Brits looking to jet off for the festive season have been issued a warning as certain Christmas items could cause delays and complications at airports. Travel experts at eShores have highlighted that carrying specific Christmas-related items could result in being stopped by airport security.
Statistics reveal that approximately 15 percent of passengers are halted at airports due to prohibited items in their luggage, which could potentially disrupt holiday plans. As we near December 22, the busiest travel day of the festive period, eShores has issued a cautionary note to travellers about lesser-known travel hazards that could spoil your Christmas.
They specifically advised against travelling with four items. Bizarrely, the list includes Christmas pudding.
Wrapped gifts
While it may seem like a good idea to wrap your presents in advance, airport security staff may need to unwrap these items to inspect their contents. This is particularly true if the gifts contain electronics, liquids over 100ml, or sharp objects such as children’s toys.
Therefore, it might be worth wrapping your Christmas presents when you arrive at your destination rather than before going through airport security.
Luxury items
Luxury gifts such as perfumes, creams, electronics, and others could end up being discarded at airport security if they don’t meet security regulations. This is especially true regarding the size of liquid containers or the presence of batteries in electronics. It’s advisable to pack these items in checked luggage.
Christmas pudding
It may seem odd, but some travellers pack festive foods like mince pies, Christmas puddings, or cured meats to share with their loved ones upon arrival at their destination. However, these could actually breach import rules in places where meat and dairy products are heavily restricted.
Certain Christmas puddings contain suet, a type of animal fat, which is not permitted to be taken into the EU from the UK due to regulations on meat products. Additionally, Christmas puddings often contain alcohol or dense, sticky ingredients that are not allowed in hand luggage due to security concerns.
Liquids
Any liquids over 100ml or items with rechargeable batteries should never be placed in hand luggage. Gifts such as toiletries and festive treats like bottles of wine or holiday-themed syrups could fall foul of airport rules if they exceed the 100ml hand luggage limit.
If you’re travelling with bottles larger than this, you can place them in your checked luggage or consider purchasing travel-sized versions of your favourite toiletries to avoid this problem altogether.