Wild interpretations of alcohol allowed in checked baggage
 

Has anyone else experienced the frustration of airlines coming up with their own odd policies, based on what seem to be inaccurate interpretations of the IATA guidelines for alcohol in checked baggage? Of course airlines come up with their own policies based on IATA guidance, but it seems like something has gone awry. I would like to see airline partners, especially those that may be jointly owned (such as Delta's 49% ownership investment in Virgin Atlantic), follow the same policies in a passenger-friendly fashion.

I have found that debating the intent that guidance with the customer service department of Virgin Atlantic is useless, even with emails from the IATA explaining the policy. Perhaps the airlines are just lazy and don't want to trust passengers to accurately account for the ABV of alcoholic beverages in your luggage?

I would love to hear your experiences. I would also love to hear if you have any thoughts on how to get more of these airlines to understand the intent of the IATA guidance. Thanks for reading!

Here are some details:

From the IATA Dangerous Goods guidelines:
2.3.5.7 Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages, when in retail packaging s, containing more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol by volume, in receptacles not exceeding 5 L, with a total net quantity per person of 5 L for such beverages.
Note: Alcoholic beverages containing 24% or less alcohol by volume are not subject to any restrictions.

I have received verification directly from the IATA that the guidance in 2.3.5.7 is exactly as it says: alcoholic beverages containing 24% or less alcohol by volume are not subject to any restrictions. This includes, of course, table wine, which is always between 12% and 17% alcohol (with rare exceptions).

Airlines often reference Table 2.3.A Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried by Passengers or Crew. This is perhaps where the confusion lies, because the statement specifically excluding alcoholic beverages containing 24% of less alcohol by volume does not appear here. Even so, the sentence in both references, on its own, is a complete thought, yet several airlines apparently don't see it that way.
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All major US-based airlines (Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, United, etc.) seem to understand that there are no restrictions on the per bag and/or per person quantity of wine that can be checked. The challenge occurs with certain airline partners based abroad. Two examples are Virgin Atlantic and Air France. Of course it depends on which agent takes your checked luggage as to whether the alcohol content of your bags comes into question, but nevertheless, there is a consistent pattern of verbally stating that only 5L per checked bag is allowed by both Virgin Atlantic and Air France at least at JNB. Curiously, the Air France written policy states that only 5L per person is allowed. Virgin Atlantic's policy is a copy and paste from the IATA guidelines, yet they interpret this as 5L per checked bag.

As another example of misunderstanding the IATA guidance, Fly SAFair tried to keep my wife and I from flying CPT to JNB with more than 5L of wine per person just three days ago. Luckily, I was able to get an authority from the IATA in Switzerland on the phone and convince the operations manager to let us check our 4+ cases of wine. The representative from Fly SAFair stated that "this is how they've been trained" to interpret the IATA Dangerous Goods table. The IATA representative said "you've been trained wrong."

Air France Baggage Guidelines
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Virgin Atlantic Dangerous Goods Guidelines
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You misunderstand the relationship between IATA and its member air carriers. IATA is nothing more than a trade group for which its members pay dues. It sets certain general standards which air carriers are free to adhere to. By way of example, ticketing. But, IATA is not a government and it does not make the rules.

However, air carriers are free to set their own limits for what may be contained in checked luggage and make a choice to disregard their trade group's standard if they wish.

Arguing with a front line employee of an airline about policy and IATA policies gets you nowhere.

Except when the airline suddenly decides that you should only be allowed 5L of wine per person because they are following the IATA table. Then, when you're about to leave behind $800 of wine, calling Switzerland happened to help.

And I don't misunderstand the relationship. You must have missed the very first part of my post: " Of course airlines come up with their own policies based on IATA guidance..."

The PROBLEM is that based on misunderstanding the guidance, certain airlines have chosen to restrict items such as wine in checked luggage unnecessarily. If you fail to see the relationship between the guidance mentioning 5L and certain airlines attempting to restrict pax to 5L either per bag or per person, then you might want to double-check your math.

