Christmas Travel Advice For Air Travellers
The countdown to Christmas is underway, and if you are planning to fly this Christmas make sure you are aware of the restrictions for carrying items in both hand and checked-in luggage.
Checking luggage restrictions is particularly important if you plan to carry Christmas presents onboard an aircraft, as you need to make sure that you are aware of what is and what isnt permitted to avoid having items confiscated at security.
If you are carrying wrapped presents, they must be carried within your checked-in luggage. Any presents carried within your hand baggage must not be wrapped as they are subject to checks at security and may be unwrapped.
Most travellers should now be familiar with the liquids in hand luggage restrictions, after all, they were introduced three years ago! Dont forget that the liquids in hand luggage rules also apply to Christmas presents, so if you are carrying a present, be it a bottle of champagne, perfume, or even a jar of jam, if its over 100ml it must be in your checked-in luggage otherwise it will be confiscated at security. Liquids include perfumes, pastes, gels, jams, preserves, lotions, lip sticks and mascara.
While it is permitted to carry Christmas presents within your hand luggage they must still adhere to the security rules of hand luggage items no sharp objects, corkscrews etc. Check the weight restrictions of your hand luggage and make sure the size of your bag is the within the size permitted by your airlines cabin baggage policy you dont need the added expense of having to check your bag in to the hold because it is too heavily laden with Christmas presents, or too large.
Pay particular attention to seasonal items such as Christmas crackers and party poppers as most airlines do not permit carriage of these items either in the cabin or hold. Some airlines permit Christmas crackers, but only if they are factory produced and are in unopened boxes no homemade crackers will be permitted and they must be carried in checked-in luggage only. As some crackers may contain restricted items within them, most airports have banned them from hand luggage if you wish to carry them they must be placed in your checked-in luggage and must be for personal use only, generally a maximum of two boxes per passenger is permitted, but do check with your airline before packing them.
Another traditional Christmas item is the party popper, and while they may seem to just be a bit of fun, they are an explosive device and are not permitted to be carried at all, either in the cabin or hold.
If you are carrying Lithium batteries, these can pose a fire risk if not wrapped correctly, or the item they are being transported in is accidentally activated during the flight, so be careful when packing these items.
Good that must not be taken on board an aircraft include:
fireworks, flares, toy gun caps
culinary blowtorches, camping or compressed gas cylinders
petrol, lighter fuel, paint, non-safety matches, firelighters
Items that can be carried include:
gas powered hair curlers (one per person) - the safety cover must be fitted at all
times, however, refills are not permitted
safety matches, which must be carried on the person
So, if you are flying over Christmas and want to have as hassle-free a journey as possible, follow the rules, and if you have any questions about the carriage of any item check with your airline.
Checking luggage restrictions is particularly important if you plan to carry Christmas presents onboard an aircraft, as you need to make sure that you are aware of what is and what isnt permitted to avoid having items confiscated at security.
If you are carrying wrapped presents, they must be carried within your checked-in luggage. Any presents carried within your hand baggage must not be wrapped as they are subject to checks at security and may be unwrapped.
Most travellers should now be familiar with the liquids in hand luggage restrictions, after all, they were introduced three years ago! Dont forget that the liquids in hand luggage rules also apply to Christmas presents, so if you are carrying a present, be it a bottle of champagne, perfume, or even a jar of jam, if its over 100ml it must be in your checked-in luggage otherwise it will be confiscated at security. Liquids include perfumes, pastes, gels, jams, preserves, lotions, lip sticks and mascara.
While it is permitted to carry Christmas presents within your hand luggage they must still adhere to the security rules of hand luggage items no sharp objects, corkscrews etc. Check the weight restrictions of your hand luggage and make sure the size of your bag is the within the size permitted by your airlines cabin baggage policy you dont need the added expense of having to check your bag in to the hold because it is too heavily laden with Christmas presents, or too large.
Pay particular attention to seasonal items such as Christmas crackers and party poppers as most airlines do not permit carriage of these items either in the cabin or hold. Some airlines permit Christmas crackers, but only if they are factory produced and are in unopened boxes no homemade crackers will be permitted and they must be carried in checked-in luggage only. As some crackers may contain restricted items within them, most airports have banned them from hand luggage if you wish to carry them they must be placed in your checked-in luggage and must be for personal use only, generally a maximum of two boxes per passenger is permitted, but do check with your airline before packing them.
Another traditional Christmas item is the party popper, and while they may seem to just be a bit of fun, they are an explosive device and are not permitted to be carried at all, either in the cabin or hold.
If you are carrying Lithium batteries, these can pose a fire risk if not wrapped correctly, or the item they are being transported in is accidentally activated during the flight, so be careful when packing these items.
Good that must not be taken on board an aircraft include:
fireworks, flares, toy gun caps
culinary blowtorches, camping or compressed gas cylinders
petrol, lighter fuel, paint, non-safety matches, firelighters
Items that can be carried include:
gas powered hair curlers (one per person) - the safety cover must be fitted at all
times, however, refills are not permitted
safety matches, which must be carried on the person
So, if you are flying over Christmas and want to have as hassle-free a journey as possible, follow the rules, and if you have any questions about the carriage of any item check with your airline.
