I’ve seen it quite a few times on Facebook and Twitter, “zOMG you guys did you know you can take small single-shot bottles of booze on a plane since it’s under the TSA limit for liquids?!”

a group of colorful bottles

So let’s talk about the facts of the situation.  The advice above is technically not false since mini liquor bottles like the above can be carried on to an aircraft as long as they are less than 100ml or 3.4oz.  So carry on all that you would like (subject to the limit you can fit in a sealable 1 quart plastic bag), but do not drink them onboard.

Just about every airline that is smart has a very rigid policy in place that any alcohol served onboard must be served by a flight attendant.  Why such strict policies?  Because flight attendants are trained to watch for people overconsuming alcohol to ensure that nobody gets too drunk, since inevitably the plane they’re on will land and that passenger will either connect to another flight or have to otherwise function in order to get to their destination.  If an airline allows a passenger to bring on 5 mini liquor bottles and that passenger ends up totally wasted and then gets into their car and causes an accident at their destination the airline can be liable.

I know it’s tempting to do stuff like this so you can feel like you’re beating the system, but nearly every flight attendant will immediately warn you to put it away or else they’ll inform the captain, and they’re not wrong for doing so, they’re just being responsible.

I’m not as much of a fan of drinking on planes as I used to be (I consumed waaaaaaaay too much booze on my Singapore Suites flights, for example) but I don’t judge those who are.  I just don’t like seeing this advice pop up over and over on my Facebook feed when it could easily land you in trouble.

Rant over, carry on!

Get the latest updates daily!

You have Successfully Subscribed!