When I travel, I frequently bring back 40-80 pounds of beer with me and withWNs 2 free bags is great money saver versus shipping them back, or paying for checked luggage on other carriers. I've frequently been asked "what's in the bags?" which I think is asked because of the combination of the weight and the aluminum Halliburton bags I use but I always used to be honest.

This transparency ended a year ago when I was flying out of TPA after a large beerfest where a good few of the people flew in for and everyone got 4-12 750ml (large round champagne style bottles). The pax (whom I dont know but was at the fest) in front of me was checking a cardboard box with a legit Styrofoam bottle shipper designed for shipping glass bottles. The agent refused to check his box(bag) because the agent didnt feel that it was packed properly and needed to buy some of their(?) packing material before it was checked. Meanwhile I'm standing behind him with 15 or so bottles of my own and just quietly placed my bags on the scales and checked in.

From then on I just say "equipment" since I know there is nothing of harm in my bags, there is no need to disclose it's contents and cause unnecessary arguments. I just flew out of TPA again last weekend with 22 big bottles and was asked again "what's in the bags?"

So, how often are you asked this question and how do you typically answer?