tacostuff

UPDATE: My trip is over, and I can report that there were no problems. When I left GIG, they put the liquor in the proper STEB bag. My flight arrived JFK around 9AM, I then drove to PHL for my flight that left at 8PM. I went through the C checkpoint in PHL (which is *not* the one used to reclear incoming international passengers in PHL). They didn't even question me. They just opened the bag, inspected the bottles, then resealed it using TSA tape. It took about 2 minutes in total.

Finally a TSA process/policy that actually seems to make sense.

exerda

And experience transiting NRT with sealed duty-free liquids? I know this is a new TSA rule, but given how the TSA seems to drive screening rules around the world with their inanities, I'm curious if, say, NRT is following along.

For example, assume I buy something duty-free in BKK and that they can properly seal it up. At NRT, I have to reclear security on my way to the US--and in fact connecting in the US, assuming I have a checked bag, I've never had a problem even before the new TSA rule since I can just add the duty-free purchase to my checked bag at customs. But transiting NRT, I don't have access to my checked bag and am curious if they'll follow suit.

TheRealBrendo

My experience with this last week - I left CDG on Wednesday morning with a bottle of champagne flying to SFO for a few days before flying home to AKL on Saturday. I presented the bottle for inspection at the TSA screening point, the person before the body scanner said I wouldn't be allowed to keep it since it was more than 24 hours. After it was screened I was pulled aside, gave her permission to open the bag, the bottle was screened and bag resealed. She then looked at the receipt and got a little confused about when I brought it thinking it was in May. The bag was then reopened and receipt taken out for a closer inspection. As the agent was unsure if it was 48 or 72 hours they called over their supervisor. The supervisor asked when I brought it and then realised France does the date the other way (dd/mm) and why did I buy it since it was more than 48 hours allowed. I explained that I had read the website which doesn't mention the 48 hours just it had to be in a tamper evident bag and I also asked at the duty free in France who said the same thing. She then spoke with the agent to ensure it cleared the tests all ok and then said I was fine to go after it was resealed.

EsquireFlyer

Is UA onboard duty free able to provide these tamper proof bags for things they sell you?

AA_EXP09

You would already have passed the secondary gate check for liquids back to the USA in this case?

joshwex90

Not necessarily. If you fly LHR-EWR-PBI (random example), with both legs on UA (or at least the first), you buy duty free whiskey (whisky) on board LHR-EWR. OP is asking if UA has the tamper proof bag so that you can clear EWR security with the liquor on the way to EWR-PBI.

AA_EXP09

I understand that, I was just saying that the tamper proof bag would only be necessary to clear the secondary check before flights to the USA (as I have done before in international airports such as LHR, NRT, HKG, FRA.)
Therefore booze sold on the flight would be able to enter the USA (as the plane is going to the USA.)

joshwex90

The purpose of this is to enable those who want to fly through the USA and connect somewhere else. So tamper-proof would indeed be necessary in OP's case in order to clear security in the USA.

jason8612

How about EU travels?
Im in Riga and am flying to WAW where I will overnight and fly to KRK the following day. So I will be clearing security in WAW (under 24hrs). I wanted to pick up some local booze from Riga in the DF shops.

Duke787

Is there an update on whether this new rule is generally followed. I'm flying LIM - MIA - ORD this evening and would like to pick up a bottle of liquor from the duty free in LIM for the weekend festivities in Chicago.

However I have no desire to check my rollerboard (not to mention there's no room for a bottle of liquor) so if this new rule isn't really being followed I'd rather not deal with the hassle and just grab a bottle when I get to Chicago tomorrow

Randyk47

Just flew FCO>CLT>SAT with perfume purchases from the duty free shop in FCO. They sealed the perfume in a plastic bag with a warning not to open until we were through at least our last TSA checkpoint. Saw others with wine and liquor sealed the same way and folks seemed to get through just fine. Of course I'm not sure how that would or could work for purchases at other than the airport.

lawyertalk

Did a trial for a few mini bottles. No problem at IAD connecting to another flight. I did not pass through transfer security (if that exists at IAD) as I came out through regular baggage claim and went through security normally as if I was ex-IAD.

nrr

I believe that for all international arrivals in the US [except for pre-cleared pax, from (say) Dublin], you go through customs; then (if you are continuing elsewhere), you either re-check your luggage to its destination or if you have only carry-on, you go through TSA security (in any event).

lawyertalk

That's correct, but some airports have TSA checkpoints dedicated to arriving international transfer passengers (i.e. inaccessible to domestic passengers), so those TSA officers may have more experience with the relatively new duty-free rules as opposed to those handling only non-transfer passengers.

exerda

On recent UA flights, the FAs specifically announced that they did not, and thus pax with connections wouldn't be able to keep their purchases if they had no way to check them at the connecting point.


IAD does. The midfield international arrivals area is separate from the main terminal international arrivals. Arriving international pax have the choice to go to main terminal (if not connecting, or presumably if connecting but with no checked bags, they won't care) or to the midfield terminal.