdy.

One can exploded @ some point between check-in & baggage claim & I ended up w/a suitcase full of Pepsi-soaked clothes. Have never done it since.

The more important question.... what is his favorite soda? :D

upcoming cruise



Agree with above and have brought many an extra can of beer home in checked luggage and never had a problem. Since it's usually the way home wrapped in dirty laundry.

The 2 fears I foresee with your trip is:

1) Watch the weight of the bag. Make sure the 12 pack doesn't put you into a ridiculous over weight charge with the airline

2) I have heard folks with serious soda addictions and booze for that matter having their stash confiscated before boarding the cruise as the cruise wants the revenue

Since the airlines hand out cans of soda to people, we have to assume it is safe to carry cans of soda on the airplanes.

But ...

Cans that are aged beyond the shelf life may be compromised. Cans that are frozen will burst, and cans heated above 140 degrees Fahrenheit will explode.

The airlines presumably are careful to make sure the cans are stored properly and used before the shelf live expires. Presumably they discard cans subjected to temperature extremes as a precaution, even if they have not burst or exploded yet.

As soon as you retrieve your checked baggage from the carousel, make sure to open a few cans to test how violently your luggage was handled :D

I don't see why you'd need to wrap them. Soda cans can take a lot of abuse. The high pressure inside the sealed can makes them quite sturdy.

I didn't wrap one set (in a big duffle)... well it was wrapped poorly, however most of the cans made it... one didn't.

Keys are to use a rollaboard (not a duffel bag, gets banged up more that way) and to wrap each bottle in dirty laundry.

Ewww! Not too dirty I hope. :p ...unless I'm serving it to my Father-in-Law.

Well once upon a time I wanted to have "diet caffeine free cola" with me on my trip to Ireland and thought that would be impossible to find over there....so I brought some with me - and like the other poster above - wound up with some ugly wet clothing - not a fun thing to deal with on a trip to Ireland. Never again for me!

(I suspect it was in the baggage handling as opposed to a pressurization issue - so individually wrapped canned might have made it. It was only one can that had a small puncture wound.)

"diet caffeine free cola"

I have always wondered what the point of that stuff was :confused:

i have wondered why the carbonation release of soda in the reduced pressure of the cabin seems to be the same as at sea level.

also, same with champagne, and the bubbles do not seem larger in the cabin.

Soda/beer cans can take a lot of abuse when it comes to pressure + being shaken/overpressurized. The problem is when a ding/crease is created in the can, presumably from mis-handling, and that creates a weak point int he structure which can allow the can to burst.

Point in case, just about everyone has seen the old trick of "stand on a an empty beer can" and it doesn't crush... but the moment that someone taps it, the crease that's created allows the can to collapse.

HTSC

I don't see why you'd need to wrap them. Soda cans can take a lot of abuse. The high pressure inside the sealed can makes them quite sturdy.

Just brought back 2 six packs from MIA this weekend... packed with a towel or article of clothing around each bottle and put them in a hard bottomed duffel with misc tourist papers/ usa today's on the bottom and around several bottles too... all survived great to ANC :D

I shipped back 4 Key West Southernmost Wheat's and 8 Hurricane Raspberry Wheats...

Depending upon where I'm headed, I'll travel with a few of the wooden wine shipping boxes - they can hold clothes / toiletries when not holding beer (or wine).

And you can get Alaskan Brewing beers, right? :rolleyes:

HTSC
Just brought back 2 six packs from MIA this
weekend... packed with a towel or article of clothing around each bottle and put them in a hard bottomed duffel with misc tourist papers/ usa today's on the bottom and around several bottles too... all survived great to ANC :D

I shipped back 4 Key West Southernmost Wheat's and 8 Hurricane Raspberry Wheats...

I have a vintage bottle of champagne I'd like to enjoy on an upcoming cruise. Is there a chance it will explode in the baggage compartment of the plane? I will be on two segments and the types of planes are MD-80 and Boeing 738, if that matters.

if the cork is still wired on, i really doubt it will explode. nothing else explodes in the luggage area(other than oxygen bottles on whatever that oz airline was)

if you have had it for more than 2 years, it may be tired.

