Warning! Connecting flights at a European airport? Your duty free may be confiscated.

alanrowell

travelguru wrote: »

The simple rule is if you have a connection you must move any liquids over 100ml in to your checked luggage.

IF coming from outside the EU

blued

This happened to us, luckily we realised before we checked in our hold luggage and the duty free went in there. Wouldnt have been imporessed at having to give up my booze at security!

drknot

alanrowell wrote: »

IF coming from outside the EU

not necessary, I flew from Prague to Manchester via Amsterdam last year.

I bought a bottle of Jagermister at Prague airport, and asked the clerk was it ok for transfers in AMS and was told no problem, it was placed in a sealed clear bag.

Once I got to AMS security it was confiscated and placed in their "Christmas Bin. " Afterwards they admitted they have lots of problems with Prague Airport

After complaining to KLM through their website, I received a full refund. No apology though,

I suspect the reason why I got a refund was more down to the fact of being a Flying Blue premium member than from any good will from KLM in general. Also I think Prague airport is owned by Air France, which is part of the Sky Team alliance, with KLM. So I was able to play on that.


So its not just liquids from outside the EU its also applys to transfers inside the EU as well.

Strangely enough whenever I fly from HKG or MNL they always check the flight I'm on and give correct advice about whether it will be allowed through security when transferring in the EU.

sinstar

Last year I travelled from Barcelona to Glasgow via Heathrow with British Airways and they tried to confiscate the duty free I had bought. My boyfriend and I ended up putting it into our hand luggage and checking that in (we weren't getting our suitcases until we got back to Glasgow). We kicked up a bit of a fuss and they didn't charge us for excess baggage, which was good. They even gave us a box of shredded BA paperwork for us to pad out our bags to protect the bottles!

withabix

Be careful when transiting at Heathrow T5 from an international BA flight to a domestic BA flight, that you don't accidentally go out through passport control due to the inadequate signage.

You will have to go all the way round to the checkin desks and back through security, where your duty free bottles will be confiscated.

sinstar

That is exactly what happened to me! I kept insisting we had gone the wrong way but my boyfriend kept saying everyone was going that way. I even asked security which way I should go, and explained about my connecting flight, and he sent us the wrong way. And this wasn't even from T5.

Neon_Eye

Thanks for the warning. I will tell my friends about this info.

ahall41116

i have done 46 fligths this year, most through amsterdam or CDG, and i have never had a problem with liquids, both uk purchased, and outside eu purchased.

i think it is down to what side of the bed the security guard got out of bed that morning. i remember being in cape town airport, bought 2 x 1l of vodka, the cashier thought there could be a problem in AMS due to cape towns 'out of area' status, she called them to check, and was told maybe, maybe not.

i sailed through, and called her back to advise no issues.....

LilacLillie

I had the same problem when travelling to Varna, via Sofia a few weeks ago.
I bought some indigestion liquid at Gatwick and even asked if I could take it on to my connecting flight (was told yes because its medication).
At Sofia when about to board for Varna security tried to take it off me.
I showed them my reciept and it was still in a Boots pharmacy bag.
In the end they said I had to drink it .................................. fair enough, no belly ache but took a big swig, was then told to drink it all!
Luckily common sense prevailed and an officer said 'it is obvious medication, let her through'.
Was peeved because I'd already asked if I could carry it onto the connection.
LL

timdosser

That's rteally worth knowing. I will make sure I don't end up getting fleeced. Thanks, T