Packing Liquids and checking bags!!!

We were flying EasyJet and paid for an large carry-on, but my wife had too many liquids to carry-on. Her understanding was that as long as the liquids were under 100ml or 3oz, she could bring as much as she wanted, but that is not the case.

Umm, that is not even the case within the US - all liquids in carry-on must fit in a single quart sized bag. Where did she get the impression the rules were more lax in Europe?

The second surprise came when we arrived in Venice and the checked bag did not. The reason is that on budget airlines like EasyJet, your checked bag will not automatically transfer to your destination.

I somehow doubt that the budget airline is the reason, unless you connected to a different airline and EasyJet has no baggage agreement?

Edit #2: Just read joe32F's post further down the thread. The OP evidently missed the written instruction to collect and recheck bags in London...also, OP did not provide enough information in his post, like the location of the connecting airport, etc, which I believe is a factor (OP flight connected outside of Schengen, not within as I originally assumed).

Well, I hope you enjoyed Venice and know that no one but your wife noticed what you were wearing.

The 3-1-1 bag rule is in force in US airports as well. I've seen some people on this forum report that they never have had liquids checked in the US but every airport I've gone thru has enforced it. The last 2 flights I did not have to pull the liquids from my carry on but others did.

When I transited thru Paris from a Delta flight to an Air France flight last Fall the security guy was standing there with ziplock bags in his hand to give to people who had their liquids in something else, even purpose-made heavier plastic zippered pouches that are supposedly compliant.

In the days when I checked a bag I always looked to see where the bag was tagged to. That means you do need to know the 3-letter indicator for your destination airport and would probably have caught that it was only booked to whatever your intermediate airport was.

Glad you are home! Lessons learned!

The 3-1-1 rule is generally universal but there are some tweaks.
Example - in the US, my spare contact lenses and solution are considered 'medical' and pass outside of my 3-1-1 bag. LHR? Nope. Shove them in the bag.

You always want to go to the airport's website and see what the security requirements are there.

The one quart bag of liquids in containers of under 3 Oz per traveler has been in effect for air travel, domestic or international, for almost 20 years. I remember the rule being instituted as I was traveling at the time and caught short with larger bottles. I think 2006? You are lucky if you haven’t encountered this within the US, if not abroad.

I have noted quite a bit of variability within US, Asian. and European screenings. Larger bottles can be assumed to be detected. But I’ve had numerous instances of a small bottle that is in a purse rather than my “baggie” slipping through. It is the screening folks, TSA in the US, not. the carrier that does the screening. I think your wife’s “surprise” was not Easy-Jet, but the Scottish authorities in Inverness. (Correct if I’m wrong. I haven’t flown East Jet or thru Inverness, only land travel there!).

Hard to predict anything except maybe at an airport you know and use frequently. Today, in Bergen, Norway, my purse was pulled for secondary liquid check. I don’t know why. My quart bag met all requirements and was on the belt in a carrier beside my carry-on and purse. Carry-on made it thru, baggie made it thru, smaller purse pulled. There were no liquids in my purse. I was early for the flight with few people around. I suspect I was an easy target to meet a daily quota of secondary searches.

I wouldn’t have known how budget airlines work with check-through. Actually, Jo-Jo’s explanation above of Schengen makes more sense than the assumption of budget airline routine.

Did a sample booking for Inverness to Venice on easyjet. Looks like all solutions go through London and have a similar method of transit.

07:00
Inverness (INV)
1h 50m
easyJet, U2846
08:50
London (LGW)
9h 10m
Collect your luggage
Check in for your next flight
Connection is covered by the Dohop connection service.
18:00
London (LGW)
2h 05m
easyJet, U26557
21:05
Venice (VCE)

If easyjet did not charge you for reuniting you with your bag, think you got a break.

Did a sample booking for Inverness to Venice on easyjet. Looks like all solutions go through London and have a similar method of transit...If easyjet did not charge you for reuniting you with your bag, think you got a break.

Good job joe32F, you figured it out.

