What a nightmare, you’ve strategically packed forgetting you should’ve done it weeks ago and you’re ready to chill on a beach or heat yourself up on a ski trip. You’re thinking about what is going into your hand luggage when you spot your perfume bottle sitting on the side, your electric toothbrush along the way and your charger relaxing on your pillow. You’ve weighed exactly 25kg with your suitcase so what do you do? Are you even allowed to put these in your hand luggage? Do you need to repack?
There are restrictions on the number of liquids and what electrical items you can take in your hand luggage so ideally pack the much-needed liquids you require into the luggage that is being checked in. If you can pour, pump, squeeze, smear, spread, spray or spill it ding dong you have a liquid. It is best believed to take the most valuable electronics into your hand luggage such as your laptop, phone, tablet, MP3 and of course your electric toothbrush, only if it holds a dear place in your heart. This bearing in mind that your suitcase will get thrown around quite a lot. You have a wider option to bring electronics than liquids below is a list of what is allowed and restricted in your hand luggage.
The electronics allowed in your hand luggage:
The restricted liquids include:
The rules on duty-free purchases can be complicated as you would need to think about the connecting flights and airline policies regarding duty-free items and liquids in your hand luggage.
Some airports have their duty-free shops before the security check section and more times than many depending on the country you end up having to leave the items behind which will be heartbreaking. There is hope as many countries do accept you to take your items through the checkpoint as long as they have an ICAO tamper-evident bag that is given when you make your purchase. Tip: no matter how tempting it may be, do not, break the seal or remove any of the items as they may and most probably will be subjected to the liquid restrictions and you will no longer be able to fly with these items that you have just bought. Remember, when you’re coming home you would need to contact your airport in order to confirm if it is okay for you to bring the items that you have home with you as every airport can be different.
To make it clear restricted doesn’t mean you cannot bring any liquids into your hand luggage it means you’re restricted to the amount that you’re allowed to take with you.
If you’re carrying liquids in your hand luggage they need to be no more than 100ml, able to sit and be sealed comfortably in a resealable bag smaller than 30cm. Don’t forget you’re only allowed one bag person. Airport security will do a thorough check to ensure you have met the restriction rules placed. So best advice would be don’t put liquids in your hand luggage.
Although it is not stated on the government website there hasn’t been any issues taking an electric toothbrush nor a mobile phone charger in your hand luggage. Having a small sharp metal point when removing the head can be seen as a weapon so a tip would be to make sure the head is attached to your toothbrush at all times along with it being in a secure case. Securely wrap your charger so this will not give security a reason to believe it can cause an issue.
Another great tip would be to ensure that your electronics including your toothbrush is fully charged as airport security will make their checks and 9 times out of 10 they will request you to turn your electronics on and if it does not turn on when requested it may in-fact be confiscated so bear that in mind as this will allow you to avoid being checked further and stop you from holding up a queue of eager flyers.
So we know that liquids are limited, chargers are more or less okay and toothbrushes, when packaged correctly, are safe to have in your hand luggage. Yes, people may think you’re over thinking it, but its always good to be extra cautious so you don’t have to waste time getting to your destinations. Please note that every airport has its own rules when it comes to liquids and electronics in your hand luggage. You should always check with the airline you are flying with as some are more heavily regulated on rules than others. They may also have their own rules, guidelines, and advice. So call beforehand and always, do your research.
