Are you getting ready for a flight and want to pack some drinks in your checked luggage, but unsure if it’s allowed by the Transportation Security Administration’s elaborate rules? Who could blame you, though, when the TSA has confiscated food, like a cupcake in the past. Now while most drinks can go into checked bags, you should probably never pack fizzy or highly carbonated drinks. This includes bottles of soda or pop, cans of sparkling water or seltzer, and fizzy alcoholic drinks like bottles of champagne.
While it isn’t illegal to pack carbonated beverages in your checked luggage, there’s a high chance the drinks will experience pressure and temperature changes high up in the air, especially in the cargo hold. This build up of pressure is like someone squeezing your bottles or cans, potentially leading to explosion and liquid leakage. Air pressure isn’t as high in the cabin, thus, cans of soda don’t explode in the food carts.
But what if you must pack that carbonated drink into your checked luggage? Well then, you should wrap it in bubble wrap and seal in a ziplock bag. In case the drink does explode, the liquid doesn’t touch the other contents in your luggage.
Carbonated drinks can explode in cargo hold, and high ABV alcohol is considered hazardous
I was recently on a trip and had three glass bottles of ube liquor in my checked luggage. Although the drinks weren’t carbonated, the bottles were fragile. During my transfer, one bottle broke. Purple liquid covered the contents of our luggage and seeped out, leading to my temporary detention. Thus, regardless of whether or not the drinks you’re packing are carbonated or not, you should properly cushion and store them.
Aside from carbonated drinks, additionally, there’s a high-proof liquor that the TSA is not cool with passengers packing, whether going through security or in checked luggages. Per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and TSA regulations, you may pack alcohol up to 70% alcohol by volume (ABV), or 140 proof, on a plane in your checked luggage. The TSA considers alcohol with an ABV higher than 70% as hazardous.
It’s always good to know what is safe to pack or carry-on before riding a plane. In the long run, it saves you from a lot of headaches and a messy clean up.
