Ship beer vs fly with it?

[shelbymedic]

Hey guys, I live in Shelby, NC and am flying to Montana do some fly fishing in August. I was wondering if it’d be cheaper/more efficient and legally-er (that’s a word I promise) to pack a few bombers in my checked suitcase vs shipping the bombers there. Also, I just realized this thread will likely be red flagged by the feds due to talking about flying and bombs lol. (Cue Meet the Fockers scene here).

So thoughts? Ship vs pack it in suitcase?

 

[Soulshine2]

leave it home and buy locally once you get there. I'd be worried of 2 things.
A) they dont let you take it and you lose it by basic (voluntary)confiscation.
B) they burst from the pressure in flight and you have a mess of broken glass.
Not worth chancing it to me.
Good opportunity to try some beers out there.
Wife and I fly fished (trout) the CO river on a guided float trip out of Estes Park a couple years ago. Awesome time. Among 3 other beautiful brown trout, I caught a cut/bow (cutthroat /Rainbow)hybrid, prettiest fish I've ever caught in my life...guide kept pissing me off about pictures (put it back in the water, hold it up , put it back in the water over and over with each fish...and when I finally had it in a great position it flipped right out of my hands...no picture.
Good luck and enjoy your trip.

 

[Homergah]

I've done both, regularly. I fly with it when I can. It's free. Can't get much cheaper than that. Pack it like you would if you were shipping it. Yes, it can be confiscated at security. Although I've had them dig thru my bag and make me unwrap a bottle or two. They then wrapped it back up and repacked it for me. I happened to get a reasonable employee, and he was a homebrewer. YMMV. Either way, you take a chance. Shipping is either illegal or against company policy for all the major shipping companies.

 

[Homergah]

And another thought. If you get a not so nice employee, you can be called back out to baggage check and will get to watch them go thru all your bags, pull your beer and toss them in the garbage, all the while verbally spanking you. Then you get to go back thru security to get to your gate.

 

[Jmarsh544]

Why are you bringing beer? Montana has a ton of amazing breweries - no need to import (unless you are trading with someone on here).

 

[brewswithshoes]

Just an FYI, flying with beer/alcohol in checked bags is perfectly legal under TSA guidelines. No agent should be confiscating your beer or forcing you to remove it. I have done this so many times i've lost count. I do often get the little "you're bag was inspected" flyer from TSA in my bag when i pick it up, but only 1 time out of the many did i actually have a couple beers go missing my from my bag. I'm still not sure why a TSA agent or airline bag employee would risk there job over it, but taking 2 NEIPAs out happened on a trip late last year.

Airlines have specific rules on packing, weight, etc, but per TSA:

Checked Baggage

• Any amount of alcohol greater than 3.4 ounces must be packed in checked baggage.
• Alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol content (140 proof), including 95% grain alcohol and 150 proof rum, cannot be packed in checked luggage.
• Travelers may take up to five liters of alcohol with alcohol content between 24% and 70% per person as checked luggage if it’s packaged in a sealable bottle or flask.
• Alcoholic beverages with less than 24% alcohol content are not subject to hazardous materials regulations.

 

[Homergah]

True on the federal level. Certain states have zero tolerance. No alcohol to cross state lines. I think it's just a few states.

Edit: laws do change. I could be operating on old information.

 

[mongoose33]

I've done both, regularly. I fly with it when I can. It's free. Can't get much cheaper than that. Pack it like you would if you were shipping it. Yes, it can be confiscated at security. Although I've had them dig thru my bag and make me unwrap a bottle or two. They then wrapped it back up and repacked it for me. I happened to get a reasonable employee, and he was a homebrewer. YMMV. Either way, you take a chance. Shipping is either illegal or against company policy for all the major shipping companies.

You got through security with bottled beer? How did that work? They won't let you take more than 3 oz of things like shampoo but they'll let you take a 12- or 22-ounce bottle of beer?

I can see how it's possible to do it with checked baggage, but carry-ons?

This is of particular interest to me; I'm flying to Asheville in March for the BYO brewing boot camp, would like to bring a few bottles along. I'd planned on using only a carry-on, but if I could bring beer too....

 

[InspectorJon]

Bottled alcohol goes in CHECKED baggage. I have done it many times. I sometimes tell them when I check the bag if there is a lot and they put a Fragile Item label on it. I have taken wine on planes more than beer but done both. I brought beer back from Germany. I plan to take some home brew to my daughter and son in law in Texas later this year. They have lots of good beer there but not the stuff we made together this New Years Eve.

I packed a suitcase with 6 wine bottles in it last year and did not tell them so got no fragile label. Only 1 broke. It was on the bottom and did not get much of our stuff wet. I do feel bad for whoever had the luggage stowed under ours. . . We have checked whole cases of wine clearly labeled in special boxes they make just for that purpose. Fly Southwest and the shipping is free.

 

[Homergah]

You got through security with bottled beer? How did that work? They won't let you take more than 3 oz of things like shampoo but they'll let you take a 12- or 22-ounce bottle of beer?

I can see how it's possible to do it with checked baggage, but carry-ons?

This is of particular interest to me; I'm flying to Asheville in March for the BYO brewing boot camp, would like to bring a few bottles along. I'd planned on using only a carry-on, but if I could bring beer too....

No carry on. Checked bags.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I know that CBP when bringing beer back from overseas will enforce the import regulations of your destination state if stricter than federal. I don't know if TSA does if travelling state to state if one of the states has a law against it. But that's a customs and tax issue, not a safety issue, so my guess is no.

I agree with others, buy beer there. Then worry about bringing beer back if you want. I often bring back stuff with me when I travel.

Either way, if you pack it safely in your checked baggage you should be just fine. The biggest issue is the added weight.

 

[brewswithshoes]

Either way, if you pack it safely in your checked baggage you should be just fine. The biggest issue is the added weight.

This times 10.

Nothing worse than getting to the check in desk and being over weight with the beer. Even SWA will hit you with $75 fee or ask you to take some out to get to 50 lbs.

I do kind of a Russian doll thing with luggage if I know I'm bringing beer back. Packing a small empty duffel in luggage outbound then can pull out clothes for it if I find I'm over at the ticket desk. Also that duffel holds my roll of gallon ziplocs that I carry.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I fly with beer/wine in checked baggage all the time, even flew back from Belgium with tons of beer. I package it securely and have never had an issue. It's perfectly legal by the way.

 

[jready]

I have checked a Pelican cooler with 40+ cans of beers on SWA with no issues. I have also carried back tons of bottles in my suitcase again with no issues. Buy some of those wine sleeves that have bubble wrap in them and you are GTG

 

[myelo]

This times 10.

Nothing worse than getting to the check in desk and being over weight with the beer.

Yeah ... I had that happen when bringing back some beers from Prairie in Oklahoma. It's amazing how much of my wife's clothes I had to throw away to get that suitcase back under the weight limit.

 

[InspectorJon]

For what it is worth I just saw this today. Might work well with 22 oz beer bottles.

https://vingardevalise.com/

 

[BongoYodeler]

I've used these with success. Most of the local wineries sell them. And when I don't have them at hand I just stick the bottles inside folded clothes or towels. Just be sure to over-stuff your luggage to prevent any movement inside, while keeping it below the weight restriction. I've flown dozens of times with cans and bottles of beer and wine and never once had a problem.