cases of beer: checking in with United
 

Besides the fact that I may miss a couple of bottles or a couple bottles break, do you think checking cases of beer to HNL is ok?

I want to bring cases of beer to HNL for a friend (they can't get this brand in the state), will I be able to check this, or do you think this goes against any known/unknown policy?

Don't know the UA rules/policy, but I have checked hard liquor in my bags many times when travelling from the Carribean, Europe, Canada and transcons w/out any incidents while flying UA. I always pack it wery well and do my best to secure it. I have never mentioned to the groundstaff what I'm doing and they have never taken either. BTW the last time I did this was in June.

ive checked lots of beers on UA and CO domestic flights with no problems. sometimes they even get the TSA flags and they go through TSA checked-security with no probs

thanks... I figure so, but now a days... I think the most I worry about is missing bottles or broken one. I've seen the luggage handlers, they aren't the gentlest.

Beer might freeze and burst through the cap? Is is cold down in the cargo hold if no pets are on board?

Interestingly enough, I once bought a new digital thermometer and forgot to take out the battery and checked it along with my luggage. The thermometer recorded a low temperature of about 43 degrees Fahrenheit. :)

Last week I checked 2 cases of wine at SFO. We had a mechanical issue and sat on the ground for 2 hours while they resolved it. It was very sunny out so I asked the captain what the outside air temperature was and told him about the wine in the cargo hold. He told me the temp (75 degrees F) and informed me that the cargo hold was generally kept at about the same temp as the passenger cabin during flight.

While I've never checked entire cases, I always bring back micros for MrP1 when I travel. Coming from Hawaii, I also bring back as many bottles of our favorite dark rum as I think I can get away with.

I would suggest taking a hard cooler as your checked baggage (see it alot on PHX-HNL flights). Pad the bottles to prevent movement, then duct tape the heck out of it.

I know coolers are the official luggage for Hawaiians... but I think I'll take my chance of missing bottles, broken bottles, frozen beer and just check the cases.

I think it depends on the cargo hold. I don't think the entire cargo hold is heated / cooled, but just a portion of it. That's why they have to be so careful shipping pets that they keep them in the HVAC'd part of the plane.

I've had good luck bringing beer back from Europe using the smaller blue print tubes. They are just a hair larger than the guage of a bomber (22 oz) or 1/2 liter bottle. I cut them to fit the length of my checked luggage and tape up the ends with the existing endcaps. All you need is some bubble wrap or a sock to put in between the bottles. Just make sure there isn't too much movement end to end. No issues so far with temps in the cargo hold.

I forgot to add - the tubes go inside the luggage. You can surround them with clothes or what not.

I once bought and checked two cases of beer (cans, in their original case packaging, which was nothing more than cardboard box on YVR-SFO. It arrived minus the contents of one beer, which at some point had either spontaneously exploded (unlikely) or been whacked while in the baggage handling system. Cardboard box appeared to have absorbed most of the contents.

Actually it will reach perfect drinking temperature in the cargo vault.

Are you bringing bottles or cans? If cans, then using the original packaging should work, but I wouldn't put much hope in leaving bottles in the original cases. I would pack bottle cases into another, heavier box, and still hope for the best. I have to agree with a previous post, in that using a cooler would be a much safer way of getting your beer to Hawaii.

Before the liquid ban, I used to take Yuengling over to Hawaii as my carry on. Those were the days... :D