Liquid Container size: 3 Ounce. Why not 3.4 = 100ml?
#16
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 286
My favorite is that TSA doesn't seem to know the difference between weight / mass and volume. To be consistent with the rest of the world 3.4 fluid ounces is the restriction, not 3.4 ounces of weight. Toothpaste in the US is marked by weight while outside the US it's common to be marked in volume.
You might be surprised at how big a 100ml tube of toothpaste is.
You might be surprised at how big a 100ml tube of toothpaste is.
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,716
It's far from the TSA's fault that the United States is too stupid to enact the metric system. The 3 ounces thing came about as it's a good round number in the imperial world, but doesn't translate well into the nice metric world of imported French and Italian toiletries.
#18
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http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/..._guidance.shtm
I remember this lady pack a huge bunch of containers with all her lady like liquids in white plastic bottles some of which were MUCH larger than the more than half empty HUGO BOSS Dark Blue perfume bottle of mine that was thrown into the Trash by this ridiculously adamant TSA person because it was 3.4 ounces.
I was recently perfume shopping for gifts for a lot of people and I realized that most bottles are 50 ml or 100 ml (3.4 ounce).
As a male frequent flyer I typically do not need 10 small bottles of things in the 'Quart' bag that has to be part of my Carry-on luggage. I avoid CHECKING bags on anything less than a 7-10 day trip.
I might carry one perfume or aftershave bottle with me besides the other necessities. Typically, all these could be fit into their so called quart bag.
Why can't we have the TSA realize this 100ml / 3.4oz industry standard for liquids and make the upper limit for single bottles of the size as that?
We have enough members here on FT as well as the ears of some of the Directors of Customer Experience who frequent the boards.
We are not asking for a revamp of the system.. but something that goes with a 'Standard value' v/s an arbitrary 3.0 oz - A size that most good things are not available in.
Thoughts?
I remember this lady pack a huge bunch of containers with all her lady like liquids in white plastic bottles some of which were MUCH larger than the more than half empty HUGO BOSS Dark Blue perfume bottle of mine that was thrown into the Trash by this ridiculously adamant TSA person because it was 3.4 ounces.
I was recently perfume shopping for gifts for a lot of people and I realized that most bottles are 50 ml or 100 ml (3.4 ounce).
As a male frequent flyer I typically do not need 10 small bottles of things in the 'Quart' bag that has to be part of my Carry-on luggage. I avoid CHECKING bags on anything less than a 7-10 day trip.
I might carry one perfume or aftershave bottle with me besides the other necessities. Typically, all these could be fit into their so called quart bag.
Why can't we have the TSA realize this 100ml / 3.4oz industry standard for liquids and make the upper limit for single bottles of the size as that?
We have enough members here on FT as well as the ears of some of the Directors of Customer Experience who frequent the boards.
We are not asking for a revamp of the system.. but something that goes with a 'Standard value' v/s an arbitrary 3.0 oz - A size that most good things are not available in.
Thoughts?
#19
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YOW
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#20
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,952
It's far from the TSA's fault that the United States is too stupid to enact the metric system. The 3 ounces thing came about as it's a good round number in the imperial world, but doesn't translate well into the nice metric world of imported French and Italian toiletries.
#21
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I remember this lady pack a huge bunch of containers with all her lady like liquids in white plastic bottles some of which were MUCH larger than the more than half empty HUGO BOSS Dark Blue perfume bottle of mine that was thrown into the Trash by this ridiculously adamant TSA person because it was 3.4 ounces.
#22
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: COS
Programs: AA EXP (1MM), Marriott Platinum
Posts: 111
My favorite is that TSA doesn't seem to know the difference between weight / mass and volume. To be consistent with the rest of the world 3.4 fluid ounces is the restriction, not 3.4 ounces of weight. Toothpaste in the US is marked by weight while outside the US it's common to be marked in volume.
You might be surprised at how big a 100ml tube of toothpaste is.
You might be surprised at how big a 100ml tube of toothpaste is.
#24
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
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Actually happened. I was talking to a guy while boarding a DL flight at BWI a few months back and he said his 3.5oz deodorant was confiscated for being over the limit.
#25
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Des Moines, Iowa, US
Programs: NWA Platinum Elite, Million miler plus
Posts: 294
I bought some plain plastic sqeeze bottles at a travel store. The packaging for these stated the 3 different sizes were 1, 2 and 3 oz. respectively, all TSA compliant. I put hair gel in the 3 oz bottle and traveled with it in my quart sized zip lock for many trips. One day, in DSM, an agent objected to this bottle because the volume was not shown anywhere on it. I was forced to forfeit it, even though I told him the whole story. He claimed that TSA required the container to be labeled as to it's volume. I have since found that this is not true. A person could label a container as anything.
#26
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,952
I bought some plain plastic sqeeze bottles at a travel store. The packaging for these stated the 3 different sizes were 1, 2 and 3 oz. respectively, all TSA compliant. I put hair gel in the 3 oz bottle and traveled with it in my quart sized zip lock for many trips. One day, in DSM, an agent objected to this bottle because the volume was not shown anywhere on it. I was forced to forfeit it, even though I told him the whole story. He claimed that TSA required the container to be labeled as to it's volume. I have since found that this is not true. A person could label a container as anything.
#29
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,334
The stated limit here (a metric country) is 100ml...
I have had NO problem with screeners anywhere in the US with my UNlabelled 100ml containers.
I DID leave some sunscreen and a topical ointment in a pocket of my hand luggage once. They were detected and removed from the bag... I expected to lose them (fair enough.. my screw up - the rules may be dumb but they apply to us all equally) but the screener simply reminded me to put them in the baggie.. admittedly THEY were labelled...
Looks like experiences vary wildly... (as in most things where people are involved!!)
I have had NO problem with screeners anywhere in the US with my UNlabelled 100ml containers.
I DID leave some sunscreen and a topical ointment in a pocket of my hand luggage once. They were detected and removed from the bag... I expected to lose them (fair enough.. my screw up - the rules may be dumb but they apply to us all equally) but the screener simply reminded me to put them in the baggie.. admittedly THEY were labelled...
Looks like experiences vary wildly... (as in most things where people are involved!!)
#30
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: AA Lifetime PLT , BA Silver , BD RIP , HH Gold, SPG / Marriott PLT , EF Subscriber
Posts: 6,700
If they can't write the date chronologically [Day/Month/Year] like every other country in The World how can they be expected to know there is another wider used measurement system.