Perfume and Checked Luggage – What you Need to Know
If you have travelled abroad before, then you will already have experienced the wonderfulness that is duty free. Here you can purchase things like tobacco, alcohol and designer goods for a fraction of the price that you would at home.
One of the things that millions of tourists bring home every year is designer perfume from the duty free store. However, with all of the restrictions in place regarding what you can and cannot bring onto a plane in your checked luggage these days, it can be daunting for a first time traveller trying to figure out if they are breaking any rules.
Rules and Regulations Regarding Bringing Perfume in Checked Luggage
One of the things that worries a lot of tourists about bringing things like perfume in checked luggage is whether or not they are going to be breaking any rules. The last thing that you want is to end up delayed because you have something in your checked luggage that you shouldn’t have. Here are a couple of the rules that you should be aware of.
- Carry On Luggage – As you will know if you have travelled abroad before, there are different rules regarding hand luggage and checked luggage. If you are going to be taking perfume with you abroad, and you would like it in your hand luggage, then you will need to make sure that it doesn’t exceed the maximum volume. The maximum volume for hand luggage is 3 ounces.
- Checked Luggage – If you are planning on bringing any perfume that exceeds the maximum volume for hand luggage, then the only way that you are going to be able to do this is to pack it in your checked luggage. If your perfume bottle exceeds three ounces, then you will have to pack it in your checked luggage for it to be allowed.
- Packing It – In order to pack your perfume bottle in your hand luggage, you will need to make sure that it is packed in a clear plastic sealable bag. This is the only way that you will be allowed to bring it onto your flight in your hand luggage, assuming it doesn’t exceed the maximum volume.
Tips for Packing Perfume in Checked Luggage
If you are going to be bringing back designer perfume from duty free, then there are some things that you will want to do to make sure that it gets back in one piece. Here are a couple of tips for packing your perfume.
- Wrap Bottles Individually – If you are going to be buying several bottles of perfume and bringing them back as gifts for friends and family, then you are definitely going to want to make sure that you have wrapped them individually. As you can imagine, things in your suitcase will get moved around quite a lot, so by wrapping them you can protect the bottles. You can use bubble wrap if you have any, but you may also want to consider wrapping items of clothing around fragile bottles.
- Keep Bottles Secure – In order to avoid the risk of any of the bottles of perfume breaking during the flight, the best thing that you can do is to make sure that you have packed them securely. For example, if you have any elastic straps inside your luggage, you could use these once you have wrapped the bottles to make sure that they don’t rattle around the suitcase.
- Check Rules – If you want to avoid disappointment and having to lose any perfume that you buy whilst you are abroad, it is always a good idea to make sure that you are certain on the rules of travelling with things like this in your checked luggage. The best way to do this would be to talk to airline staff directly. They are trained in the rules and regulations and will be able to give you a much better idea of what is and isn’t allowed regarding perfume and other items in your checked luggage.
As long as you have made sure that you have followed all of the rules and regulations for packing perfume in your checked luggage, then there is no reason why you should face any delays, when it comes to bringing back designer perfume from your trip abroad.
By making sure that you pack all bottles of perfume properly, you can make sure that you have minimised the risk of any breakages and leaks during the journey home. If you are still unsure, then there are plenty of resources online where you can ask questions regarding the rules of checked luggage and plenty of forums to ask questions too, where somebody in the know will point you in the right direction.