Alcohol - should I pack it or ship it?
 

I received a great bottle of booze (Ron Zacapa XO Centanario) for the holidays. I am flying home tomorrow and wondering what is the best way to get it back to SF.

1. wrap it really well and pack in a box with other gifts and check the box. is this even allowed? the family is also worried TSA might open the box and remove the booze or just not repack the box very well.

2. wrap it really well and mail it to myself via USPS / UPS / FedEx. this is going to be really expensive as the box is pretty heavy - but obviously an option.

3. ???

What are people's experiences / suggestions with checking booze on the plane or sending it back to yourself?

Thanks in advance and happy holidays!
Chad

Discussed here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...d-luggage.html

I certainly wouldn't put it in checked luggage and expect that the airline would get it to me unharmed.

Also, mailing alcohol across state lines via the USPS is illegal. Lie about the contents if you go that route (glass vase, anyone?)

That leaves FEDEX or UPS which have policies, I believe, that prohibit shipping alcohol but at least your "glassware" shipment won't be breaking any laws.

Thanks 6rug. Just wondering if anyone has more "recent" info though as that thread ends in '05.

Thanks again (in advance).

Chad,

These are industrial grade wine carriers.

Depends on how important the wine is to you.

Just google "wine carrier airplane" and you'll have plenty of options

I've carried up to 20 bottles before (all wrapped in bubble wrap and then wrapped in clothes). Was right on the weight limit and despite my careful packing, did unfortunately break one bottle.

I bring bottles back from europe all the time without issue. I've found that a blue print tube is just about right for .5 liter bottles. You may want to swing by an office supply place and see if they have the right size. Just cut it to length, secure the ends and pack it in your luggage.
Good luck.

TSA just announced new carryon rules for flights coming into the US, so you may want to check that out before carrying on yourself. With the rules changing, I'd find someother method to get it home...

Info though is still the same. I've also had no trouble packing wine in checked bags. Purchased wine sleeves and just wrapped securely in the middle of the bag.

here's another for just pack and check it. i have done this many times from Europe and Caribbean.

Official policy: http://www.united.com/page/article/0,5046,52062,00.html

I'm a big beer geek, and I know that beer bottles are strong enough to survive in a checked bag when surrounded by clothes. I can't attest to wine or liquor.

The UPS/FedEx route can be good, but technically not allowed unless you have a license to ship booze (as others have stated). Beer traders do it, and don't offer information on what's in the box. When asked, they often say "yeast samples" or "collectible glass". If you tell the shipper there's alcohol in the box, they usually just won't allow the shipment.

As this is more of a general travel Q., and not specific to UA, please follow as the thread moves to TravelBuzz. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, United and TBuzz.

i check bottles of wine frequently on United and have never had a problem - just use one of these and your bottle will be fine -

http://www.liqurious.com/post/807/

Recently packed in checked bags-- single malt in aluminum case and a bottle of ice wine wrapped in bubble wrap--amongst clothes etc. Checked it through to India--the bag took 15 days to arrive but the bottles were safe! So put it in checked bag and hope for the best!!

I am a wine importer and over the past 15 years I've checked wine and other spirits dozens of times, and perhaps hundreds of bottles by now. I pick up samples on my overseas wine buying trips and have found it easy to get them home, albeit with a little effort. You are perfectly safe checking your wine or spirits so long as you take some common sense measures to insulate it from breakage. Generally your spirits will be safe in the luggage hold, though it will be exposed to cold. I have not found this to have any significant effect on wine or spirits. I have never broken a bottle (yet) in my luggage, but you will always run a risk of breakage and the resulting mess, especially if it's red wine. I recommend you find a way to make it watertight if you can, just in case the bottle breaks. Otherwise, just wrap it well, pack it in the middle of your bag, and forget about it.

Some of the ideas suggested above are good; For your single, prized bottle you can get a shipping tube or wrap it in bubble wrap and safely stick it in the middle of your luggage. I try to find and use a small box for single bottles, if I have room. If you have none of these, you can double wrap with some spare clothing and tape it so that this makeshift wrapper does not come off. Not elegant, but it works just fine.

If you're shipping more than a few bottles, you'll want to get and use a wine shipper box (styrofoam insert inside a rigid box). Most airlines will require this, and they will not let you check an uninsulated box of wine (or other liquids like olive oil) because it will inevitably break during handling. You can try a wine box in a bigger box with padding, but you're still going to run the risk of bottles hitting each other, with a very nasty surprise upon arrival (and the ire of other passengers whose luggage you've stained). If you know you're going to want to bring back wine or spirits in quantity, buy a wine shipper box locally and check it as empty luggage on your way over. I often do that so that I don't have to waste time trying to hunt down a wine shipper while I'm there, but you do have to carry it around with you while you're there.

In short, checking wine and spirits is doable and legal for domestic and international travel. You will have to declare it upon arrival to Customs if you're coming to the States from overseas, but the duty is very small (for wine, less than a buck a bottle). Practically speaking, you can bring about 10 cases of wine into the US this way before raising the suspicions of US Customs. In any event, be sure to declare it as for personal consumption. Taking wine or spirits to other countries from the States is a different matter when it comes to duties and VAT, and it varies substantially from country to country. If you're just bringing a bottle or two for friends, it will likely be covered under your personal exemption, but you may want to do a little investigating ahead of time.

Best of luck.
Michael

i've always put it in my check in luggage. never any problems.