Liquid in hand luggage. How much water can you take on a plane? In the cabin or in the luggage compartment
Hand luggage. What can and cannot be taken on a plane?
Carry-on luggage raises many questions. To avoid any hassles when boarding a flight, learn about basic security requirements and airline baggage restrictions on board the plane. Prohibited items, number of pieces, size and weight of hand luggage, rules for transporting liquids, food and medicine.
What can you take on a plane?
If hand luggage is not the only baggage you are flying with, then you should take with you on the plane only the most valuable and necessary items on the road that are allowed for transportation:
- money
- bank cards
- documentation
- equipment and gadgets (phone, camera, computer, tablet)
- jewelry
- fragile items
The rest of the contents of your carry-on luggage depends on the airline's baggage requirements and your desire to carry it all. Take the test What can you carry on board an airplane?
All current information about the rules for carrying hand luggage is posted on the websites of airports and airlines. Safety standards are mandatory for everyone, and the number of pieces, weight and size of hand luggage are regulated by airlines.
What not to take in hand luggage
It is prohibited to carry dangerous objects and substances in the aircraft cabin and checked baggage:
- weapon
- flammable substances and liquids
- liquefied gases
- explosives
- toxic/radioactive/poisonous/caustic substances
- piercing and sharp objects
In hand luggage you cannot carry seemingly harmless household items: a corkscrew, a file with sharp edges and nail clippers, scissors, tweezers, a straight razor, a penknife, a corkscrew, knitting needles. All this must be checked in as luggage, and if it is not there, then look for alternatives or buy on the spot. For example, an electric razor or a razor with replaceable units is allowed to be carried in hand luggage, and nail files can be soft.
Rules for transporting liquids in hand luggage
How much liquid can I carry?
Unless additional security measures are introduced, liquids with a total volume of 1 liter in packages of no more than 100 ml are allowed to be carried in hand luggage. You can carry any amount of liquids in any volumes in your luggage.
Liquids include: water, drinks, creams, lotions, aerosols, gels, foams, pastes, etc. Cosmetics (mascara, lip gloss) are also liquids. Keep in mind that if a 200 ml shampoo bottle is half filled, it cannot be carried. The fluids of people flying together do not add up.
Exception: baby food needed by the child during the flight; medications and dietary foods with a doctor’s certificate/prescription.
Where can I get 100 ml containers?
Do not throw away bottles of shampoos and shower gels provided in hotels. Most cosmetic brands sell or give away mini sets of cosmetics with purchase. You can buy a set of liquid containers and fill them with your own liquids.
When going through security control, liquids must be presented separately in a transparent resealable bag. You can buy a bag that meets the requirements at stationery stores (a file with a zipper); a food storage bag with a Zip-Lock or a transparent cosmetic bag with a zipper is also suitable. Some airlines impose additional restrictions on the size of a bag with liquids: 20x20cm, 18x20cm.
Changes to the rules for transporting liquids
During the Olympics in Sochi, the Federal Air Transport Agency introduced a complete ban on the transport of liquids on airplanes. Restrictions may vary from country to country - please check for current information before departure. If during pre-flight inspection it turns out that you have violated the rules for transporting liquids, you will be asked to get rid of the prohibited item yourself (throw it into a special container). Discussions on this topic are useless; they can lead to missed boarding or removal from the flight.
Food in hand luggage
You can take fruits, nuts, hard cheese, sausage, muesli bars, and sandwiches on board. Hand luggage should not contain products prohibited for transportation by customs regulations and liquids with a volume of more than 100 ml. Water and food can be purchased after going through pre-flight security in the “clean zone”; food and drinks on board are offered by most airlines (included in the ticket or purchased separately). You can take an empty water bottle with you and ask the flight attendant to fill it.
Medicines in hand luggage
You are allowed to carry medicines in their original packaging in hand luggage. Check in advance whether your medications are legal in your destination country. If medications are prescribed by a doctor, it is better to take it with you. Liquid medicines (gels, aerosols, ointments, ampoules) are subject to the rules for transporting liquids - no more than 100 ml. If the medicine is vital, notify the airport staff and present a doctor's certificate or an extract from your medical history.
Number of pieces of hand luggage
The number of pieces of hand luggage is regulated by the airline. As a rule, you are allowed to take 1 piece of luggage into the cabin. Business and first class passengers are allowed to carry 2 pieces of hand luggage. Most large airline companies do not count a handbag or men's briefcase, umbrella, laptop, suit or dress in a clothing case as a separate item.
Budget airlines have strict baggage requirements, following the rule: 1 person = 1 piece of hand luggage. The exceptions are folding strollers, crutches, and outerwear. You are almost always allowed to take a Duty Free package on board.
