TSA finally starts to acknowledge that their stupid, unnecessary liquids restrictions are just that.

I'll drink to that. ^

The problem is that by the time you learn that TSA cannot screen and clear your duty free liquid for some reason, perhaps including not knowing about the new rule, it is too late to place the liquid in your checked bag.

Finally, but what took so long?

I have a horrible experience in DME about this when I connected from SIN...I attempted to bring duty free scotch back from SIN to IAH, border patrol/security stopped me and tried to take it away, finally got them to 'gate' check it, but had second thoughts about that, then just took it on...there may or may not have been a bribe of 100 Rubles...it was a fun time...also no one took the bribe of 3USD

What if the carry-on bag is the one you would check in such an event? I usually travel with only carry-ons, but the main bag is checkable and I keep prescription medicine, my glasses and keys, etc., in a smaller bag anyway, because my travel always starts and ends on flights where the main bag has to be valet-checked.

Quote MSPeconomist
The problem is that by the time you learn that TSA cannot screen and clear your duty free liquid for some reason, perhaps including not knowing about the new rule, it is too late to place the liquid in your checked bag.

Exactly! I'll admit, I have, on occasion flown and international leg into the US with something TSA wouldn't permit, but that the international departure airport security allowed, didn't catch or that I bought in the "secure" part of the international airport, whether it's duty free alcohol or something else (long ago cigarette lighters come to mind). I would have dumped it into my checked bag by when doing my domestic re-check in the US post-Customs, but it's too late once you get to the TSA checkpoint.

The other problem with this is what is a tamper evident bag. It's another option for an individual TSA screener to give their interpretation of whether the bag qualifies or not.

What if Customs opens it and breaks the seal? Do they have a resealing feature?

Most likely they'll have another empty bag to replace it. I would expect these bags to be pretty cheap.. they're just plastic bags with a specific tape at the top, no more complicated to make than an ziplock bag.

I think I'll wait a while before I chance putting the system to the test. It generally takes many months to train TSOs when something new gets rolled out. And that's assuming they don't choose to over-ride the rules with personal discretion.

I'm with you on that one. My guess is that there will be plenty of TSOs who won't know what the bag is for at least the first year... or more.

Then the passenger will have no choice but to forfeit the item. You call that a problem? Seems like a win for TSOs.

TSA stupidity followed by arrogance.

I want to hope this won't happen, or that if a TSO doesn't know the new rules, his/her supervisor will.

I'm not going to put it to the test myself, though. Out of an abundance of caution.

^ me too