Last week, TSA Director Kip Hawley briefed a group of travel journalists, and friend-of-the-blog Benet Wilson of AviationWeek asked the Kipster about that pet peeve of mine, restrictions on transporting duty free liquor.
My long-standing take: If it’s deemed safe for purchase behind security lines in one airport, it should be considered safe for transportation to — and through — other airports.
But that’s not the way it works in reality. You might buy booze (or perfume, or anything liquid) in one airport, fly from one city to the next, and have the liquids confiscated when trying to board your next flight. Idiotic. (Though not nearly as idiotic as the limits within the same airport, a la Munich…)
If you think that there’s a solution at hand, you’re wrong.
Hawley said that everyone is looking for a private sector solution where there is an assured supply chain, one way or the other. “If they can find an appropriate supply chain bringing the duty-free goods to the airport and protecting it along the way, we’re open to it,” he said. “But as of today, there’s not a bag that is commonly agreed to that meets all of our standards.”This is essentially a private sector opportunity to adjust their business model to meet security requirements, said Hawley. “But we won’t spend taxpayer dollars on finding ways to make it easier to buy duty-free liquids,” he warned.
Protecting the duty free goods along the way? Like a Secret Service motorcade? Or an armored car?
Something tells me that the food and drink served up at airport restaurants isn’t subjected to the same demands for protection. But the (hopefully non-explosive) sandwich you buy after security is safe to carry between airports. Double standard.
Sigh. So buyer beware. If you’re changing planes on an international itinerary, you might have trouble bringing duty free liquids into the United States.
Once again, we’re dealing with security theater, not real security. Makes me want to pour a stiff (duty-free) drink.
Related:
- Duty free liquids allowed on board, except when they’re not
- Update: Munich Airport responds to questions about its duty free policy
- Traveling with booze: Policy clarifications and changes
- Duty free liquids soon to be liberated?
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December 20th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
when returning from Sydney, Australia last January, we went into the gift shop in the international terminal to buy water before boarding our plane. Because we were flying to the US, the guy behind the counter said we should not buy it, they would confiscate it. Since we were behind security, that made no sense. Except, that they had a special, additional security check before boarding the plane to the US. Guess the Aussies thought it best to play it safe when dealing with the US….
December 23rd, 2007 at 5:22 am
I say boycott and checking altogether. Mail your liquids to yourself at your destination, forget about duty-free. If enough people do this, there will ultimately be layoffs in the airport security sector.
Airport security are among the most inept out there and that especially includes the policy makers.
December 26th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Just wondering- I’m not a big ‘shopper’ and so I tend to just ignore the duty free shops in the airports. Do people find that these save you a lot of money?
Also, can’t you just buy duty-free after you get off your airplane at your final destination? At least the airports that I frequent don’t have a security once you’re off the airplane.
December 27th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Kango,
While it may not be a fabulous deal, I buy it on the request of my cousin, who covets American-made liquors but would rather reimburse me the cost in dollars from the duty-free than buy it personally in euros plus import duty.
The easy solution would be to buy beforehand and put in my luggage, but I’ve seen bottles crack before and am not willing to give up suitcase space and save my cousin a few dollars for that.
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Kango, you can save quite a bit depending upon where you travel.
For example, last year I travelled from the US to Australia. The prices of goods is significantly cheaper on the US side than the Australian side.
(yes, I was quite annoyed at having to pay (sometimes) 50% more in Australia for the same alcohol.)