air travel and packing liquids......

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sizzle74
sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
in Chit-Chat
Ok so we're flying to Jamaica and I'm trying to get ready getting all my products ready. I am looking for any advice about packing lquids. I know all carried on liquids have to be 3.4 oz and under and fit in one quart sized baggie. My main question is, will a small aerosol hair spray explode if carried on? Also, what are the chances of lotions etc exploding when checked? I swear I remember a hairspray exploding when carried on.

Any travleing gurus wanna chime in here and advise me? :)
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  • dcaiani
    dcaiani Posts: 2,819 Member
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    The airplane is pressurized so it won't explode. Lotions are safe checked,
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
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    Thanks! Is it true I can only have one quart sized baggie in my carry on?
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
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    Bump for the AM peeps :)
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    Yes, just one quart-sized bag. I packed the hell out of that little bag when I went to Germany a year ago. It was tight.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Pack all of that stuff in your checked bag, I wouldn't even bother carrying it on unless you plan to use it on the plane..
  • baybeecakes08
    baybeecakes08 Posts: 107
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    pur suran wrap under the lid and twist the lid over it . that way it won't leak (on lotions and shampoo and things like that)
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Thanks! Is it true I can only have one quart sized baggie in my carry on?


    Yes, anything bigger has to be stored in the checked luggage.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
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    Don't forget lots of mini liquor bottles.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Ok so we're flying to Jamaica and I'm trying to get ready getting all my products ready. I am looking for any advice about packing lquids. I know all carried on liquids have to be 3.4 oz and under and fit in one quart sized baggie. My main question is, will a small aerosol hair spray explode if carried on? Also, what are the chances of lotions etc exploding when checked? I swear I remember a hairspray exploding when carried on.

    Any travleing gurus wanna chime in here and advise me? :)

    Info from the DOT website

    The following are US DOT quantity limits for all aerosols:
    Remember, the TSA quantity limits determine whether you can carry an aerosol on board.
    These DOT quantity limits determine the amounts of aerosol you can safely travel with, and are in addition to the security rules enforced by TSA.
    Limit on can size:
    The DOT limit for a single can carried in any way onboard an aircraft (checked baggage or carry-on,) is .5 kg (18 oz.,) or 500 ml (17 fl. oz.,) per can, however, TSA's 3-1-1 rule for carry-on baggage currently applies as well!
    Limit per passenger:
    The limit for each individual passenger is 2 kg (70 oz.,) or 2 L (68 fl. oz.,) per passenger.
    This means that a passenger could carry 5 to 7 average size (10-14 oz.,) aerosol cans.
    Most aerosol cans are well below the 18-oz., limit, but check the labels of your large aerosol cans before packing them


    http://safetravel.dot.gov/index_aerosols.htm

    Check the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) current carry-on quantity rules and exceptions at http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm, and related links. For security reasons, with some exceptions, TSA currently allows you to carry on containers no larger than three ounces.,
    Next, separate medicinal aerosols from personal toilet items.
    As a rule of thumb, aerosols that are personal, medicinal, and toilet items are those that are sprayed on your body. These can be carried on board (following TSA's 3-1-1 rule) or in checked baggage.
    Other aerosols, if allowed, should be packed in checked baggage, regardless of size. The DOT regulations forbid flammable aerosols except in the personal, medicinal, and toilet items discussed above - you may not travel with other flammable aerosols in any baggage.
    You may NOT travel with:
    Aerosol laundry starch
    Aerosol static remover
    Spray paint
    Spray cleaners/lubricants, ex. WD-40
    Aerosol surface disinfectants and other cleaners
    There may be some pump-spray versions of the above items that are not considered hazardous materials.
    Travel with the cap on your aerosol can, whether it is in checked or carry-on baggage.
    Finally, follow the safety tips and quantity limitations on the following pages, when you travel with aerosols, whether in carry-on or checked baggage!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I just always check my bag. I travel a lot for work and I can't follow that quart sized bag BS. Plus, I don't want to buy certain things EVERY time I land...like my spray sunscreen, mousse, shave gel. That would get so expensive!

    For me I travel with one carry-on that fits under the seat.

    In my experience the folks with a carry on suitcase end up having no where to put it (especially on the smaller planes). They end up making a lot of people check the bag at the last minute (yes, they save the $25 but there's 0 tracking in the computer for those last minute checked bags--and I've seen things go missing).

    there's even some airlines that reward people with early boarding for not having a GIANT carry on (if you just have one bag that fits under the seat). :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Has never happened to me.
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    Yes, only one quart-sized baggie with all of your carry-on liquids, aerosols, and gels in them, at sizes of 3.4 oz or less. Anything larger, anything more than 1 baggie, and you'll need to check your bag or toss the items. Hairspray is fine in carry-on baggie and lotion is fine in checked, I've never had any issues (and I flew 150K miles last year for work, so I do this fairly frequently).

    Airport hints (American airports, that is): You will have to pull out your baggie and put it in one of the bins. Laptops will also have to come out unless in a TSA-approved sort of case. Shoes come off. So do jackets. Laptops will have to be in their own bin by themselves.

    So here's what I do -- I have my baggie in my laptop bag for the start of the trip. I get up to the line and pull out 2 bins -- I put my shoes, sweatshirt, and baggie in one bin, I put my laptop in another. And then I send them through the scanner followed by my carry-on and my laptop bag. I go through security and retrieve my stuff, and then I put my baggie back in my actual suitcase where it belongs. Saves me time digging through it.

