How To Safely Transport Liquids On A Plane

If you are a frequent flyer on commercial planes, you will know that airlines have strict policies on how you can carry liquids in your baggage. They have such strict policies because some liquids can be combustible, which could cause serious harm to the safety of the people inside.

Liquids can also leak sometimes and give out foul odors inside the air-tight plane, causing inconvenience to everyone onboard. Due to these reasons, the airlines ensure that travelers follow specific procedures to safely transport liquids on a plane.

Together with Shoppok we have you covered if you do not know how to safely transport liquids on a plane. Continue reading this article to learn how to pack your liquids safely in your baggage while traveling on a plane.

Know The Difference Between Essential And Non-Essential Liquids
Before packing your liquids in your baggage, you should know which ones are essential and non-essential. This is because there are different rules regarding the two liquid types.

If you pack an essential liquid in checked baggage, you will not be able to retrieve it until landing and get your baggage at the conveyor belt. So, it is crucial to understand how you should pack different liquid types.

The airline authorities have distinguished essential and non-essential items to make it simpler for passengers to sort their baggage before heading to the airport. If you fail to do so, you will end up wasting more time with the security checks instead of waiting peacefully to get on board your plane.

The essential liquids include baby food, formula, liquid medicine, IV drops, breast milk, contact lens solution, water, etc.
For non-essential liquids, the airline authorities refer to items like toothpaste, make-up products, cream, gel, hair products, etc.
You are only allowed to carry a small quantity on most airlines. In the US, the airline authorities allow you to carry liquid items weighing only 3.4 ounces or 100 ml. The amount of liquid is not the issue, but the size of the container is what matters.
Sometimes you might think you can carry an extra liquid because one contains only 10 or 20 ml. This is where you are wrong. You should understand that the size of the container is what counts and not how much liquid is inside it. You can have only 20 ml inside the 3.4-ounce container, but you will not be allowed to carry more than that. There are exceptions when the authorities will allow you to carry more than the suggested quantity if it is related to serious medical situations.

Types Of Baggage
Now that understand the difference between essential and non-essential liquids, we can move further and learn how to pack them safely. Airlines allow you to carry two types of baggage – carry-on and checked baggage. The checked baggage can be referred to as the main baggage, where you pack all your clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc.

The carry-on baggage is usually a smaller bag the airlines allow you to carry onto the plane. It can be a backpack or a small trolley, depending on what you carry. Most people carry laptops or other essential items in a carry-on bag. The liquids are packed separately in those two baggage types. The essential liquids are packed in the carry-on baggage, and the non-essential liquids are in the checked baggage.

Transporting Liquids Safely On A Plane
It is crucial to ensure that the liquids you are carrying in your baggage do not leak or break. Following the instructions of the airlines will help you avoid unnecessary situations during your travel.
Let us look at how you can safely carry liquids on a plane.

Sort By Size
To make life easier for you while traveling on a plane, you should ensure to pack the liquids in bigger containers in the checked baggage. You should check the size of all the containers that have liquid in them.

If a container’s size is more than 100 ml, you must put it in the main baggage. If the liquid is essential, you can purchase a smaller container and put some there for temporary use.

Use the carry-on baggage to store the essential liquids, as you can access them quickly after you are seated on the plane. If you want to take your make-up, styling products, or toothpaste in the carry-on baggage, you should buy ones that are not more than 3.4 ounces.

Store Liquids In Clear Bags
Using a sealable clear bag is convenient while going through airport security checks. You can be asked to take out whatever you have in your carry-on bag even after they have scanned it. When this happens, you don’t want to have a messy bag.
So, the best thing is to carry a clear bag to store all your essential and non-essential liquids. You can make your life easier by taking the clear bag from your carry-on and handing it over to security officials.

Seal The Containers Properly
Sometimes there can be situations where the container’s caps might not be adequately sealed. You must double-check the liquid containers before you pack them in your baggage.

You might also have containers that come with defects sometimes, so you should buy see-through containers to transfer the liquid into them. Security will have a closer inspection when you carry your liquids in such containers without the company’s label. However, that will not be a problem.

You can also seal your liquid container with plastic wrap if you don’t want to purchase the see-through tubes. This will ensure that the liquid does not leak or spill from the containers.

Use PreCheck Option Whenever Possible
Whenever you travel by flight, you can avoid all the hassle at the airport by using the PreCheck option. This option allows passengers to skip the line at the airport, and you don’t get checked that thoroughly.

You can apply for the PreCheck option by paying a specific amount and going through some verification procedures. You will have to meet specific requirements to be eligible for PreCheck.

If you have this service, you won’t have to take out all your liquids from your carry-on and get every single one of them checked. This prevents the loosening of the caps of the liquid containers.