Pack it well with lots of padding and it should be fine. You can get a card board container to put in if you are really worried.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/873602-bottles-cans-soda-beer-checked-luggage-30-000-ft-merged-threads.html

I have a vintage bottle of champagne I'd like to enjoy on an upcoming cruise. Is there a chance it will explode in the baggage compartment of the plane? I will be on two segments and the types of planes are MD-80 and Boeing 738, if that matters.

I might be more worried about the cruise line alcohol police that try to prevent passengers from consuming drinks not purchased from the ship.

Generally I employ diapers and tape to transport liquids. I will be testing my method August 2009 when I take a six pack of Molson Golden from BUF to LAX.

And you can get Alaskan Brewing beers, right? :rolleyes:

HTSC

:confused:

Yes, they are brewed in JNU and served on AS ^

So, I am confused @ the emoticon>?<

I have packed everything from 2L plastic bottles to glass beer bottles. If I know I am going to be doing this I bring padded envelopes(like you use for shipping), and if practical, zip-loc type bags.

-Patrick

I brought a 750ml corked/wired bottle of Westmalle Tripel back from Brussels last week. It came in a cardboard tube, so I had the store wrap the bottle in bubble wrap, put it in the tube, and wrap the tube in bubble wrap. I then wrapped the whole thing in a plastic bag and put it in my luggage. Everything turned out fine.

I think the biggest thing to worry about is an airline or TSA employee helping themselves to your goods.

Fluffy might break wind in case of decompression, but I doubt he’ll explode.

When I took two cats overseas a few years ago, I was told by one airline to avoid DC-10s since the baggage holds weren't always pressurized (not many DC-10s now, but there are MD-80s which I thought were similar). And when we exited Mozambiue to South Africa, again with the cats (I was working in Maputo for 2 years, not taking the animals on a quick vacation), we found that one plane in fact did not have a pressurized baggage hold. Had to take the animals on another flight. Of course, for pets it's not just a matter of pressure but also temperature.

There are no commercial jets with unpressurised baggage holds. The floor simply isn't designed to take up the pressure differential.

Some cargo compartments don't have fresh heated air circulating in them, which is what comes into play for transporting live animals.

There are no commercial jets with unpressurised baggage holds. The floor simply isn't designed to take up the pressure differential.
Is the floor even airtight? I would expect not.

Is the floor even airtight? I would expect not.

No. It would be dangerous if it were. If there is a rapid depressurization the pressure above and below the floor must equalize fast enough to prevent structural damage. There are panels in the floor designed to allow this rapid pressure equalization. The cargo areas do get quite cold, though, as they typically do not have much, if any, heated air directed into them.

No. It would be dangerous if it were. If there is a rapid depressurization the pressure above and below the floor must equalize fast enough to prevent structural damage. There are panels in the floor designed to allow this rapid pressure equalization. The cargo areas do get quite cold, though, as they typically do not have much, if any, heated air directed into them.

That makes sense... I recall seeing holes in the floor (the metal) and wondered why it wasn't a solid piece of metal... besides saving weight this would allow equalization of pressure ^

I'm considering checking a case (flat or 24 depending on the terminology YOU use) of beer on my flight tomorrow to Canada. I am going carry-on only on this flight, so there's no risk anyway to my clothes, etc. Since I have an allowance of 2 checked items and beer is more than twice the price in Canada than the US (about $40 Canadian for a case of 24), I thought I'd go ahead and pack a case.

Think there will be any problems with checking a case in its original cardboard packaging?

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I'm considering checking a case (flat or 24 depending on the terminology YOU use) of beer on my flight tomorrow to Canada. I am going carry-on only on this flight, so there's no risk anyway to my clothes, etc. Since I have an allowance of 2 checked items and beer is more than twice the price in Canada than the US (about $40 Canadian for a case of 24), I thought I'd go ahead and pack a case.

Think there will be any problems with checking a case in its original cardboard packaging?