Size and weight of hand luggage
The dimensions and weight of the baggage that you can take into the cabin also depend on the requirements of the airline, the class of the ticket and the flight route. Carry-on luggage can be a small suitcase, backpack, bag.
Standard carry-on baggage size requirements: no more than 115 cm in the sum of three dimensions (55x40x20cm). Hand luggage weight is 5-10 kg. Example: a standard-sized suitcase for transportation in the cabin of an airplane.
At the airport, you can always check your weight at a free check-in counter and transfer extra kilos to your checked baggage. If you're flying with only carry-on baggage, this won't happen, so check your carry-on baggage weight at home on a bathroom scale. Low-cost airlines check framed luggage, it must fit completely into the frame, including wheels and handles.
Check with your airline about transportation of sports equipment, musical instruments and other oversized items. Before you buy anything on a trip, think about whether there is free space in your luggage; you will have to pay extra for excess space.
The benefits of traveling light
- You save on airfare.
- Items in your hand luggage are guaranteed to fly with you (if you don’t leave them unattended or forget them).
- You don't have to stand at the front desk (in most cases).
- You don't have to wait for baggage claim, so you leave the airport faster than anyone else and get to your destination.
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A traveler who is used to flying by plane knows the rules for carrying hand luggage, including how much liquid you can take on the plane. Of course, among the generally accepted rules there are exceptions, which everyone must familiarize themselves with. This is important to know, because the liquid contained in the package is larger in volume or is more than what is allowed by the air carrier’s rules will be confiscated at the airport. To avoid unpleasant incidents, it is best to prepare in advance.
Before dealing with volumes, you should find out what exactly the airline refers to as “liquid”. In addition to juice or water, the list includes: yogurt, baby food, alcohol, honey, rolls, jam, homemade compote, canned food, shampoo, gel, cream, soft cheese (feta, mozzarella). They also include deodorants, if they are not dangerous. If you are not sure that you have correctly determined the amount of liquid that you plan to take on board, then it is better not to risk it. For example, some passengers take with them canned food, the volume of which is 200 ml, and the packaging indicates that the product is 90% solid. But for the security service this point is clearly considered a violation, since canned food is a liquid.
How much liquid can you take on a plane? Transportation rules:
You can carry no more than 1 liter of liquid in hand luggage. This is the total figure. But at the same time, one container should be no more than 100 milliliters. You cannot take with you, for example, a 200-milliliter tube of cream, even if there is only half left. Airport workers look at the denomination indicated on the packaging.
For all tubes and jars with liquid there must be one common special transparent bag with a zipper. Its size is usually 20*20 cm. It is checked by the security service at the airport. Everyone's attitude towards containers with liquid is different. Some workers may let you through without even examining them, while at other airports they will force you to open a jar to make sure there are no prohibited substances.
If you are traveling with a child and take baby food with you, then there is no need to put it in a separate bag. Firstly, it does not apply to hand luggage, but to personal belongings, and secondly, no questions will arise for you if you present it to the security service during the check. But here you also need to know when to stop. For example, the amount of food is strictly limited. It must be taken only for the duration of the flight; no one will allow you to transport 10-15 packages. If you are flying with a child under 2 years old, you can take baby food with a volume of more than 100 ml.
To transport medications, you need to understand that not all of them are allowed in other countries. In addition, you must follow the same rule about 100 milliliters in one package, and they require a separate ziplock bag. You must present them at the counter. If they contain, for example, narcotic substances, then you need to have a certificate confirming that you need them, signed and stamped by a doctor. The certificate must indicate the date, and the last name must clearly coincide with yours. Sometimes, in order to fly to another country, it is necessary to translate this document into English. If you do not follow all the necessary rules, the receiving party may detain you and open a criminal case.
In general, in order not to bother with such details, you can buy a special summer set. It is sold in transparent tubes and jars of 100 ml each. In this case, you will not have any unnecessary questions, and the verification will go faster.
A separate item is the transportation of alcohol. Some airlines have completely banned bringing it on board, but others are more tolerant of this issue. If you start drinking alcohol during the flight, you will be fined. And some don’t even allow drunk passengers on board.
Products purchased at DutyFree can be carried in packages larger than 100 ml, but they are included in the total weight of hand luggage, which should not exceed 10 kg. If it’s more, you’ll have to pay extra. Usually they buy perfume and alcohol. In addition, these items must be packed until the end of the flight. They must not be opened or used during flight.
Red and black caviar also belong to the concept of “liquid”. They also cannot be transported in hand luggage in packages larger than 100 ml. So if you are going to take a different volume with you, it is better to check it in your luggage.
Airplane passengers often encounter a situation where, before boarding the plane, during the security screening process, drinking water and other drinks intended to quench their thirst are confiscated from them. But not everyone knows that this is being done for the safety of air travel. There is a worldwide legal regulation according to which it is prohibited to bring your own drinking beverages on board. The same document regulates the rules for transporting any other liquids. To understand whether it is possible to take water on a plane in hand luggage, you should understand the reasons for such legislative regulations.
