Last week, a 120ml bottle of contact lens solution (with tamper-evident seal still in tact, to boot!) was stolen from me by the security droids at BRU. I must have flown hundreds of times with identical bottles since liquids supposedly became dangerous a couple of years ago with never a problem. The security droid in charge claimed that this was a "new rule" and that I should buy 98ml bottles and just refill them.

It was a one hour flight and I couldn't be bothered (and didn't have time) to argue, but tomorrow I get to spend the day on planes and I'd prefer to do so in reasonable comfort.

Is there really a "new rule"? Is contact lens solution no longer exempt like other liquid medical supplies? Or did I just have an unfortunate encounter with a stupid/misinformed/... person? (Possibly a shareholder in a large company manufacturing contact lens solution).

I'm fine with rules, even if they're ridiculous, but arbitrariness really sucks.

It's medical, so it should be universally allowed if declared as such.

If you are referring to "contact lens cleaning solution" which I suspect you are, than it is not medical. It does not have any medical purpose...

I think the limit has been 100ml for years, although often relaxed. And of course it's the capacity of the bottle that counts, not the amount of liquid it contains.

AFAIK, there was/is exception for medical (treatment) fluids. However, I think that OP did not have an encounter with "a stupid/misinformed/... person" but with a person who did his/her job properly - contact lenses cleaning fluid cannot be considered as a medical treatment fluid...
Of course, question about the stupidity of this regulation per se is something completely different...

The limit is 90ml in the US and 100ml in Europe, plenty of lens fluid suppliers offer travel sized bottles that spare you the discussion of medical or not with security. The TSA allows over the counter medication (which BTW includes lens cleaner fluid) to be of a larger size than 90 ml, but it needs to be highlighted to the screeners before you put your bag on the xray machine belt. FRA says it should be below 100ml, Swiss says its OK, etc etc. Very very grey area, just get a travel sized bottle and avoid discussions...

Repeat performance this morning, this time at the A terminal. And this time, I had plenty of time to argue and inquire and I was prepared to lose the nearly empty bottle I brought along specially.

Indeed, the limit has always been 100ml (well -- ever since liquids suddenly became dangerous), but contact lens solution has stopped being considered as a "medical exception" in the last month. I told them that it would be nice if they would announce this somewhere. Of course that will never happen.

From now on, I'll just carry my contact lens solution in my pockets where a metal detector has no chance of finding it. (Or find a 98ml bottle and the time to refill it in perpetuity).

*sigh*

Contact lenses are useless without solution (just try putting them in after rinsing with tap water or even bottled water, or wearing unclean contact lenses for any length of time), so the solution is an essential accessory to the medical device. Unless you're arguing that contact lenses are not medical devices?

Compare it to the dangerous lithium battery in a pacemaker or the dangerously sharp needles for injecting insulin. Contact lens wearers won't have heart attacks or sugar-related discomfort without solution, but we'll certainly be extremely uncomfortable. What with the infected eyes and the bruises from walking into everything.

I have been wearing contact lenses too, so I am more than aware of what the cleaning fluid is for... And I also do carry fluid with me - in bottle that is less than 100ml...

Have you noticed my previous post?

Cheers

I just choked on the "not medical" bit. Sorry. I'll put the high horse back in its stable.

I'm looking forward to the day they freeze-dry us before we get on board and spray us with boiling water on arrival. In addition to the fun of lost luggage, there'll be the fun of lost extremities.

If its any consolation to the OP my wife had a, clearly less than half full bottle of moisturiser impounded at MAN. I protested that it was clearly less than the limit but was told that they had to go what was printed on the bottle.

So, if you are planning an terror attack involving greater than 100ml of liquids, creams or gels I suggest you start your travel in MAN and simply put it in a bottle marked 100ml or less.

Or take a baby with you (thru security, they can leave the airport after saying final goodbyes), our diaper bag was full of bottles and medicinces which security didn't bat an eyelid about. If you want to practice your , just read the exceptions in the LX FAQ: https://www.swiss.com/web/EN/service...Pages/faq.aspx

Why not allow everyone to bring their cola with them if all you need to prove its OK is the fact that you dare to take a sip or rub it on your skin?

You're overlooking the fact that they also don't want vessels of any great size on board, into which the contents of many (legal) smaller bottles can be decanted, to concoct a greater volume of a dangerous/unstable/toxic liquid.

The rule is simple, and clear. (Though it's about time it was rescinded/relaxed).

If you want to carry liquids into the cabin in your hand luggage, they must be in bottles of 100mL or less. The rule has never referred directly to the volume of liquid allowed (you can, after all, bring almost 1L of the "same" liquid, provided it is presented in individual bottles of 100mL or less which will all fit in a clear, ziploc bag of no greater than 1L capacity).

You have an allowance of up to 1L. You just can't have it in bottles with a size larger than 100mL.

But just after security at T1 in MAN I am forced to walk through a duty free shop where I can buy a 1 Litre bottle of liquid, which I can then drink/empty and fill with my separate 100ml bottles.

I've never been stopped with empty bottles (like a good hippie, I return my empties for "pfand" where relevant). Amusingly today I'm flying with a Klein bottle for a friend in my carry-on. Mathematically it has zero volume, but try explaining that one to the security droids...

(Incidentally, first "Flynet" flight this year!).