I would be sure to throughly wrap the box in something to absorb the tossing- as for having the cans in the case IDK - I personally would want some more padding between the cans...

I take Tab with my sometimes when I go to Costa Rica. I wrap it in bubble warp and then wrap a black garbage bag around it and tape it shut. I really don't want a wet soggy bag when I get my luggage. Every few trips I have a can break. But I think you can only bring a 12 pack in without paying a duty. Not sure about that but you might check unless you know.

I've done this a few times. Brought back about 72 bottles of Belgian beer that you can't get in the US. Of course for that I took bubble wrap and hard sided suit cases as I knew this is what I was going to do.

I've had no breakage as of yet.

Two biggest concerns.

1. Luggage weight. 50lbs is approx 30 bottles depending on the bottle.
2. Customs, declare what you have and they usually don't even blink, don't declare it and get caught and they can easily confiscate it. You are only allowed 1 liter of duty free alcohol, but that doesn't mean you can pay the duty on the rest if they insist (10% I believe).

I did some beer trading with a friend in Ottawa a few months back and ~20 bottles made it through with no problems either way, save one bottle on the bottom of the bag being shattered due, I'm sure to mishandling.

I've brought dozens of cans and bottles home in checked luggage. Most recently, I brought 2 bottles of St Emilion Gran Cru Classe and a six pack of Kronenbourg from France. I've never had a problem. I usually roll bottles in dirty t-shirts or socks, ignoring the slight gross factor in favor of cushioning my beverages.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)



I would be sure to throughly wrap the box in something to absorb the tossing- as for having the cans in the case IDK - I personally would want some more padding between the cans...

To update, there were no problems and no losses to any of the cans.

Of course, one can not bring them (for security reasons) with hand luggage.

The question is, whether one can bring bring some cans of soft drinks with the checked luggage. I am asking the question in terms of the partial pressure of the air in the cargo hold - if the pressure is too low, then the gas in the can would be able to potentially expand - and the can could then explode.

They will be fine in your checked bags.

I would be worried that when the pressure goes down in the cargo hold, that the can might burst.

Cargo holds on -MOST- planes are heated to comfortable temps and pressurized. They store the dogs, cats and other crated pets with the luggage. I have on a few occasions carried drinks this way with out a problem, but I wouldn't recommend it, and I'd suggest you pack in such a way as to protect other items you might be shipping at the same time.

Any liquids in checked bags should always be in a plastic bag.

I've only brought 1 can and it made it just fine. If you are bringing a 6 pack i'd make sure to wrap it in a garbage bag.

I've checked canned soft drinks and have never run into problems. Just make sure to wrap the cans in something, just in case.

I would be worried that when the pressure goes down in the cargo hold, that the can might burst.

It's no different from the cans in the galley. They don't burst.

It's no different from the cans in the galley. They don't burst.

Just a little rougher handling... which is how I had my one loss...

It does, just not very much compared to gases.

water behaves slightly differently than other liquids, at 4 degrees C it's in it's most contract state, as it gets colder and approach 0 it actually starts to expand - hence why glass bottles filled with water based liquids crack when put in a freezer.
the cargo hold is pressurised but it is not temperature regulated (well certain parts are for pets etc...). It is the fluctuation in temperature not pressure that is likely to cause a leak. So only put plastic bottles or cans in your luggage, the plastic and aluminium can expand and contract. Glass bottles of high percentage alcohol are fine as alcohol freezes at much lower temperatures. But bottles of beer or wine would be taking a risk - if you put the bottles in the middle of your case, surrounded by clothes then they would be well insulated and the temperature would not drop that quickly. Also if your luggage is placed in the middle of the hold surrounded by lots of other luggage it would also be insulated. However if you luggage is place on the sides close to the sides of the hold the temperature drop could be fast enough to bring the bottle temperature in the 0-4 degree range and may leak/explode.

Has anyone tried to check in some cans of Guinness and transported them OK to their destination?. I am only asking as they differ from some other cans of beer as they have a widget in them.
I have taken soft drinks before and had no problems, just not entirely sure about this.

