DOs and DON’Ts of Christmas Luggage – Tips From an Airline Employee

Airports

What can you say about the holidays season, is it much different from your usual workday?

Actually, it’s quite similar, but also quite different at the same time, mostly because the overall mood changes. Especially we feel it with during the increase of the luggage problems. We get a lot of those “can I bring this or that” types of questions in general, but around Christmas they change to quite some specific objects. People want to bring delicacies to their loved ones, all kinds of presents and, of course, Christmas attributes. Another thing is delayed luggage issues, as they are less tolerated. Everyone is counting on those bags to arrive on time. It is not a pleasant topic overall, but around holidays it creates  even more problems, as you can imagine.

Interesting! Can you tell us more about which Christmas items people want to bring and what are the regulations regarding them?

Sure! Most often we get asked about Christmas related items, such as party poppers, Christmas crackers, fireworks and sparklers. The rule to remember is that all of those are fire and safety risk and are forbidden in both carry-on and registered luggage.

Quite often we also get questions about toys and gifts, such as toy guns, souvenirs or packed gift sets of all kinds. The recommendation and a reminder here is that anything with liquids (doesn’t matter if it is a snow globe or an expensive perfume) in your hand luggage must adhere to liquid rules, make sure you think about that before being checked by security. Speaking of toys, the ones that look like weapons are generally not advised to be packed in luggage. If it can be mistaken for a weapon – it’s forbidden, if it is something that is obviously not a weapon (for example, a lightsaber or a foam sword), it needs to remain in its original packaging and can only go to registered luggage.

You mentioned delicacies. How often people want to bring food with them on board?

Yes, people often call in advance to ask about carrying food in their hand (and checked) luggage, and believe me, we heard it all – from raw ostrich eggs to a full-size cooked turkey (all 18 pounds of it). Here the thing to remember is that any semi-liquid or liquid foods will have to follow liquid rules, all food will have to be packed in a way to assure it won’t perish (for example, vacuum seal), and all foods fall under regulations of different country. An airline will mostly have general recommendations about what can and cannot be taken on board, but strict rules will come from customs. Some countries prohibit a whole range of products such as dairy, meat, tuberous vegetables, etc. The same goes for alcohol, each country will have their limits, be sure to check and adhere, and remember about liquids regulations.

What will happen if people don’t follow your advice or simply don’t know about these things?

If a passenger brings one of the mentioned things with them in a carry-on, they will be stopped at the security check and asked to leave behind the prohibited items. It’s a bit more complicated if such things are in their registered baggage, as then they can be called to an inspection point and asked to open luggage for airport employees. All this can cause a person to be delayed at the airport itself and potentially miss their flight. Even without missing the flight, this kind of stress can ruin any trip.

Another thing that can happen is that luggage will be deemed suspicious or dangerous for transportation, and will be left behind. Imagine arriving to your final destination only to find out that all your gifts and other things are missing. This surely will not add to the celebratory mood!

Could you summarize the basics for us?

–    Don’t gift wrap your things, as it might be needed to take it out of that beautiful packaging at security, if its contents may rise any questions;

–    Party poppers, Christmas crackers, fireworks and sparklers are forbidden for transportation;

–    Food and alcohol need to be checked if it follows customs regulations of all travel points and adhere to the liquid rules; perishables and smelly items in general are not recommended and sometimes even forbidden to have in a luggage;

–    Toys and presents still need to adhere to safety regulations. Be careful with toys that look like weapons, or any props that might be considered dangerous;

–    If unsure about the things you want to bring on your luggage, always check with airline and airport regulations;

–    If your bag is delayed, make sure to fill out PIR (property irregularity report) at the arrival point right away.

We hope these tips will help passengers have a smooth experience with holiday luggage and enjoy their celebrations. But if you find yourself in need of help – contact us!  Skycop can help you claim your rights if something goes wrong with luggage.  

Safe travels!