Confused on TSA rules!?!

[Cgillbsgal06]

Our trip to CN in October is our first international trip and the TSA website is confusing me. We definitely know we will want to bring back at least some Rum Cream in our checked luggage, however, we do have a layover on our flight back. One section I read on the TSA website made it seem that because of a layover we would not be able to bring back something such as Rum Cream, but another section made it sound like we could. Does anyone have any recent experience with layovers and bringing items back into the States?

[Samantha]

You can bring back liquids in your checked bags. When you come back into the US you will claim your bags and then send them back through.
The confusion come with your carry on. You can buy alcohol at the airport in Jamaica and take it on the plane, but when you get to the US if you have a connecting flight you have to put it in you checked bags, which you will claim before customs, it can't get back on the plane with you in you carry on. Hope this helps.

[Cgillbsgal06]

Thank you, thank you!!!

[Beergirl]

Hi -

Stash a big piece of bubble wrap and masking tape in your luggage at home. It lies flat in the bottom of your suitcase, and works really well for wrapping those precious bottles of rum cream.

We pay the bit extra to buy our rum cream at the resort shop. We wrap them in our bubble wrap and pack them in our checked bags (in the dirty clothes bag!).

Then, we don't have to worry about schlepping the stuff through the airport and repacking our bags at our stopover.

We bring back six bottles at a time, and have never had a leak or accident.

Beergirl

[Mestralle]

If you do decide to check your bottles leaving Jamaica, make sure to verify the suitcase weight. We got hit with this last year. We managed to get the fee credited back, but it was an unnecessary hassle. I would think that while it's possible you could get hit with an overweight fee on the layover/exchange, I would think it's far less likely with everything else that's going on there.

[BobandJudy]

We just came back from overseas, and bought duty free liquor at the airport. We carried it on the flight, and then in our connecting city (Charlotte) packed it into our checked luggage. The booze was already pretty well wrapped by the duty free shop, but I just wrapped lots of t-shirts around it for extra padding. Everything made it home fine. The key is, after you recheck your bags at your connecting airport, you have to go back through security for your domestic U.S. flight. Because you have to go back through security, you can't have any liquids in more than a 3-oz bottle in your carry-on.

[suzyQ]

This is the first time we will have non-stop flights to and from MBJ. Hope this doesn't sound too dense--can we carry on duty-free liquor since we won't have to go through security twice?

Any comments would be appreciated.

suzyQ

[me]

We got our bottles at the resort as well. They wrapped them up in Jamaican newspaper which was neat when giving the bottles to friends. I also liked that I didn't have to worry about carrying a box around at the airport. I just packed the stuff between clothing layers as a protector.

[Coloradojuli]

SuzyQ ~ If you purchase your liquor at the airport, you will be allowed to carry it on the plane as you will have already passed through security when you make the purchase. Since you will not have a connecting flight, you will not need to place your purchase in your checked bag.

[BobandJudy]

SuzyQ - since you have a direct flight home, you will not need to go through security a second time in the U.S. and deal with the 3 oz rule.

[suzyQ]

Juli, Bob and Judy:
Thank you for responding! I can't wait to go shopping for Rum Cream!

[Tallman2nd]

We just came back from overseas, and bought duty free liquor at the airport. We carried it on the flight, and then in our connecting city (Charlotte) packed it into our checked luggage. The booze was already pretty well wrapped by the duty free shop, but I just wrapped lots of t-shirts around it for extra padding.

We returned just yesterday and also purchased our rum cream at the airport in MoBay. The packaging is more than sufficient (when packed among your dirty clothes) to put into your checked baggage at the first connection. It also appeared to us that the rum cream was a bit less expensive at the airport.

Enjoy your trip!