Has anyone tried to check in some cans of Guinness and transported them OK to their destination?

hate to quote myself, but they were ok. 4 cans in total, in hold luggage, LHR-ZRH & ZRH-BEG.

If someone asked you to bring a case of their favorite diet soda (in cans) on a transatlantic flight... what would be the likelihood that said case of canned soda would be negatively affected by the changes in air pressure and temperature in the belly of a plane?

The belly of the plane is at the same pressure as the cabin (otherwise the passenger floor would have to be pressure-tight, and the symmetry of pressurization forces on the aluminum tube hurtling through the sky would be lost). So, if cans don't blow up on the flight attendant drink carts, they don't blow up in the luggage hold. Now if the baggage handlers drop-kick your suitcase onto a spike you may have problems...

Pack them well and you should be a-ok.
I've brought glass bottles and most recently a six pack of beer all the way from NBO.

Other folks have covered this, but I've brought soda (and other non-carbonated soft drinks) back from abroad nearly every time I've flown back to the US - probably around a dozen times, and usually several containers. Never once had a bottle (glass or plastic) or can break or leak.

I've never been clear on whether they actually need to be declared, but seeing as the ag inspectors are generally rather humorless sorts, I always do just to be on the safe side.

"2x 1 ltr iced tea soft drink" etc.

I've never been clear on whether they actually need to be declared, but seeing as the ag inspectors are generally rather humorless sorts, I always do just to be on the safe side.

"2x 1 ltr iced tea soft drink" etc.

I always check YES to the food question and itemize it on the back even though I have things that are allowed (e.g., tea, chocolate, etc.).

If someone asked you to bring a case of their favorite diet soda (in cans) on a transatlantic flight... what would be the likelihood that said case of canned soda would be negatively affected by the changes in air pressure and temperature in the belly of a plane?

Should be no problems whatsoever- just pad it well enough so if it bounces around by the baggage dudes, they don't pop ;)

Which varietal of diet? My diet cheerwine may have changed a bit... then again, it could be that its cheerwine, or that its kinda getting old... but it seemed there was more carbonation in it... :confused:

Hi
I'm going to visit friends in the US tomorrow, and want to take them some "English" soda (a litre bottle or two), but don't want them to explode in my luggage!

Does anyone know if it is safe to take bottles of carbonated drinks in your hold luggage please?!

(I'm flying on Continental, and I've done various google searches, but can't find a definite answer!)

you'll be fine. I once accidentally left my 1 liter soda bottle in the front pocket of my checked bag. Came out fine.

ive brought glass-bottled drinks often in checked luggage


last time however i brought back some salsa and bbq sauce from texas, and half of then were smashed due to mis-treatment by UA and in part due to my poor-padding

Several years ago when Pepsi Max was not yet available in the U.S., I grought 4 1.5 liter plastic bottles back from Norway. Only 2.5 bottles made it. I felt something dripping on my feet when I picked up the suitcase in customs at MSP.

So yes, I would say that sometimes carbonated beverages in plastic bottles don't always survive. Even though the cargo hold is pressurized, the pressure differential inside & outside the bottle is greater than at sea level, making them more likely to burst if bumped or jostled.

I've never had any incidents with glass bottles (e.g. wine).

I live in Canada, Cherry Coke is not available and I have a friend who is just dying for it. Now, I can carry home some from SF :) but is it safe to check it in? I dunno, pressure problems?

I took some soda in my carryon, before the liquid restrictions, and it exploded and soaked everything. Would probably do the same in the checked baggage. Not a good idea, in my opinion.

I used to collect coke cans and checked them. Just make sure to put it in a plastic bag.

I too have had cans of coke spew open in the cabin. (It was a bit embarrassing as coke started dripping down from the overhead compartment and having to own up to it being mine.) I imagine there is a certain amount of risk in checking it.

I would go for bottles instead of cans, they seem to survive the flight better.

It will make a mess if it does pop open, so if you can put it in something to contain it should there be a leak it would be a huge benefit.

