Originally Posted by
RA-wannabe
Nope..You can't do a gate check. The US inspection is BEFORE the boarding gate. The security people will just confiscate your liquor (and drink it). I've tried it once..and it didn't work. You are not the first to think of this gate check-in trick....
But a round-about trick that I used was as follows :-
Step 1 : Go buy the liquor.
Step 2 : Go to the lounge and tell them that u want to go to the city.
Step 3: Clear immigration
Step 4 : Check in liquor at the first class check-in counter.
Step 5 : Clear Immigration
Step 6 : Enjoy the liquor in the US.
This is in violation of the law and considered as illegal smuggling even if you have outbound boarding passes, so proceed at your own risk. All passengers returning to landside for whatever reason is required to refund dutiable items to the duty-free shops. Unlike typical US airports, in HK you have passed outbound immigration and customs control once airside.
An alternative is to purchase the liquor at the inbound duty free shops just before immigration when you land in HKIA, bring it into the city and pack it with your bags.
Refer to Hong Kong Dutiable Goods Ordinance (Cap. 109) for more info
http://www.legislation.gov.hk/eng/home.htm