How much water can you take in hand luggage?
Any airline has clear rules regarding the carriage of liquids on board an aircraft in hand luggage. These rules also apply to the transportation of water. To avoid unpleasant situations, you need to know three important points:
- It is allowed to carry liquids on board the aircraft in containers with a volume of no more than 100 ml. The total volume should not exceed 1 liter. That is, theoretically, you can carry 10 100 ml bottles of water without breaking the rules.
- It is prohibited to bring your own drinks and food on board the aircraft in any way (in a purse, hand luggage, or in your hands).
- Water and other liquids (even alcohol) purchased in the duty-free zone (Duty Free) can be carried in hand luggage, provided that the integrity of the packaging is preserved. The rules of paragraph 1 and weight restrictions do not apply to such products (you can take on board, for example, mineral water in a 1.5-liter bottle).
Products that are allowed to be carried in hand luggage must be packaged appropriately: a tightly closed container must be placed in a transparent plastic bag with a zipper. You can put all containers allowed for transportation in a common package (but no more than 10 pieces).
Important! During the inspection, security officers have the right to check what you are carrying. Therefore, access to liquids must be free.
During the inspection, the airport employee will definitely ask you to get rid of the open bottles that you have in your hands, or the excess volume of liquids if the permitted limit is exceeded. For example, if they found perfume in your purse, the volume of a bottle of which is 150 ml, your arguments that there is less than half there will not convince the inspectors to let you through. The bottle will have to be thrown away even if there are 70 or 50 ml of perfume left in it. If you have a bottle of water in your hands, during the inspection you will have to throw it in the trash bin or drink it on the spot.
An exception is provided only for passengers with children. They are allowed to take baby food and drink into the cabin with them. The law does not regulate what is included in these concepts, so in practice, parents of children freely bring drinks, cookies, and chocolates with them. The amount allowed is determined by airport employees at their discretion. It is clear that you are unlikely to be allowed to take two 1.5 liter bottles, but 2-3 bottles of 0.5 each can be carried safely.
Why you can't take water on a plane
Strict restrictions on the transport of liquids were established in 2006 after the capture of a group of terrorists who tried to carry out a large-scale terrorist attack using liquid bombs. According to members of the special services, it was planned to blow up about 20 aircraft.
Water is an ideal solvent. Therefore, in liquid form, attackers can transport toxic substances, flammable solutions, and various reagents for creating explosives. To make a full-fledged bomb, more than 1 liter of liquid is required. That is why the current standards have been established.
According to intelligence services, explosives made from water with a volume of less than 1 liter are not capable of causing a large-scale fire. Modern aircraft are equipped with fire-fighting equipment, including fire extinguishers, which can quickly help put out a local fire in a timely manner.
Is it possible to carry water in airplane luggage?
There are no clauses in airline requirements prohibiting the carriage of water as baggage, and there are also no restrictions on its volume. If you do not question the appropriateness of this action, you can assume that you can carry water in your luggage in quantities that correspond to the established weight standards. If the airline has a weight limit for one piece of luggage of 23 kg, then that’s how much liquid you can carry. The question “why carry 23 kg” remains open.
But you can find reasons to carry a small amount of water in your luggage. For example, a person decided to bring local medicinal mineral water to foreign relatives. Or a passenger on a transit flight with a transfer does not want to spend money on buying a drink at the airport, since prices there can be very high, or he simply does not have the necessary currency.
Thus, the ban on carrying water on board an airplane is related to flight safety issues, and not the intention of local merchants at the airport or duty free zone to profit from passengers, as many assume. There is no need to take drinks on board with you, as drinks are provided without fail, even if meals are not provided during the flight. Nobody forbids you to bring a bottle with you to the airport, but you cannot bring it on board the plane. Therefore, when planning a plane flight, calculate the time of connections and waits, and make sure that thirst does not overtake you at the most unexpected moment.
Finding cheap flights
We all take liquids on a trip: shampoo, cream, deodorant. If you want to avoid problems during inspection, study the rules and check in advance how many tubes are in your suitcase. And most importantly, look at what substances the airlines consider liquid.
How many ml of liquid can you take on a plane?
Rules regarding the amount of liquids on board are issued by international aviation and apply at the airport of each country. Knowing the baggage allowance, fly without problems with transfers at Russian and international airports, even if your ticket does not include luggage.
If you want to know which tickets do not include luggage, read our review
Liquids in luggage
In your luggage, take as many liquids as you can carry (or as much luggage as the airline allows you to carry). The main condition is tightness. The contents of the suitcase must not harm or stain the belongings of other passengers, even if the container breaks on the road.