    Remember to have your picture ID and your boarding pass to show the TSA agents at Security. Depending on your airport, this may be done a bit before you hit the scanners (so you'll have time to shove them back in your bag as you push your bag into the scanner) or simultaneously (typically at really small airports, so you'll put your stuff through and as it goes through, someone checks your ID and sends you through the x-ray. Just have it ready to save time.

    Tablets less than 11 inches or so aren't supposed to have to be pulled out, so an iPad or a Surface should be fine left in your bag. However, be aware that every airport has its own quirks and the TSA people can get really bizarrely picky and overly full of themselves with authority. If they tell you to pull it out, pull it out. You can argue, but you'll just slow up the line and make your life miserable, even though you're right.

    Once past security, you should be done needing your ID for domestic flights, except sometimes TSA will do random checks at gates, and coach passengers typically will need to pull it back out for those. I'm usually upgraded now, so I skip that lovely bit of annoyance, and it doesn't happen often. I don't do international flights, so I'm not sure about that.

    If you are on a small plane that makes you gate-check your carry on because the overhead bins are too small for a normal carry-on, the airline may have specific rules about batteries and what can and cannot go in the gate-checked bag. Check the airline website for info on that. I've never had any issues whatsoever, though, and 2 of my regular flights are puddle-jumpers like this.

    If you're flying through airports you're not familiar with, I also recommend going to the airport website and reading up on it and how to get around from gate to gate, ESPECIALLY if you have a layover in a different airport. Not all airports are created equal -- some still make you leave security to switch terminals and you will then have to go back through security again. Knowing this in advance will greatly help you if you have a tight layover. It also helps you if you are planning on buying any liquids, aerosols, or gels greater than 3.4 oz once you are through security (such as a bottle of water). It won't matter that you bought it in the airport if you have to leave security and come back in -- you'll either have to toss it or check it.

    I fly regularly through DFW, SEA, STL, FSM, OKC, YKM and occasionally through Tulsa, Ft. Meyers, FL, O'Hare, Phoenix, Denver, SLC, and a few others. If you need any tips about those, feel free to message me, and I'll let you know what I know. I'm most familiar with DFW and SEA.
  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
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    I recently traveled and overnight shipped myself a package to my destination so I could have what I wanted there for me. Just a thought.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    Don't forget lots of mini liquor bottles.

    Alcohol is generally not allowed in hand luggage :(

    I think everyone above me has already got it covered, but the reality is that you usually need very little on a flight. I usually take a roll-on antiperspirant to keep fresh (while completely safe, most aerosols are bigger than the allowed liquid allowance), toothpaste and brush (paste counts towards liquids), some moisturiser and a small SPF lotion so I am ready for the sun when I arrive and a couple of spare sets of contact lenses in case my bags go astray (again, they count towards liquid).

    Word of warning, most security staff don't take too kindly to lots of items squeezed into the see-through bag so try to leave a little space so they can get a good look without having to tip it all out (as happened to me recently - v annoying!).
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    If they exploded when carried on then how do they NOT explode when checked and still flown to your destination?? let's use common sense.

    But, I will tell you that they typically won't allow you to take aerosols b/c they are flammable. so yours may get thrown out whether you check it or carry it on.
  • fredf2112
    fredf2112 Posts: 110 Member
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    The only thing I would add to what everyone else has suggested would be to put the liquids in your checked luggage in large Ziplock bags as an extra precaution. That way even if something leaks, it will be contained.

    Enjoy your trip!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    The only thing I would add to what everyone else has suggested would be to put the liquids in your checked luggage in large Ziplock bags as an extra precaution. That way even if something leaks, it will be contained.

    Enjoy your trip!

    I've never had various sprays explode after a trip. I always put them in my checked luggage. Shave gel, sunscreen (spray), mousse. I travel a lot for work and I've never had an issue with the checked bag. I no longer have patience to deal with the TSA bs. As it is I get pulled out of line and searched a lot (I travel alone, sometimes making changes at the last minute so I'm often "flagged"). I figure the less you carry on the better. Plus, if you check the bag it's worth every penny (and yes we've put things like bottles of wine and bourbon in our checked bag--well wrapped of course).
  • dth256
    dth256 Posts: 15 Member
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    I have traveled for years using a gallon size bag packed with the travel size toiletries and have had not one instance of being asked to down size when going through security..
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    I've never had various sprays explode after a trip. I always put them in my checked luggage. Shave gel, sunscreen (spray), mousse. I travel a lot for work and I've never had an issue with the checked bag. I no longer have patience to deal with the TSA bs. As it is I get pulled out of line and searched a lot (I travel alone, sometimes making changes at the last minute so I'm often "flagged"). I figure the less you carry on the better. Plus, if you check the bag it's worth every penny (and yes we've put things like bottles of wine and bourbon in our checked bag--well wrapped of course).

    Yup me neither I always put it in my bag, nothing has ever exploded on me either... I do put them in zip lock bags and only once I have had TSA open my bag to check my item (cologne in a cylinder type thing) but they tag it when they do that.. I also travel for work and the quicker you get past that TSA checkpoint the better.. Always empty your pockets of everything, put your wallet and anything in your pockets into your bag, shoes off, belt off, jewelry off, take your coat/hoodie off, laptop out.. and be nice. Pat down's suck but they do happen..

    Other notes as someone else mentioned, don't bring 2 carry on bags and expect to store them.. you are really only given 1 spot for overhead storage and 1 spot under your seat.. so don't bring a backpack and 2 carry on's cause you are taking someone elses spot.. that is really annoying when you have to wait to board or to get off the plane when people are pulling carry on bags out of multiple storage compartments and holding everyone up.

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