apx068

Hi there,
My first flight on Delta in quite a while is coming up next week when I'm flying LGW-CVG-RIC. It's also my first trip back to the US for a while so I'm unfamiliar with the latest local "security" rules...

I'd like to bring the colleague I'm visting a rather nice bottle of gin. I can get it in the duty free in LGW so that removes the first hurdle of the UK rules. Here are my questions, please can somebody help:

a) Can I now bring 1 litre of gin onto a transatlantic flight?
b) Can I bring the bottle onto the CVG-RIC flight?

[I assume CVG is much like every US airport for international arrivals where you go through immigration & customs, recheck the luggage and then go thorugh security?]

Thanks very much!
Jason

micmath

Jason,

I don't believe they are selling any duty free liquids in the UK. If you are able to purchase it you will have to put it into your checked baggage when you clear it though customs in CVG. That's the procedure for all EU airports but there are restrictions for the UK.

GUWonder

As long as the bottle of gin you buy is bought airside at LGW and given to you in a sealed bag by the shop, you can bring it on board the transatlantic flight as long as you don't unseal the bag prior to boarding the flight.

You will not be able to bring the bottle on the CVG-RIC flight; therefore, once you reclaim your bags in CVG (i.e., first port of entry clearing process is the same US government requirement and therefore applies to CVG as elsewhere in the US) properly package your bottle into your checked luggage at CVG before having it sent onto your CVG-RIC flight.

One thing to note about UK airports in addition to what you asked, the US-style liquid requirements apply but so does a stupid rule that only allows one carry-on item with even a purse, small plastic shopping bag or laptop bag counting as one carry-on item. That is, if you have two of those things and/or a rollerboard/backback in addition to any of those items, then you'll be forced to check in at LGW, throw stuff away or manage to stuff one of those items inside another item so that it seems to be "one" item.

fti

Interesting what really bothers people And this is not directly solely at you - it has been posted several times. Just funny what pushes some people's buttons.

I just wish the TSA and the airlines would enforce the one plus carry on rule here in the US, which they don't.

GUWonder

It doesn't really push my buttons at all as I've found ways to exempt myself to a greater degree than most. I just think it's a stupid rule. For example, clipping a laptop bag to a rollerboard makes it "one bag" for clearing purposes. Apparently sticking a huge purse/duffel bag almost and a backpack in a big nylon sack (which can be compressed into a small packet after use) makes one item out of two. The idiotic UK security is what it is in name -- idiotic, stupid, whatever such adjective catches the fancy.

mhbaker

Don't you have to do the same thing if CVG is the terminating point of your flight? I recall that after clearing immigration / customs, you have to go back through security in order to exit the airport.

wentona777

In ATL, where you have to go through security to exit the airport after immigration, they simply have a bag drop that will bring checked luggage for you from the customs area to the public baggage claim in the main terminal. You would be required to place the liquid items in the checked baggage for the short ride across the airport.