Aerosols and pressurized cans are prohibited from being carried in hand luggage. Place in checked baggage: if there is a cap, the volume of the cylinder is less than 500 ml and the weight of all cylinders does not exceed 2 kg.
Liquids in hand luggage
If you are flying alone, take a maximum of 1 liter of liquid and jelly-like substances in separate 100-milliliter packages into the cabin. We tell you in detail how to comply with these restrictions.
How to carry liquid on a plane?
Pack all liquids in 100 ml or 1 deciliter containers and wrap them in one transparent bag. Do not take more containers (even if they are filled to the bottom), they will not be allowed on the flight. Choose a bag with a zipper, but this requirement is not critical. Follow the rule: one passenger - one package.
When flying to the USA and Canada, the permitted volume is slightly less - 90 milliliters (3 ounces).
Pour all liquids into small containers. Where to get them:
- buy a mini version of your product,
- keep the miniature shampoos given at the hotel,
- repurpose empty containers, such as cosmetic jars,
- buy a flight travel kit: cosmetic bag plus tubes.
Collect bottles in a bag:
- tie a transparent plastic bag or secure it with an elastic band;
- buy a stationery bag with a zip fastener;
- fill a transparent cosmetic bag with a zipper.
It will be a plus if the container has a mark in milliliters. Do not overfill medications; they will only be released in the manufacturer's box. Put everything on top of your bag in case they ask you to show it at the airport.
Where to buy a bag for liquids on a plane
This package is not uncommon. Look for packaging bags with a Zip Lock in a stationery store; the size 20x20 cm, colorless and without a pattern, will suit you. You can find the same bags in hardware stores.
Choose a transparent cosmetic bag with studs or a zipper from a cosmetics store. There, ask about special travel kits for cosmetics: several empty 50-100 ml bottles in transparent packaging.
Travel kits from supermarkets and convenience stores are also a great option.
There is no time to search - take a simple transparent bag or file and put everything in it. Do not tie it tightly - during inspection they will ask you to take the bottles out, it is better to secure them with an elastic band.
What about liquids in hand luggage?
There is a lot in this list that will surprise you, so read and remember which substances airlines consider liquid:
- food: canned food, caviar, pate, sauces, soups, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, jelly, jam, preserves, butter, soft cheese, honey, chocolate and peanut butter;
- cosmetics and perfumery: perfume, eau de toilette, cream, sun lotion, cosmetic mask, varnish, lipstick and lip gloss, mascara, creamy eye shadow;
- personal hygiene items: toothpaste, roll-on deodorant, shaving foam and lotion, shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, shower gel;
- medications: aerosols, inhalers, sprays, syrups;
- drinks: juice, syrup, carbonated drinks, water, alcohol.
That is, everything liquid, paste-like, jelly-like, puree-like, gel-like, a mixture of liquid with solid particles of the airline is classified under these rules.
Why you can't take liquids on a plane
Due to the growing terrorist threat and the danger of sabotage on aircraft at the beginning of the 2000s, security measures were strengthened and the requirements for baggage and hand luggage of passengers were changed. The impetus was the discovery by the British intelligence services of a terrorist cell that intended to detonate a “liquid bomb” on several planes. Due to the difficulty of identifying liquid explosives and flammable substances during inspection, restrictions were introduced on the volume of containers and the amount of liquid per passenger.
In 2006, the countries of the European Union agreed on additional security regulations for civil aviation, which included enhanced screening procedures, the installation of screening devices and restrictions on the carriage of liquid substances in hand luggage. In 2007, Russia also introduced such rules. During major events, such as the Olympics, there is a complete ban on carrying liquids in hand luggage.
Modern rules for transporting liquids on flights are almost the same in most countries of the world. Knowing them will allow you to easily transport the liquids you need from one point of travel to another.
Carriage of liquids in hand luggage
The main restrictions imposed on the transportation of liquids on an airplane relate specifically to their transportation as part of hand luggage. This is due to the potential danger of their use by a passenger in the aircraft cabin directly during the flight.Current rules stipulate that all transported liquids must be packaged in bottles or other containers whose volume does not exceed 100 milliliters. Moreover, if the container in which the liquid was packaged was initially larger, for example, 200 milliliters, but less than half of the substance remains in it, such packaging will still not be allowed onto the plane. All transported vials must be additionally packed in a transparent bag, which you will have to present for inspection at the airport upon request. In this case, the total volume of liquids transported in such a package by one passenger should not exceed 1 liter.
An exception is made for medicines and infant formula: their transportation as part of hand luggage is allowed in containers exceeding 100 milliliters, and their quantity is not regulated by a strict figure, but must meet reasonable needs. Please remember that airport staff may ask you to present documents confirming the need to bring medications into the aircraft cabin.