Holidays are a treat; they are a time to relax and to do whatever you want to do. I don’t know about you, but when I’m on holiday I want to look and feel my best while doing things I love.
For me, as for many people, feeling put together and confident involves smelling great as well as looking good. However, when packing your suitcase and filling up your toiletry bag, you might want to pause before putting that expensive bottle of Chanel No. 5 in…
Annoyingly, not all types of perfume can be taken onto a plane.
Some bottles are too large, and bringing them to the airport could result in them being confiscated from you and thrown in the bin by a grumpy security guard.
There is almost nothing as sad as watching your $100 signature scent being thrown among the used tissues and plastic toy guns that fill the airport security bins.
It is something that no one should ever have to experience!
Okay, so perhaps we are being a little too dramatic about our beloved fragrances, but having them taken away from you really is frustrating.
It’s a waste of money, and leaves you spending your holiday smelling solely of sunscreen instead of your favorite eau de toilette.
But there are some perfumes that can waltz past security and join you on the plane, and we are here to let you know which, and how you should do it.
When traveling by plane, you are required to abide by the rules of the TSA, otherwise known as the Transportation Security Administration.
When it comes to bringing liquid goods with you on your trip, there are some strict rules that need to be followed.
Perfume in Checked Luggage Versus Carry-On
The first thing you need to know is that there are different rules for each type of luggage.
To meet the TSA requirements, you can not have any liquids in your carry-on or hand luggage that exceed 3.4 oz.
This means that you cannot have any bottles of perfume or liquid scent that are over that threshold within the bags that you personally carry onto the plane, and if you try to do so your liquids will be confiscated.
As well as not exceeding 3.4 oz, there are also two more rules that apply to bringing perfume in hand luggage.
Each person’s liquids must fit within one quart-sized clear plastic bag so that they are separated from the rest of your luggage and can be assessed easily by security.
Secondly, most airlines state that you can only have one of these plastic bags per person, so all of your liquids must fit inside that one bag.
If you have more perfumes than the little plastic bag can carry, do not fear – checked luggage is here to save the day.
Perfume bottles containing more than 3.4 oz are allowed to be stowed in your luggage that has been checked in with the airline.
Although all other flammable liquids are banned from being transported in luggage, the TSA has made an exception for toiletries. Luckily, perfume counts as toiletry!
Although it is unlikely that you have enough perfume to exceed 70 oz., do note that you cannot have more than that amount in your checked luggage and that each individual bottle must not exceed 18oz.
What If You Don’t Have Checked Baggage?
Even if your perfume bottle exceeds 3.4 oz, there is a way that you can still bring the liquid onto the plane in your hand luggage.
For example, you could purchase a smaller spray bottle that sticks within the TSA limits and pour some of your perfume into it before you get to the airport. That way, you can still have some of your favorite scent on you at all times, without breaking the rules.
The other option is to purchase a sample of your perfume that holds less than 3.4 oz. Obviously, the cheaper option is to pour some of your pre-owned perfume into a cheap plastic spray container, but the choice is yours!
Duty-Free
Although you cannot take liquids over 3.4oz past security in your hand luggage, once you are through security, the rules are a little different.
In nearly every airport, once you have been through security you will reach the duty-free section; the glowing, sparkling series of stores that reek of overpriced Toblerones and discounted cigarettes.
What is great about duty-free, though, is that they will often have one or two fragrance shops.
The bottles of perfume that you buy in these stores are allowed to come with you onto the plane, no matter how big they are.
A lot of the time, these fragrances can be included in great deals and at discount prices, so it can be super beneficial to grab a bottle of your perfume from there.
However, they can equally be more expensive than they normally are in other stores, so it is a bit of a gamble.
Packing Perfume
If you decide to store your perfume in your checked baggage, there is a risk that it could spill during transportation.
While it would not be the end of the world if every item of your clothing smelled of perfume, you would not have any to spray onto yourself for the next however many days.
In order to avoid this potential disaster, we suggest that you place each of your perfumes bottle in an airtight sealed plastic bag before putting it in your luggage and that you surround it with soft clothing to prevent it from smashing.
If you want to be extra careful, you can even use two zip-lock bags per perfume, and purchase some bubble wrap to cushion it.
Final Thoughts
So, although it may not be easy to bring your Eau de parfum on holiday with you, it is far from impossible.
The TSA rules are pretty strict, but there are so many ways that you can bring your liquid joy onto the plane, whether you are paying for checked luggage or not.
No matter where you go, now you know that you can always smell divine!
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