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Last post 19 years ago by herfsnipe. 7 replies replies.
Is this item allowed on a plane?
tornado Offline
#1 Posted:
Joined: 05-27-2004
Posts: 244
I have a travel flask that I've never used and am curious if airlines will allow me to take a filled flask on a plane. I was unable to find anything via google, hoping one of the BOTLs here knows.
echo4alpha Offline
#2 Posted:
Joined: 01-25-2003
Posts: 4,349
You can take it on the plane, however drinking from it is a violation of federal law. As if they aren't trying to ply with their own liquor. :(
HockeyDad Offline
#3 Posted:
Joined: 09-20-2000
Posts: 46,326
TSA will likely get suspicious as to what liquid is in it since it is an unmarked container. They could open it to check the liquid, they could make you drink it, they could toss it in the trash, or they could completely ignore it.

andytv Offline
#4 Posted:
Joined: 10-23-2002
Posts: 40,991
After 9-11, I attempted to take some wine onto a plane. They only allowed me to take it since it was a sealed bottle. I suspect that any bottle containing liquid that is not "factory sealed" will cause you a great deal of distress. If you need to smuggle booze, maybe a travel mug disguised as coffee (or even a strong irish coffee) would be more appropriate.
KNOF Offline
#5 Posted:
Joined: 10-08-2003
Posts: 4,480
I beleive it also depends on the state your traveling from. I haven't had problems leaving CA, but leaving NC with an cracked bottle of suspicious liquid, they took it. I'm not positive, but this might help.
HockeyDad Offline
#6 Posted:
Joined: 09-20-2000
Posts: 46,326
Tornado,

We're making the assumption here that the flask will contain an alcoholic beverage.

FAA regulations list alocholic beverages as a hazardous material. You can take up to 5 liters onboard if the alcohol content is between 24% and 70% and if it is in a retail bottle. Alcohol less than 24% is not considered a hazardous material and more than 70% alcohol is banned.

Your flask full of booze is illegal. Your flask empty is fine. Your flask with something non-alcoholic is going to get looked at as if it is a gasoline filled Molotov Cocktail and you may be strip-searched! OK, I'm probably joking about the strip search part. Probably.

Most airlines also have policies that ban an open container of alcohol being brought onboard to protect their own in-flight sales. Assuming you have made it through this far without being arrested (or strip searched) you will now have to face an angry flight attendant on the last leg of a 14 hour long work day!
Depending on your reaction, you could now be interfering with crew operations, you could meet an Air Marshall at an inopportune time (with his knee in the back of your head as you lay on the floor), and they could divert the flight and hand you over to the FBI and sue you for the diversion costs.

All this chain reaction could happen just because of a little flask.

Throw the flask away before you get in any more trouble, bring $5 for a drink on the flight, and remember, exact change is appreciated by the flight attendants!

tornado Offline
#7 Posted:
Joined: 05-27-2004
Posts: 244
I appreciate all the responses, I was not planning on drinking in-flight, I just wanted to take some scotch with me to have with a cigar over the course of a couple of evenings and hate to have to buy an entire bottle there. Sounds like it's not worth the risk, I'll just go hit a nice cigar bar.
herfsnipe Offline
#8 Posted:
Joined: 07-28-2004
Posts: 3,315
Ya, right...
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