I flew AA to/from DCA over Thanksgiving and had two bottles of Champagne in my carry-on bag as I departed ORD ... nothing was said about the bottles (I, too, typically travel with wine and the bottles are inspected about 30-40% of the time). Departing DCA last Sunday evening, the persons immediately in front of and behind me each had a drink in their hand (coffee and soda, respectively, from an airport concession) and they were told to consume it all or pour it out before entering the security checkpoint. In my carry-on bag was a large, sturdy, multi-compartment container full of frozen Thanksgiving dinner "leftovers" (turkey, stuffing, yams, cranberry salad, etc.) that my hosts had prepared for me to take home. I cannot imagine how that appeared on the X-ray scanner's display and I was expecting to undergo a bag search - nothing was said.

[This message has been edited by bbinchi (edited 11-29-2001).]

I'm a writer for a beer magazine, and one of the fringe benefits of the gig is that brewers and distributors insist on giving me free beer. So I returned from covering the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver on Sept. 30 with a dozen bottles of beer, both 12oz and 22oz, both domestic and imported, both metal-capped and champagne-corked, in my carryon luggage.

I had no problems getting any of it through security at DIA; they went through the scanner inside my shoulder bag and nobody asked me to open the bag, much less any of the bottles.

Actually, I had more problems convincing the screener that I was not going to send the film I'd shot at the GABF through the X-ray and that I was exercising my right to request a separate hand search of the clear plastic zipper baggie containing a dozen rolls of 35mm film. It took a request for and a quick conversation with a supervisor, who explained to the screener while I stood there that passengers could get a hand search of items like film. The supervisor then searched the baggie himself and handed it back to me.

(Oh, and for those who want a destination for a mileage run -- the GABF is a four day festival and competition held in Denver each fall featuring about 1,500 beers made by breweries literally from Anchorage to Key West.)

It seems like they are checking for opened bottles and such. When I went through security at BWI, they made me take a drink of the coffee I had bought. But when I was coming back from SAN, with a sealed water bottle, they didn't say a thing.

In other words, if terrorist wants to release some poison on a plane, all he has to do is make sure the Coke bottle he uses to do that is sealed and he'll be able to do it. Now, how you get the poison into the Coke bottle without breaking the seal...well, that's something I don't know how to do.

I often travel with a bottle of wine, usually through United security at SeaTac. I have had security ask to look at a bottle, but have never been asked to open it - how could you open it since openers and corkscrews are prohibited?

Bruce

Thanks to everyone for your replies and insights. It sounds like I won't have any difficulties playing the 'Beer Santa' role this year.

My colleague in DC will be overjoyed to receive his annual delivery of Alaskan Smoked Porter and various other Pacific Northwest seasonals unavailable on the 'right' coast ...

greggwiggins writes: Let's see. You're a writer for a beer magazine and you get alot of free beer and you live in Alexandria VA?

Well buddy, you better prepare yourself for a new "best friend" or two. Someone named Kokonutz comes quickly to mind.

which lawyer can you recommend that would make 'a case of it' if some security personnel would force me to drink (my) alcohol ...

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 11-29-2001).]

I had airport screeners ask me more than once to drink from a drink I brought through security well before 9/11. This is nothing new I think ...

I don't see any problem as long as the bottles are sealed. How can they make you chugg a big bottle of wine or beer? Do you want you to drop tehre of alcohol poisoning.

At most they'll probably just run it through the wand.

That goes for PEPSI too! At least I hope so.

OMNI for Greggwiggins: You have a facinating job and I think among this bunch you are going to be getting a lot of e-mails from people. I predict KOKO has already e-mailed you. Just hope Flyertalkers don't harass you for free samples!

There have been Flyertalk events organized around beer (Portland, teh dinner for the Seattle do) and other alcohol. So there are a lot of people who love beer here (I like it.)

But give an F-T event a try. Or maybe help put together some beer do for Denver in 2002. The parties are fun. The Flyers are mostly harmless.

Especially after getting beered!

Catman, my fellow journalist (and if you're with NY1 as I suspect from some of the posts you've made maybe we should trade Kirk Varner stories)

I was at the last two Portland Brewers Festival; I wish I'd known there were a bunch of Flyertalkers running around.

Because the descriptions sound so...um, interesting...I'm hoping to make one of the future Flyertalk gettogethers; the one happening in NOLA in January would be great, but I'd already booked a trip to New Mexico before the planning started.

And I haven't heard anything from Koko, Geo or the sheep yet, but I'll be watching for Will Fly To Fish <and that Alaskan Smoked Porter!!> to see if they need a ride from the airport.

You've got 10 months, set it up, Dude! A perfect FT event.

Eek! There was a big long thread in the FT Community forum about the Oregon Brewer's Fest. Sorry we missed you. Next year?

I've often been asked to take a drink from my water bottle. I do, then offer some to the screener.

Thus far, they've only chuckled and said "no, thanks."

Well, what are you supposed to do with all of that duty free liquor you just bought. If you are on a long flight and want a little extra tipsy to help you relax, think of those old wooden kitchen spoons. Bring one. Remove the wrapper from the wine bottle and gently force the cork down into the bottle. You may have to share the contents with fellow people becuase there will be no resealing the bottle. I have also done this with an ink pen. If you are on a non-us carrier they may have a corkscrew on board. Where there is a will there is a way. Good luck!

As for sealed containers, hello, as has been stated, how does one go about opening wine bottles without an opener? And other alcoholic bottled items are sold in too many airport stores for security, who are hired by the airport?, which rents out the stores, to mess with its customers.

I've gotten kind of used to just getting my carry on food and open drink after going through security, except once.

Scalding hot coffee bought just before dropped off at the airport. Security line non-existent so there I was. Please take a sip. But its too ... Nod, it will be okay, just a little sip, conveyed in an understanding, smiling manner by a woman in a security uniform. She made me believe and I wanted to go along with her nice manner. Took a sip, didn't get burned and proceeded through. No problem.