Airplane Carry On...

Updated on October 13, 2009
M.A. asks from Dickinson, TX
22 answers

The fam and I are going out of town....I fully understand the rules and restrictions about what you can check and what you can carry on....except drinks. Can I bring my daughters sippy cup with her own drink? Will they let me carry on a beverage without a broken seal? Does that matter? We are flying Delta if that makes a differance....

Thanks a bunch!!!
Margaret :)

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So What Happened?

Thanks to everyone!!! Boarded the plane yesterday....I took the sippy cup (full) and two bottles of Gatorade (one was opened).....NO PROBLEM!!! All I was asked was "is it for the kiddo?"....perhaps the security is not as bad as it once was!!!! So, take your drinks!!! I did!!!

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H.P.

answers from Houston on

When I have had these questions, I have contacted TSA for guidelines specific to my situation. You can print out whatever you find online. You can write down the name of whoever gives you the info.

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L.M.

answers from Houston on

Her sippy cup will have to be empty. You can carry on formula, but I am not sure how much. Go to www.tsa.gov and look at the "What to know before you go" section.

The general rule is, you can't carry drinks through the security check point. But, once you are through there, you can buy drinks and take them on-board.

Delta's web-site will have some info as well. However, the TSA web-site is the most accurate.

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M.L.

answers from Dallas on

Hi, my friend with a 3 year works for an airline. This is what she recommends and what I have done.
Take the sippy cup EMPTY. YOu can take juice boxes (sealed) or buy water or juice when you get through security. They WILL NOT allow the contents of a sippy cut to go through security. I know it only adds to the drama, but if she has to have the cup, you will have to pour out the contents before passing through.

I do understand that SOMETIMES if you claim there is medicine in it, they will let it. But you are supposed to have meds in original containers, so this isn't a guaranty.

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

Hi Margaret,
I just read all of the posts below and I am a frequent flier - about once a month with my children (2 years old and 3 months old) And Yes, you are allowed to carry liquid in your daughters sippy cup. I usually carry water because thats what my son likes to drink. Just be prepared to put the sippy cup in the tray to go through security and they will probably do a quick strip test on the liquid to be sure it is safe... i dont think they will allow you to bring your personal bottle of water though. you would have to buy one of those after you get through security. Have a safe trip!

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T.H.

answers from Austin on

Hi! I've learned "the hard way" to not bring ANY liquids in a sippy cup through
security at the airport. They will confiscate any unopened beverages as well.
I usually bring an empty sippy cup, and then fill it up with water once I get past
security. I don't know if they confiscate breast milk? It is confusing. I read on the
FAA website that you are allowed to bring with you anything your baby needs through
security. A funny aside . . . .Last week, my son handed me his underwear with a "hot potato" inside. ICK! Bon Voyage, Theresa

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N.T.

answers from Austin on

Carry the sippy cup empty through the security check point then buy her something on the other side. Rule is you can't carry anything over 4oz. and it must be in that plastic ziploc.

Go online to Delta's website and they can tell you what you can and can't carry.

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A.C.

answers from Houston on

The airline you fly doesn't really make a difference with security screening. But, while the official rules are "baby formula or milk and food" if you are reasonable, you can usually get prepackaged things though. The cuo will usually ahve to be emptied.

I suggest packing all your restricted items in ONE small bag or cooler. This makes it easier to declare and for them to screen if necessary. Juices, milk, liquid formula, yogurt, peanut butter (yes, I've been stopped for this)...anything with a liquid or paste texture. Open the lid/top of the carrying bag and let the screening agent know you are the one with the bag full of goodies. It helps them identify you as a lady with a baby and you'll usually pass through without any extra screeing. Any child that is "in arms" will give you a pretty easy pass through.

IF you do get stopped for extra screening, politely ask that they put on clean gloves before examining your kid's food--I am not a clean freak, but they are touching all sorts of nastiness in the course of a day. If you encounter any problems ask, again politely, for a supervisor.

I had an interesting time getting my expressed milk through on a business trip. Never underestimate the power of tears on a man!

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

Bring the empty sippy through security and buy yourjuice, milk, etc afterward. They will take it if it has something in it. CB

K.L.

answers from Houston on

You can take the sippy but in order to get it through security you will have to bring it empty and then as soon as you get through buy her some milk and put into her cup if that's what you want her to have. Otherwise no way are you going to make it through secuirty. I wish you the best of luck.
K.

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C.M.

answers from Austin on

We travel on Delta frequently - about 3 times a year with my now 5 year old,so we have been through security at multiple airports. I always bring 3 juice boxes - the smallest 4 oz ones. I put them in a plastic quart bag and put them separately in the plastic box at the security counter. Only one time was I ever questioned and that was over a year ago when the liquid restrictions changed. I think I had the larger boxes that time. Even then, they let me keep them.If you read the restictions, juice is excluded, because you many need it if you are diabetic. NO one has ever asked me if I'm diabetic. They will not let you bring any beverages in a sippy cup through the security check point. They will make you empty it or throw it out. What we did was bring empty sippy cups. The flight attendants are happy to put the beverage of your choice into the sippy for you - we always asked for half water, half juice or milk. Or you can buy a beverage before you get on the plane. You can carry on whatever food and drink you want on the plane, after you get through security. I've taken sandwiches and salads to eat for dinner, since they serve such pitiful snacks anymore. Basically, any food you buy at the airport after the security check can be taken onto the plane. Hope this clarifies. Have a fun trip.

