Interpretation of the 3 oz rule

hotcoffee · Jul 23, 2008

I have not flown since the new 3-1-1 carry-on rule was adopted. I am curious as to how the TSA translates liquids or gels that are labeled with a weight measurement rather than a volume measurement. For example, a very common brand of gel deodorant is labeled 3 oz (85g) rather than 3 fl oz (100ml). Three ounces of liquid is close to the international 100ml rule. Since 85g is a weight (mass) measure rather than a liquid measure, does the TSA allow 3 oz (85g) containers of gel in the plastic bag with the 3 oz liquid containers?

DeniseM · Jul 23, 2008

If it will fit in the 1 qt. ziplock bag, and it's marked 3 oz. by the manufacturer, you should have no problem. If you are in doubt about something, just leave it home and buy it when you get there - it will save you a lot of hassle.

AwayWeGo · Jul 23, 2008

Three Ounces Means . . .

. . . you're close to being all out.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

Judy · Jul 24, 2008

I've carried a 2.6 oz net weight deodorant in my 1 gal plastic zip-lock bag in my roll-aboard on many flights since they put in the 3 oz rule and I never had it questioned. (Even in Mexico where they confiscated my blunt-nosed child's scissors and my husband's AA batteries).

helenbarnett1963 · Jul 24, 2008

3oz is the maximum size, not the only size

any size up to 3oz or 3fl oz or 100ml is fine.
I have a number of small bottles of vaying sizes without labels which I fill with shampoo etc. Never had a problem in the US or various countries in Europe.

Also vairous 'travel sizes' of toothpaste, ketchup, make-up are fine provided they are not over the "3oz".
They also seem fine with one person carrying all the baggies for the whole family in thier handluggage.

Just make sure your ziplock bag is the appropriate size and that all the bottles etc are in a single layer when the bag is laid flat.

Bill4728 · Jul 24, 2008

Please be aware that if you have a container, like toothpaste, which it clearly is mostly empty and contains less than 3 oz, but when filled is over 3oz, they will not let you take it.

dougp26364 · Jul 24, 2008

Every now and again I bump into a TSA with some sort of authority complex going on. I'm to the point where I'll either pack all my liquids/lotions or just buy them when I get where I'm going. The less hassle I have with these guys the better off I am.

Luanne · Jul 24, 2008

dougp26364 said:
Every now and again I bump into a TSA with some sort of authority complex going on. I'm to the point where I'll either pack all my liquids/lotions or just buy them when I get where I'm going. The less hassle I have with these guys the better off I am.

Yep. I was going to add that individual TSA agents sometimes take it into their heads to interpret the rules differently. Never, never argue with them.

AwayWeGo · Jul 24, 2008

Good Advice.

Luanne said:
Never, never argue with them.

Absolutely right.

Otherwise, get ready to be wrestled to the ground & strip-searched & interrogated & detained & waterboarded & caused to miss not only your flight but also the last flight of the day.

And your nail clipper will be confiscated -- bagged & tagged & marked as evidence.

You'll be in the airport all night before they let you start the whole process all over again the next day.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

eakhat · Jul 24, 2008

Hairspray taken from checked luggage

When we were in Mexico, they took my hairspray from my checked luggage and pointed to the flammable symbol. I was mad--it had hardly been used. When I got home, I checked with the airline website and saw that it was OK to have hair spray like I had. I wish I would have had a printout of what was OK to travel with so I would have known, and I could have shown them the rules. I think she wanted my hairspray. I appealed to the person in charge, but he also said it wasn't OK to have it in my luggage.

Icarus · Jul 24, 2008

Luanne said:
Yep. I was going to add that individual TSA agents sometimes take it into their heads to interpret the rules differently. Never, never argue with them.

Actually, if they are interpreting the rules incorrectly, or making them up, you have the right to ask for a supervisor.

To the OP. Personally, I use a solid deodorant, which gets packed separately, not in the 1 quart bag. So, I guess you have to pack your gel in the 1 quart bag. It doesn't matter if it's marked by weight or fluid ounces, as long as it's the really small travel size, which is always less than 3 oz/100g.

-David

Luanne · Jul 24, 2008

Icarus said:
Actually, if they are interpreting the rules incorrectly, or making them up, you have the right to ask for a supervisor.

Dh was following a woman through security and she was told she had "too many" items in her baggie. She claimed there was nothing in the rules that said how many items could be included. He said "too bad" and proceeded to chuck them (including some expensive make up according to dh) in the trash.

Icarus · Jul 24, 2008

Luanne said:
Dh was following a woman through security and she was told she had "too many" items in her baggie. She claimed there was nothing in the rules that said how many items could be included. He said "too bad" and proceeded to chuck them (including some expensive make up according to dh) in the trash.

That's a clear example (as far I understand it) of that TSA employee making up his/her own rules. As far as I understand it, as long as it is a quart sized bag, you can take as many 3 oz items as will fit in that single bag.

After the scissor rule was revoked, I had a TSA person confiscate a small pair of cuticle scissors at Kahalui, Maui. I didn't argue or ask for a supervisor that time either.

I've also given up on the shoe rule. I just always take them off now, even though I travel with black sneaker-like rubber/leather shoes.

In LAX, a screener decided I had to have secondary screening, because another TSA agent bent and broke my license. It was still in one piece, but had a crack the length of the license so it could bend. After that trip, I found out I could order a FL replacement license online for $10 and have it reflect my HI address and sent to my HI address, which makes for fun conversation when people assume I live in FL because of my FL license.

-David

Fern Modena · Jul 24, 2008

SO is it worth whatever the hairspray cost to challenge them? Even if you figure "showing them the rules" is no big thing, they would have taken it as challenging them, never a good thing over a small matter...

