Bringing duty-free liquor purchase back to US

Hi,

We would like to purchase liquor at the airport before leaving GC. Our flight back to Phila stops in Charlotte, NC. I'm assuming we will be able to carry the liquor on to the plane when we leave, but when we arrive in Charlotte we will have to put it in our checked luggage for the final leg of the trip. I've read where sometimes you don't actually pick up your checked luggage at Customs. Wondering if anyone has experience with this at the Charlotte airport.

I'm thinking there could be a couple problems Sad

(assuming we claim our luggage and can pack the bottles in it) ...

1- breakage

2- have it mysteriously disappear (i.e. have it stolen from our luggage)

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject:

I am interested in this too! I read somewhere else on this board that someone had to claim luggage when they changed planes in the US. But when we flew to the UK and back in 2003, we did not see our luggage until we reached our final destination. We were on the same airline for all of the flight legs so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. We are also going to check, once we get there, about the possibility of shipping some home. Parrot

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:10 pm Post subject:

Standard liquor bottles are OK as carry-on only if you buy them in a secure airport area, after you've passed through screening.

When you arrive back in the U.S., you usually have to leave the secure area and claim your checked baggage to go through customs and immigration. If you have a connecting flight, you have to reprocess through screening, where the regular carry-on limits apply.

You can transfer a bottle from carry-on to a larger bag while you're in U.S. customs before you re-check it. However, if you arrive from an airport with U.S. pre-clearance (Aruba, Bermuda, Freeport, Nassau, and seven large Canadian airports), you do not have access to your checked baggage and can't make a transfer.

Taken together, these rules mean that you can buy your bottle in the duty-free shop when you leave a foreign airport, provided the shop is in the secure area. If you're on a nonstop flight to your final U.S. destination, you have no further problem. However, if you take a connecting domestic flight, security will not allow that bottle in the cabin of your connecting flight. The only way to get it on the second flight is to repack it in a checked bag.

Hope the above statements answers your duty free questions. The reason you have to claim your bags, is that it is US law that you clear customs at your first entry port into the USA, unless you arrive from an airport that has USA pre-clearance. This rule is for USA only and not for the rest of the world. It is normal practice around the world to clear customs at your final destination.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Heidi martini

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject:

Thanks! That makes the mud a bit clearer!! I may have to make sure I get my fill while there. Parrot

Newbie Joined: 13 Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Rhode Island

Hi, My first post, just got back yesterday. I see this reply will be a little late for you, but maybe it will help someone else.

We flew from GCM to Charlotte yesterday. I bought the liquor in the duty free store and put it in my carry on. Got on the plane and flew to Charlotte. In Charlotte, they checked us through immigration. We then went to baggage claim where we had to put the liquor in there. In other words open the bags right there and put it in. I then checked it again at the counter and went off to boarding for my flight home. They searched my bag AGAIN and put a note notifying me of such. I was a bit peeved as I had wedged the booze in between all my clothes and they returned it back on top (no way natural shifting could have done that.) Nothing broke though!!

Pashey

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:56 pm Post subject: Excellent Rum not sold in the US

Hello All,

I am wondering if anyone can recommend any Rum that is excellent and not available in the US? I would only consider bringing something that is not readily available in the US to bring back home.

Thanks in advance.

Newbie Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Illinois

I was also wondering if we can bring liqueur in to the caymans from the states ? At miami air port can we buy duty free to grand cayman?

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 6:54 pm Post subject:

Yes, you will be able to buy liquor at Miami airport if that is where you are connecting to fly to Cayman.

Visitors to the Cayman Islands who are 18 years of age or older may bring 4 liters of wine or one case of beer or 1 liter of alcohol onto the islands duty free.

Since alcohol is expensive in Cayman, you should buy your allocated allowance for each adult to take with you.

You can even buy it at home but you will have to pack the bottles into your checked luggage.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

Heidi martini

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:24 am Post subject:

If you buy it duty free....I think that is after the security check point right? Can you carry it on the plane then???? Diana

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:50 am Post subject:

Diana,

Yes Duty Free is after security. You purchase it at the store but do NOT get your items then. The store employees will take it to your boarding gate and as you board the plane, they make an announcement and you then get to pick up your duty free goods and carry it yourself onto the aircraft.

You will need the receipt provided to you by the Duty Free store and ID to pick up your goods.

Enjoy your trip.

Heidi martini

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:09 am Post subject:

Thanks for the info Heidi......will probably take some in with us just for starters

Is this the same when leaving Grand Cayman???? Is it best to buy it duty free at the airport or in town and pack it???? So many questions.... so little time

Diana

Status Member Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 643

Diana,

To bring booze back from Cayman, you buy it at the airport.

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:45 am Post subject:

I'd like to encourage those who plan to bring home duty free liquor to take some packing materials, or remember when packing your checked bags that they will be opened and the liquor put in them.

We saw two very disgruntled travelers go pick up their bags from the carousel, only to find their bottles had broken when tossed on the plane/belt/whatever, and their luggage and clothes rum soaked.

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks again for the info..... I've already bought my water wings

Diana

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