Did you check the airline's contract of carriage before you showed up at the airport with what sounds like a couple cases of wine you want to transport in checked baggage?

I tend to agree with your view of the INTENT of the IATA recommendation...BUT..if the airlines own website clearly states that each pax is limited to 5L in their baggage then you can hardly blame front line staff for interpreting THAT exactly as written... Arguing intent of the underlying basis seems pointless to me, especially at check in! (Like arguing a speeding ticket in a work zone when no workers are present..lol) YOU are certain that this 5L limit (where it exists) is a misunderstanding ...do you know for certain the particular airline did NOT actually CHOOSE to set that (lower) limit? You acknowledge they CAN come up with their own policies after all.... Perhaps they actually CHOSE that policy?

This isn't a contract of carriage issue. The issue is precisely as stated. If you have nothing of value to add about the misinterpretation of IATA guidelines, please go post elsewhere.

To be clear using the examples from my original post.

• Virgin's dangerous goods policy for alcohol is a copy and paste of the IATA regulations. Using what I'm going to call the correct English grammatical understanding of the sentence, there are no baggage restrictions on alcohol below 24%. I also have this understanding in writing from a Director at the IATA who is responsible for certain portions of the Dangerous Goods policy and cargo standards.
  • Virgin customer service has told me their copy and paste needs to be updated to be more clear. Clarity isn't the issue. They misunderstand the guideline.

• Air France's dangerous goods policy states 5L per person, yet in practice they allow pax to check entire cases of wine in certain circumstances (did this earlier in the year returning from Barcelona) OR in the case of JNB, 5L per checked bag.
  • By the way, it should be noted that security IS NOT going through bags and removing alcohol in excess of 5L. So in addition to the disconnect between what IATA says is OK and what the airlines say is OK, security does not care. You might say "security just doesn't catch everything." That's true, but I also have in writing that security at certain airports do not screen for or care about wine in any quantity in luggage.

Moderator's Action
 

Per its sticky thread, the Practical Travel Safety and Security Issues is for asking questions and getting information to help you travel safely and with minimal hassle. In other words, information regarding what is permitted on airplanes belong in that forum. Arguing what should or should not be permitted on airplanes and debating airline rules belong in the Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate forum.

Please follow this thread as it moves there.

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

IATA guidelines are irrelevant. What you can check in is 100% the policy of the airline you're checking in bags with.

If you think so, why do airlines use the IATA guidelines to write their policies? Do you think they come up with their policies in a vacuum?

I have no idea why you're being argumentative. You ask a question, Often1 and I have provided an answer. Believe it or not.

​​​​​​Neither of you provided an answer. You fundamentally misunderstand how IATA guidelines like these shape airline polices and why these baggage policy irregularities matter.

There are a number of FT members like yourself that dismiss certain posts by deflecting to CoC or other rules and policies. The only policy at issue here is a misinterpretation of what is otherwise a sound IATA guideline. No amount of evidence will change your mind and you fail to cite specific, relevant details to support your claims. Vague references add nothing to this conversation. You can think that's argumentative all you want.

What are the rules for the airline in question for this item? As stated in the name the IATA guidance is a guideline not a mandatory rule to follow.

All of that was provided in the original post. The entire point is that certain airlines have misunderstood the IATA guidance. That is evidenced by at least one airline (Fly SAFair) in my example citing IATA Table 2.3.A as their policy, yet completely misinterpreting it and being told directly by the IATA they they are misinterpreting it.

To answer the question in your original post.

No.

Perhaps a letter to the executive level of Virgin Atlantic might help open a chain of communication.

Not sure what you expect to accomplish here. I do note that you refer to the IATA guidelines as policy in the OP which is an inaccurate statement. If you can't get the airline to listen you certainly have the choice to use other carriers. If this is a lost cause then why not move on?