After you go through immigration, you have to claim any checked bags, go through customs, and drop off the bags at an AA desk just past customs. You will have to clear normal security again when you connect to your domestic flight with the normal liquid restrictions.

Unless I am missing something really obvious you'd need to clear immigration and customs at PHX when you land from Mexico and - therefore - you'd need to clear security before your onward flight to Las Vegas. As long as the tequila was purchased abroad, is in a clear, tamper-evident bag with the receipt, and was purchased within the previous 48 hours then you should be good to take it onboard in your carry-on.

I think the OP will run into TSA security screening issues regardless of the rules if the OP does not move the duty free carry on item to baggage check if the OP exits the sterile area and goes thru TSA again.

QUOTE=Geordie405;32879540]Unless I am missing something really obvious you'd need to clear immigration and customs at PHX when you land from Mexico and - therefore - you'd need to clear security before your onward flight to Las Vegas. As long as the tequila was purchased abroad, is in a clear, tamper-evident bag with the receipt, and was purchased within the previous 48 hours then you should be good to take it onboard in your carry-on.[/QUOTE]

You’re suggesting the TSA would just ignore their own rules that state that travelers are allowed to take duty free liquor through security?

So here is my experience from September. Tske it for what it’s worth.

SJD-DEN-DAL routing.

We purchased some liquids at the SJD duty free store and put it in our carry on luggage. We always fly no stop on this route, but this once we didn’t and we did not think about the carry on liquids.

Fast forward to DEN. Dropped our bags off after going through customs, then went through security, completely forgetting we had the duty free.

The TSA agent opened it all up, checked it and re-wrapped it for us. It took about 15 minutes, but we got to keep it. He checked the receipts and so forth.

So, you will be able to keep it, just be prepared to produce the receipts and spend some extra time with security as they check it.

The better alternative is to put it in your checked luggage once you get to PHX before dropping it back off.

Minor caveat - I believe there is a limitation for bottles that are not transparent. Those need to be checked.

Otherwise, as long as the bottles are in sealed tamper resistant bags, you are clear to go.

Also, 1 question - what kind of liquor are we talking about that you have to buy from duty free only?

thanks that’s quite an important restriction in this case!

there’s a clase azul tequila boutique in the airport, which sells various limited edition releases. It’s one of my favourite tequilas, so quite fancied buying a few bottles of anything interesting.

Hope it helps. To clarify, transparent meaning that the liquid can be seen, not just clear transparent. So Tanqueray like bottles are good too.

As you are required to pick up your luggage before clearing customs, simply pop the duty free into your checked luggage, wrapped up pretty well. There is no actual rechecking of luggage. Just a bag drop, so the checked luggage will not be re-weighed.

Look at the bottom of this page: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-...g/liquids-rule

I brought back some whiskey from NRT duty free a couple of years ago and got it thru ORD TSA just fine. I recommend taking it out of your bags and putting it in a separate bin at the X-Ray machine so they can clearly see it and not have to pull your bags for total hand screening. They took the whiskey out of the bag and box and did a quick test on it and had me on my way in a few minutes.

Just as another point on this, I have had TSA open the tamper evident bag to swab the bottle (especially around the top) and then test the swab - but they then resealed the bag (as best they could) with TSA labelled tape and told me it would be good at any other checkpoint. As it was the last hop from LAX to LAS it wasn't an issue. As both I and others have said above you'll need to clear immigration and customs at your point of entry into the UK so you would have the opportunity to pack the duty free in your checked baggage if you so choose, or else to carry it through TSA subject to meeting the requirements of a tamper evident bag and so forth.

YES from experience it's not worth the argument trying to educate a TSA employee. You need to check Duty Free into your checked bag before bag drop or be prepared to be frustrated arguing with TSA and these days you need to pick your battles.

Yes, you have go through customs at T4. Once you clear customs, go to recheck your bag after you exit from customs. Take a left and see recheck bags counter. You can proceed to security checkpoints is on level 3.