In Mexico they are very strict on some things, and once they decide its virtually impossible to get them to change their minds.

Fern

eakhat said:
When we were in Mexico, they took my hairspray from my checked luggage and pointed to the flammable symbol. I was mad--it had hardly been used. When I got home, I checked with the airline website and saw that it was OK to have hair spray like I had. I wish I would have had a printout of what was OK to travel with so I would have known, and I could have shown them the rules. I think she wanted my hairspray. I appealed to the person in charge, but he also said it wasn't OK to have it in my luggage.

Twinkstarr · Jul 24, 2008

DH, myself and several others watched in amazement in Salt Lake City as a woman went through with a gallon baggie and full size bottles of shampoo and such. We all thought she was going to get busted, but looked on

as they let her go, no one said a word or even pointed out her baggie was too big.

Icarus · Jul 24, 2008

Fern Modena said:
In Mexico they are very strict on some things, and once they decide its virtually impossible to get them to change their minds.

Fern

Some rules in different countries are just different, and they use their own rules which you have to abide by when in a foreign country. IIRC, Mexico specifically has stricter rules on sharp objects than the USA does.

It doesn't matter what the airline website says. That's just informative information, and gives the airlines own rules. Government rules always take precedence if there's a discrepancy about what can't be carried on or packed in your luggage.

-David

Dave M · Jul 25, 2008

Icarus said:
I've also given up on the shoe rule. I just always take them off now, even though I travel with black sneaker-like rubber/leather shoes.

It sounds as though you missed the change in the rules well over a year ago. It's now required that you remove your shoes.

Talent312 · Jul 25, 2008

Is there anything in the rules about boxing gloves?
Although I doubt I'll try it, I've suggested that it would be better simply to dress in PJ's and house slippers.

x3 skier · Jul 25, 2008

Unless you are going trekking in Nepal or some other such exotic trip, remember they do have things to buy in a drug store when you get there.

If it disappears via a TSA or other inspection, I never worry about it since having a Thai or Japanese or other can/tube/bottle of some foreign shampoo/deodorant/toothpaste makes for conversation at the gym when I have returned home (if it passes through the return inspection).

Cheers

eakhat · Jul 25, 2008

Hairspray taken from checked luggage

Fern Modena said:
SO is it worth whatever the hairspray cost to challenge them? Even if you figure "showing them the rules" is no big thing, they would have taken it as challenging them, never a good thing over a small matter...

In Mexico they are very strict on some things, and once they decide its virtually impossible to get them to change their minds.

Fern

That's exactly why I didn't challenge it any further. Had I had something in writing, it would have been helpful to press a little bit more to see where it would have gone. The bottom line is that it is a small expense compared to the overall expense of a two-week trip.

CATBinCO · Jul 25, 2008

Just wanted to add that the quart size bag is only ONE per person too. We nearly got dinged traveling from DEN to LAX. Family of four, but we had five quart size bags, each full, nothing in there was over 3 oz. I purposely left my makeup bag at home and just dumped all my makeup into one of the clear quart sized bags. The first screened said we'd have to combine bags, but a 2nd screener said that it was makeup (nothing liquid) was fine, and it didn't count as a "bag".

It is truly easier to just buy toiletries when you get to your destination, use them up over the vacation/trip and then pitch them before hopping on the plane ride home.

Judy · Jul 26, 2008

CATBinCO said:
It is truly easier to just buy toiletries when you get to your destination, use them up over the vacation/trip and then pitch them before hopping on the plane ride home.

Then we'd better be familiar with our destination and make sure we arrive at a day and time when the stores that carry what we need are open.
Lots of places still close stores on Sundays. If we arrive late on Saturday and stay in an accommodation that doesn't provide toiletries, we're going to be quite a mess by the time we finally get to the store

Twinkstarr · Jul 26, 2008

CATBinCO said:
Just wanted to add that the quart size bag is only ONE per person too. We nearly got dinged traveling from DEN to LAX. Family of four, but we had five quart size bags, each full, nothing in there was over 3 oz. I purposely left my makeup bag at home and just dumped all my makeup into one of the clear quart sized bags. The first screened said we'd have to combine bags, but a 2nd screener said that it was makeup (nothing liquid) was fine, and it didn't count as a "bag".

It is truly easier to just buy toiletries when you get to your destination, use them up over the vacation/trip and then pitch them before hopping on the plane ride home.

In Detroit it's one baggie per person/per carry on. So if you have 4 people they each need a carryon or they will throw the other extra non-suitcase baggie away.

Icarus · Jul 26, 2008

Twinkstarr said:
In Detroit it's one baggie per person/per carry on. So if you have 4 people they each need a carryon or they will throw the other extra non-suitcase baggie away.

Another made up rule. The baggie itself could be the other persons carry-on item.

-David

Timeshare Von · Jul 26, 2008

Sometimes they just don't check!

I flew out of Milwaukee yesterday, had my stuff in the mandatory baggie, ready for screening, but. . .

I forgot to take it out of my rollerbag outside pocket and only realized my goof when i got to my gate and changed shoes. I'm surprised they didn't nail me for it, but they didn't. Good things none of the liquids/gels would be used for foul purporses.

Interpretation of the 3 oz rule

hotcoffee

DeniseM

AwayWeGo

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Judy

TUG Review Crew: ELITE

helenbarnett1963

Bill4728

dougp26364

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert

AwayWeGo

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eakhat

Icarus

Luanne

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Icarus

Fern Modena

Twinkstarr

Icarus

Dave M

Talent312

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x3 skier

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eakhat

CATBinCO

Judy

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Twinkstarr

Icarus

Timeshare Von

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