One of the most pressing questions for travelers about how much alcohol can be carried on an airplane in baggage. There are tourists who are sure that it can turn whatever flight into a small romantic adventure (special thanks to Hollywood films promoting this vision of the situation). Although, in fact, everything is more prosaic: the airport control service has the right to seize the transported alcohol, demand a fine, or simply not let a careless passenger aboard the plane.
Hot drinks on board are usually taken for personal needs, as a souvenir or gift. Their use during the flight, after landing and before departure is an urgent issue for many tourists. To make the process as enjoyable as possible, and to minimize the negative consequences, standards have been developed that regulate the rules for transporting alcoholic beverages in the air. Adhering to these criteria, passengers save time, effort, money and can safely carry alcohol on the plane.
Within the Russian Federation
Those people who are tormented by the question of whether it is possible to carry alcohol in baggage on an airplane if you fly with domestic airlines can not worry. This method of transporting alcohol is the most affordable and easiest. Currently, the following transportation standards are relevant, explaining how much alcohol can be carried in aircraft luggage:
- If you fly with Aeroflot, then you will have to forget about transporting drinks with a strength above 70 ° - this is prohibited.
- If one adult passenger is traveling, then he can carry no more than 5 liters of alcoholic products, the strength of which is 24-70 °.
- Adult passengers (over 21 years old) have the right to carry an unlimited amount of alcoholic beverages, but provided that the strength of these drinks is less than 24 °.
If we summarize the above information, we can conclude that the transportation of alcohol-containing drinks in Russia is limited only by the strength and the total size of the luggage.
Transportation in Russia
However, do not forget that in most cases, baggage claim and transportation are not very careful, so alcohol bottles can often break. And if there are no obvious signs of damage on the bag or suitcase, it is better to forget about compensation for losses.
For domestic flights, passengers are limited in their desires only by the rules of the airline itself, which may vary. Therefore, we advise you to clarify the information by phone or on the website. On this, the question of whether it is possible to carry alcohol in the baggage of the aircraft on domestic flights will be considered resolved.
International flights
If we talk about international flights, then everything is a little more complicated, since in this case the customs rules for the export and import of goods begin to apply. That is why the fact of whether it is possible to carry alcohol in the baggage of an airplane depends on the country of destination.
The customs rules that control the transportation of alcohol-containing drinks to the territory of foreign countries are everywhere different. As mentioned earlier, it all depends on the country where the tourist flies. The rules can be found directly with the airline or the operator who organizes the trip.
Common EU requirements
Is it possible to carry alcohol in the luggage of an airplane if you fly to the EU? Uniform requirements for the transportation of alcohol-containing drinks were established by countries that are members of the European Union. The transportation of alcohol in the baggage of an airplane is limited to one item from the list below:
- 16 liters of beer;
- 4 liters of wine;
- 2 liters of drinks, the strength of which is 22 °;
- one bottle of any alcohol (the fortress is unimportant).
If alcohol-containing products were not purchased on the territory of the European Union, and transplantation will be carried out in one of the EU countries, alcohol products will be seized.
However, it is necessary to reassure Russian travelers: most European countries are famous for the highest quality and exquisite beer and wine drinks, so anyone will have the opportunity to enjoy their taste during the trip.
From abroad to Russia
If we talk about how much alcohol can be carried in the baggage of the plane (if you return to Russia), then after our state joined the customs union, the following rules began to apply:
- A passenger can carry up to 3 liters of alcohol-containing products for free.
- For an additional 2 liters of alcoholic beverages, you will need to pay a customs fee.
- All other alcohol products exceeding these maximum 5 liters are subject to immediate seizure.
- From the Russian Federation, alcohol in the luggage of the aircraft is allowed to carry one liter (its strength may be higher than 22 °) and an additional two liters of alcoholic products with a strength below 22 °.
Hand luggage alcohol
Absolutely all states are trying to provide the highest level of safety during flights. That is why there are certain rules governing the transportation of any liquids in hand luggage. Naturally, alcohol-containing drinks belong to this category, and their transportation is carried out in compliance with these rules.
Passengers are allowed to take on board only 100 ml of liquid in an unopened factory container. Plastic transparent bags with zippers are required for packaging containers. There is no doubt that the packaging integrity will be carefully checked during planting.
The bottles that were bought in Duty Free are an exception, although they must be packaged in a special package while maintaining the integrity of labels and caps. However, you need to remember that the customs officers of the state where you are traveling do not care where you purchased alcohol. The total number of drinks should not exceed the importation rate.
Alcohol on board
Is it possible to transport alcohol products safely and legally in an airplane? How exactly can this be done? It is quite simple, if you keep abreast of current standards. If you are planning a trip with the help of a travel agency, we recommend that you check with the operators the rules for the transport of alcoholic beverages. They have information on this subject and can quickly help you resolve all doubts.
If you plan a trip at your own risk, you will need to independently understand the topic. Due to the accessibility and openness of all the necessary information, collecting them will not create great difficulties.
To avoid unpleasant surprises on board the aircraft and at the airport, you need to highlight several key points:
- When carrying baggage, airlines are not responsible for the safety of containers, so passengers will have to take care of this on their own.
- Alcohol products must be in unopened original packaging.
- Alcohol that does not meet the standards is confiscated immediately after the violation is discovered, and the offending passenger will be forced to pay a fine.
Reason for seizure
Most misunderstandings are due to the fact that passengers do not understand that sometimes the rules of airlines for the transportation of alcoholic beverages do not coincide with the rules of customs control. Figuratively speaking, if you are very lucky to get on board with two liters of vodka, then no one can guarantee that customs officers will not pick it up when you land. Therefore, it is best to know in advance what restrictions are in the countries of destination and departure. This is easiest to do on embassy sites.
There are usually no problems with the export of alcoholic beverages, since all states are interested in having travelers buy their products and bring them home. However, here it is not without exception. For example, it is forbidden to export more than two bottles of alcohol from Cuba. It is allowed to export up to 3 liters from Germany, and for everything that is transported above this, you will have to pay 10 euros for each liter.
Things are different with the import of alcohol, because most countries are trying to limit it, and no one has established uniform import rules. For example, it is allowed to import into the countries of the European zone a liter of alcohol with a strength above 22 ° and two liters up to 22 °. The same rules apply to Egypt. It is allowed to import up to a liter of alcoholic beverages of any strength to Singapore and Thailand, but import of any alcohol is prohibited in the Maldives, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
conclusions
You can summarize how to carry alcohol in the baggage of the plane. The rules are simple and usually set either by the law of the state in whose territory the plane lands, or by the airline that owns the plane.
It is advisable to pay attention to the requirements before departure, how much and, most importantly, whether it is possible to carry alcohol in the luggage of the aircraft and on board.