Via the TSA website:
Beginning January 31, 2014, passengers traveling internationally into the United States with a connecting flight will be permitted to carry liquids in excess of 100 mL in their carry-on baggage, provided they were purchased in duty-free shops and placed in secure, tamper-evident bags (STEBs).
Technological advances may allow passengers to keep these liquids in their carry-on baggage, provided they are presented in a STEB and are able to be screened and cleared by Transportation Security Officers at the checkpoint.
Liquids that cannot be screened and cleared will not be allowed to remain in a passenger’s carry-on baggage. Passengers may elect to place these items into checked baggage, if available, or forfeit them prior to entering the secure area of the airport. This may include liquids in opaque, ceramic, or metallic bottles, or other containers that cannot be effectively scanned.
Well, it’s a step in the right direction…
(Tip of the hat to AJ)
I'm not at all surprised at this exception, what surprises me is that it has taken the airports/airlines/merchants six years to make it happen. I have to imagine duty free sales amount to (or have the potential to amount to) an enormous amount of money.
I usually check perfumes the moment I pick up my bags. So this is great news. They are about the only interesting type of liquid I buy in France; usually when a new fragrance comes out
Everything else I can get cheaper in the US. Liquor, forget about it! I am not carrying any bottles to save a few bucks! Well maybe if I get some rare vintage but luck has it, I will end up dropping the bottle or something...
Wow.....learn something new every day.......never had to deplane an international first class seat and change planes so didn't have the pleasure of that experience.........I will have to start slumming so I will be able to communicate on boarding area......
@ lucky #13: Pre-clearance in Shannon, Canada, or Abu Dhabi is arguably an exception to this, unless you go with the argument that you have "entered the US" while in Canada/Ireland/etc. I'm not objecting to your statement (it's fundamentally true, and definitely true in the context of JustSaying's comment), just pointing out that taken out of context there's a loophole.
@ JustSaying -- In ALL US airports you have to exit security and reclear security. There's no way to enter the US and get on a connecting flight without leaving the "secure area."
@justsaying- In most US airports you have to leave the secure area and go through security again for an international -> domestic connection.
I think I'll wait a while until all TSA agents have received the memo...
Please explain just how a traveler returning from Europe would not be allowed to fly into the US with the sealed package? Are you saying they are gate checked? Are you saying they are forced to leave a secutre area of the airport and reenter? Or are you saying that those not bright enough to stay in the secure area will then be stopped upon reentering? I really don't see anything new to this?
I certainly didn't connect in the US but did in London with an overnight and stayed in an airport hotel outside security and still boarded the next morning with ZERO difficulty..........even if I had connected in the US and NOT exited the secure part of the airport how would a TSA screener sudeenly insert themselves into the picture.......another reason I guess to refuse to book domestic connections on international flghts.......
Opaque is the frosted bottles like some gins come in. But one of the specialties of Duty Free booze outlets is all odd forms of bottles not normally seen. This is an advance on previous policy but can't see what special interests would be involved. After all the current policy benefits US retailers by limiting Duty Free purchases at foreign airports (and onboard). Why would the US government want to favour foreign Duty Free operators?
...Opaque is the frosted bottles like some gins come in. But one of the specialties of Duty Free booze outlets is all odd forms of bottles not normally seen. This is an advance on previous policy but can't see what special interests would be involved. After all the current policy benefits US retailers by limiting Duty Free purchases at foreign airports (and onboard). Why would the US government want to favour foreign Duty Free operators?
However, still waiting for the end of that stupid policy that prohibits bottles of water bought within the secure part of the airport (or filched from an airlines lounge) to be brought onto flights into the US from most overseas countries. Australia has the same policy and it makes no sense at all. Of course, given the cursory ruffling through carry on that occurs at these gate inspections, one is still able to manage a 330 ml bottle under the right circumstances.
@JustSaying - this has nothing to do with customs. This has to do with returning to the US, connecting to a domestic flight and, therefore, having to reclear a TSA security checkpoint.
The part that raises questions for me: "This may include liquids in opaque, ceramic, or metallic bottles, or other containers that cannot be effectively scanned."
How do they define an "opaque" container? Is a green wine bottle considered opaque? Is this effectively...
@JustSaying - this has nothing to do with customs. This has to do with returning to the US, connecting to a domestic flight and, therefore, having to reclear a TSA security checkpoint.
The part that raises questions for me: "This may include liquids in opaque, ceramic, or metallic bottles, or other containers that cannot be effectively scanned."
How do they define an "opaque" container? Is a green wine bottle considered opaque? Is this effectively limited to spirits in clear bottles?
@ JustSaying -- Not sure how on earth this has anything to do with credit card referral bonuses. This is a new policy, hasn't been in place before. In the past you could take sealed bags through security in Europe, but NOT in the US.
Not to harsh but this has at least been in place since last June when I cleared Nice with a Cannes Film Festival Gold bottle full of Remy Martin........it was hermetically sealed with the receipt thru the clear plastic packaging.......I carried it on all the way to SFO with no issues........I had also asked a boatload of customs prior to returning but the Boarding Area community was silent as a church mouse on knowing any...
Not to harsh but this has at least been in place since last June when I cleared Nice with a Cannes Film Festival Gold bottle full of Remy Martin........it was hermetically sealed with the receipt thru the clear plastic packaging.......I carried it on all the way to SFO with no issues........I had also asked a boatload of customs prior to returning but the Boarding Area community was silent as a church mouse on knowing any customs rules.............an area of growth perhaps although there are no referral bonus attached to those questions..........just cred..........
Nothing worse than buying a $100 bordeaux at duty free in CDG, then boarding my flight and realizing I'm connecting at DFW and having to either drink the bottle in 20 minutes or give it up to some lucky bystander.
This is a great step in the right direction...
Awesome!
A special interest with time and money has managed to write a special exception just for them. Leaving the rest of us with the same unproven rules as before. It's not a move in the right direction. It's a confirmation that we have the best government money can buy.
And the fee for theses bags will be ... ???