I have brought cans of Mountain Dew to Prague twice (6 cans each time) in checked bags with no problem - I did double bag them in plastic.

I bring back at least 1 Costco-size pallet of green tea (in cans) every time I go to Hawaii (my Costco in CA doesn't sell it). I saran wrap around the cardboard box and cans several times, slap an agriculture sticker on it (leaving Hawaii all bags have to go through agriculture inspection), and just check it as an extra piece of luggage. It helps being a Premier Executive with United since I am entitled to 3 free pieces of luggage. I have never had any problems with breakage/leaking. I would recommend doing it this way, because with the clear saran wrap, it is obvious what it is, and the baggage handlers should be more careful knowing it is a liquid. I've never transported soda, but I assume that since they serve coke and stuff on the airplane at high altitude, it shouldn't be a problem.

I didn't read the other thread that was linked from here as it's kind of long but one suggestion I've heard for bringing wine back is to also put paper towels or newspaper in the ziploc bag that you put the soda in (or in the case of what I read wine). What this will do in the unfortunate event of the can/bottle exploding is help absorb the liquid. This doesn't help prevent any sort of explosion of the soda but will help keep your other items dry.

Is any available post security at the airport? If so, perhaps you can buy some there. Price will be higher, but soda should stand a better chance of surviving the flight.

I checked a 750ml bottle of Wastmalle Tripel coming back from Brussels last year and nothing happened.

They serve soda from cans on flights, so logic dictates that bringing your own shouldn't be a problem, in terms of pressure. I would think that your biggest problem would be your bag being thrown around by baggage handlers. They do make bottles of Cherry Coke, and I think they would stand up more to abuse.

I have had blue shower gel spew all over my electronics once with check-in luggage :( Since then I meticulously duct-tape all my shower gel/shampoo.

I live in Canada, Cherry Coke is not available and I have a friend who is just dying for it. Now, I can carry home some from SF :) but is it safe to check it in? I dunno, pressure problems?

Perhaps send it UPS/Fedex Ground to be safe?

Perhaps send it UPS/Fedex Ground to be safe?

Importing FOOD into the US by mail? You're asking for trouble with the FDA. They will hold your package and ask you to fill multi-page forms about the composition of the food you're sending. (chocolate I sent from Switzerland didn't appreciate spending a month in some non temperature controlled government warehouse...)

Importing FOOD into the US by mail? You're asking for trouble with the FDA. They will hold your package and ask you to fill multi-page forms about the composition of the food you're sending. (chocolate I sent from Switzerland didn't appreciate spending a month in some non temperature controlled government warehouse...)

I believe the OP was actually looking to /export/ food from the US.

I've never had issues with transporting beverages, even in cans.

One very generous FTer even filled one of his 70-pound-allotment bags (courtesy of elite status with DL) to the brim with Cheerwine cans. They all (to my knowledge) survived, and we enjoyed Cheerwine up here in Alaska for about a month before they were all consumed. ;)

Importing FOOD into the US by mail? You're asking for trouble with the FDA. They will hold your package and ask you to fill multi-page forms about the composition of the food you're sending. (chocolate I sent from Switzerland didn't appreciate spending a month in some non temperature controlled government warehouse...)

I sent chocolate to Canada via USPS without issue, and the OP was asking about bringing it back to Canada, not into the US.

I checked a case of Guinness LHR-MAD-SJU, and every bottle survived!

The only thing unusual ended up being the raised eyebrows from customs @ SJU when I declared a case of Guinness.

I've never had issues with transporting beverages, even in cans.

One very generous FTer even filled one of his 70-pound-allotment bags (courtesy of elite status with DL) to the brim with Cheerwine cans. They all (to my knowledge) survived, and we enjoyed Cheerwine up here in Alaska for about a month before they were all consumed. ;)



I sent chocolate to Canada via USPS without issue, and the OP was asking about bringing it back to Canada, not into the US.

There's still a can or two left... ;) [just like I think I still have one AS cookie left :o]

Hoarding it until we replenish the supply ;)