It does beg the question of whether or not the OP was verbally told at check-in at Inverness the need to collect and recheck bags in London. Similar to what happens when I fly home from Europe and connect at DFW for my flight to my home airport, at check-in the agent verbally reminds me of this, every time...

I've traveled numerous times through T2, T3, and T5 at Heathrow, but last summer, on one pass through T5, the agent insisted I remove my liquids from the Ziploc bag I always use and transfer them to their flimsy bag. This guy kept proclaiming to the crowd "these aren't my rules, blame the government!". I'm also always amazed how many people aren't at all prepared with their liquids at Heathrow, despite all the posted notices and disposal bins you pass by.

The restrictions on liquids is the reason I always have to check my suitcase. I am not able to use a number of scented skin products and I don’t want to have to chase down equivalents at my destinations. So the supply needed is always more than will fit in those (seemingly small) 1 litre bags. There are many reasons people need to check their luggage.

@Pam, the only country that allows a 'compliant zipped plastic pouch' is the USA. Every other country has a stock of 1 litre ziplock bags at security for that reason. Canada may be lenient letting you in, but I can't use one flying out.

I wouldn’t say that every country other than the US accepts only “their” bags. Yesterday, through Bergen Norway airport with US sealed bag, Copenhagen supplies bags but my US bag made it thru with no comment as it has in previous trips, LHR never needed “their” bag (now fore-warned of the possibility, thanks Josh), no airports in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and others I’m forgetting have been fine with my US brand sealable bag.

Of course, go with the flow and don’t argue.

Whenever I go through Heathrow, I pick up a few of their bags so I will always have one in which to pack for that trip. I much prefer the nice thick one I get at Target that works for everywhere else I've been.

In the past 60 days i have flown from San Antonio to Amsterdam to Budapest to Frankfurt and back to Budapest then to Malta and back to Budapest, then from Budapest to Washington DC, then DC to Dallas to San Antonio ,...... never had my liquid bag out of my carryon, not once. Never took my laptop out and only took off my shoes once.

I've never needed an actual ziplock bag at most European airports - the only two I know of that enforce that is LHR and CDG. I use a TomBihn clear pouch to carry my liquids in other countries (unless I will be at the above 2 airports) and have never had a problem.

Thank you for the information through this thread. And Mardee, so good to know about about LHR…we always dread security there. We’ll be passing through twice in the next several months and I was just looking at the Tom Bihn clear bags! So guess we’ll be using our trusty ziplocs!

I love your attitude! Instead of being upset with the airlines or frazzled about your lost bag, you made the best of it and did not let it ruin your trip. You & your wife learned a lot … that you can have a great trip with limited clothes & toiletries. My husband & I have been tempted to travel to Europe with just one change of clothes & whatever else we can fit in a personal -item size carryon. Not quite brave enough to try it yet …

Charlene, you can travel to Europe with a compliant carry-on (on most airlines) and have more than one change of clothes LOL! We recently flew from Denver to Portugal through Newark, then Portugal to Dar es Salaam through Dubai, then from Dar to Portugal through Amsterdam, then back to Denver from Lisbon through Newark. All with carryons bags on United, Emirates, and KLM. We were gone a month and I took enough shirts and pants for about a week's worth, then did laundry at our lodging.

Congrats to the OP for having a sense of humor about his wardrobe. I would have grabbed the opportunity to buy some new clothes in Venice!

You get the award for the lightest packing of all! : )

I meant JUST a personal item, around 9 x 10 x 18. No suitcase. We always travel with a carry-on size bag plus a personal item, but we’re wondering if we really NEED all that stuff?? Sounds like the OP actually enjoyed his unexpected experiment.

The wait in Edinburgh for checked bags exceeded an hour and 15 minutes for our friends. I wanted to ask why they keep subjecting themselves to it.

I am not even going to ask about the underwear situation for 9 days...
Awww the liquids, an actual ziplock baggie is not necessary, but I know many people like to use one. I use a harder shelled zippered case the same size and find that because it is not as flimsy as a ziplock I can fit a lot more in with less shifting.