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C.T.

answers from Houston on

The only liquid they will let you carry on is breast milk.

My suggestion is to bring an empty sippy cup and buy apple juice and bottled water in the airport or whatever it is your daughter drinks.

You can carry on small, small travel size liquids i.e. shampoo, shaving cream, toothpaste, in a small ziploc bag. This has to be out of your suitcase and go thru security separately.

I do not even bother anymore. I just check my luggage.

Be sure to take all lipsticks and lotions which are liquid out of your purse and put them in your suitcase or ziploc or they will make you throw them away.

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

Dear Margaret H,

We just got back home from flying to Las Vegas. We flew with both our boys (ages 5 and 9). You are only allowed 3ozs. of any kind of liquid period. You can bring her sippy cup and get some juice or milk from the concessions once you go through security, but you can't bring any with you unless it is formula or breast milk and there are special rules that apply to that.

The reason I responded is because we were stuck in the security line leaving this morning because people were taking water bottles through the line and it was not allowed at all!!

Hope this helps.

C. B.
SAHM of two wonderful boys and married to the man of my dreams for 13 years.

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J.H.

answers from Houston on

I am. Pretty sure no liquids can go through security even if the seal isn't broken but you can buy liquids once through the gates and that should be fine.

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N.T.

answers from Austin on

If it is a liquid over 3 ounces you will not be allowed to carry to it through security.

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M.P.

answers from Houston on

The only liquids they let you carry with is baby's formula or milk (milk if it is in a baby bottle), nothing else but past security check point you can buy anything you want and bring it in the airplane and you will find at the ariport most everything you may need, from juice, water, milk. Do not bring anything of those before check point or you will have to get rid of them.

Good luck!

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M.C.

answers from San Antonio on

We traveled back in August and they let us take our daugther's sippy cup. They make you open it up and the test it by holding a chemical strip over it. As for the seal beverage, they did not let us take it with us. I hope this helps.

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S.O.

answers from San Antonio on

We carry empty water bottles and fill them from drinking fountains after security checkpoints. We refuse to pay $3 in the airport for a bottle of water.
Also my husband had kidney stones broke up by ultrasound recently. He has to drink lots of water all the time, to keep the little pieces moving on....
But your cups/ bottles must be totally empty.

We have only had one problem with empty bottles---that was in Europe. They would not even let us take completely empty bottles thru the airport there.

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A.B.

answers from San Antonio on

As some of the people said, you MIGHT be able to get through with a sealed special liquid (like soy milk) if it's for a small child, BUT only formula and breast milk is officially allowed. Therefore, you might have to get rid of whatever you brought depending on how security is that day.

You are safe if you bring the empty sippy cup and buy something in the airport after you get through security. I've done that for my daughter. Remember that not all airlines carry milk so if you try to order it on the plane, there is a good chance they won't have it. They usually only have a tiny bit on board to pour in coffee. I usually carry on a sippy cup and buy milk after security.

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R.B.

answers from San Antonio on

YOu can go on line and look at Delta webpage and it will review this but I think you can take the sippy cup empty and then fill it at airport after you get thru the check point so you will have to purchase a beverage in airport past the security check point.

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N.H.

answers from Houston on

You can find a list of "no-no's" on the FAA website or the airline's website. What I did was print out the page where it says you can bring on what it is you wish to bring on & show it to them if they argue but as far as I know, you can bring on bottled water IF you purchased at a vendor inside the airport past the security check in line, not before, I think they still make you throw it out even if it's never been opened but I don't think a sippy cup w/liquid already in it can be brought in, only the empty cup. I know they were allowing powdered formula but since a sippy cup is cup for liquid same as a bottled drink, the liquid inside can be an 'illegal' substance in disguise. I haven't flown since last yr so it may've changed so it's best to ck w/the airline and/or FAA website. There's usually a link on the airline's website for that information. Good luck!

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C.M.

answers from Houston on

Hi,

I amnot sure how old your daughter is, I have travelled all over the world since 911 and all the changes to liquids. I was abl to take my son's milk on the plane. Anything else they prefer it to be sealed. They also carry apple / orange juice and cranberry juice on the plane if that helps. I learnt depending on how young the child is, that anything in a babies bottle was pretty much ignored. Any gerber pre-packaged foods were also not limited by the 100ml rule. But this is just for babies, not 2 year olds. Expect them to ask you to taste one of the items randomly.

Hope this helps

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K.P.

answers from Houston on

My son is a soy baby and we have to carry milk for him. I carried it sealed with a sippy but would put the two together at the security check point. They would see my son and allow it. Right now he is almost 18 month. I think the older he gets the less liquid he will be allowed.

It helps that I had a full diaper bag with me :)

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