19/12/2022
Some friendly advice from Manchester Airport...
Why Christmas puds shouldn’t go in hand luggage… and other seasonal travel rules
It’s OK to carry mince pies and yule logs in hand luggage but Christmas puddings can cause a security alert, according to festive guidance for flyers.
The advice, from Manchester Airport, comes as the airport prepares for its busiest December in three years, with more than 1.7m passengers expected to travel through this month.
Solid food in sealed packs is allowed through security, but Christmas puds could cause havoc with the security scanners, the airport warns.
The airport’s guidance says: “Mince pies and yule logs are fine, but Christmas puddings are very dense and can sometimes be flagged by our security scanners as a result, which means your bag would require a manual search.
“They are technically permitted in your hand luggage, but we advise they are packed in your hold luggage, for this reason.”
The liquid rule for hand luggage also applies to snow globes, plus condiments such as jams, butter and marmite, as well as other food items that contain a liquid, gel or paste.
The advice is: “If these exceed 100ml, they should be packed in the hold.”
Also likely to cause security issues are wrapped presents – whether in hand luggage or hold baggage.
“If your bag is selected for secondary screening during the security process, wrapped presents may need to be opened by a security officer for inspection, whether in your hand luggage or hold luggage,” the advice says.
To be on the safe side: “Wrap presents once you have reached your destination wherever possible.”
The guidance for Christmas crackers is less clear and Manchester Airport advises travellers to check with their particular airline.
“There is no hard-and-fast rule on taking Christmas crackers on board an aircraft – some airlines will let you take one or two sealed boxes, whereas others ban them altogether. In many cases this is dependent on the rules in the country you’re travelling to,” the airport says.
“If you’re planning to take Christmas crackers with you, check with your airline in advance as to whether they will be permitted.”
Also on Manchester Airport’s check-list are:
* Check your departure terminal
* Book mobility assistance in advance
* Leave plenty of time to get to the airport
* Remove outer layers before reaching the front of the security queue, so they’re ready to put into a tray to keep the line moving
