Air France - Wine/Alcohol Restriction

Unsure if this should go in the Travel Forum or the Wine Forum…

Something that I was unaware of until today (I don’t recall this being policy in the past or if this is something new) - Air France only allows you to travel with 5 liters of wine/alcohol.

Just an FYI if you were thinking about taking wine to/from Europe or anywhere else that AF might fly. Both DL and KLM have no restriction that I know about (I’ve carted multiple cases of wine back on both carriers without any issues).

Learning the hard way (read - at the f*cking airport with (12 bottles) case in-tow) isn’t the way you want to learn about it. I need the wine in the case so my only option was to change my flight to a KLM flight ($650 later, change fee waived).

I didn’t even bother mentioning the 3 bottles that I had in my suitcase…

From the AF site - "Alcoholic beverages not exceeding an alcoholic volume of 70 %, wrapped in their retail packaging, correctly closed and not exceeding 5 liters, are permitted. "

There are sometimes isolated cases highlighted with airlines, of airport staff misguidedly imagining such a restriction, but in their defence you’ve identified that this is genuinely in the T&Cs - though worth checking via internet archive if this was there on booking. If so, and without communication of any revised T&Cs, you might have a case against them.

Of course amongst forumites here, this is a very poor marketing choice, and will cause many forumites to choose a different airline or even destination. Perhaps you may wish to share this thread with them when registering your dis-satisfaction, so they can reflect on the potential for lost revenue.

This was a great wake up call as I always brought back whatever I wanted from Italy and France on Lufthansa without issue. Going to Belgium this spring and expected to bring back as much beer as I wanted.

Unfortunately, British Airways also has the 5L limit. Very disappointing.

Yikes… For the past several years, I’ve flown AF annually (both from US and from CDG) with 27L.

Just in Feb, I flew both ways on AF w/ 9L clearly marked in a wine check) w/ another 1.5L in my suitcase.

UGH.

Thanks for the warning!

It’s been a long while but brought back 3 cases once in wine shippers. I missed the bag checkin cutoff but when I told them I was bringing French wine to California, they said it was too important to waste time collecting the bag fees, we must get the wine on the plane now!

Air France the Hertz of the skies. [snort.gif]

George

I’m banning them…they aren’t banning me… I don’t get the reference [smileyvault-ban.gif]

I think all Lufthansa lines have this same 5L restriction.

BA apparently also.

In a bizarre twist, I’ve checked, and Ryanair still have no exclusion/limit for alcohol on hold luggage, barring anything in excess of 70% alc (140% proof).

So they are now leading champions of customer rights.

I need to lie down.

I think this limitation is for higher alcohol content items like spirits. I’m flying Lufthansa next month and bringing as much riesling back with me that I can carry.

Hi Brian,

Looks like you are right!

See here, under sub-heading “Alcoholic Beverages” -
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/Information-of-dangerous-goods - which reads "Rules

  • In retail packaging, containing more than 24% but less than 70% alcohol by volume.
  • In receptacles not exceeding 5 litres.
  • The total net quantity per passenger is 5 litres."

Thanks for correcting me!

Since they don’t screen bags at check in. And the screening is done by the airport rather than airline. I suspect this is all somewhat academic if you pack wine in your suitcases as opposed to something obvious at checkin.

Yes the obvious wine case may have been the flag in this case. As Michael said - no problem with the other bottles in the suitcase.

Do the Air France conditions also mention the 70% alcohol definition. If so, then Michael would have a legitimate complaint (not that I’d expect Air France to listen to it…)

When I go to Burgundy, I have wine shipped to me by Cotes D’Or Imports. Depending on cost of wine, savings by not having to pay VAT can offset cost of shipping. Don’t know if there are similar things in other wine regions.

Depending on whom the seller is, you can usually get twelve percent to all of the VAT returned via PABLO.

We flew BA last March to France and back. I noticed the 5L restriction language before we left, exchanged several emails with Customer Service, where they finally told me I could check my full wine boxes on the return trip. It was a difficult conversation but ultimately got my exact questions answered. Took a printed version of the email with me, but never needed it. I flew home with 33 bottles, using 2 wine boxes and a 6-bottle styro insert in my suitcase.

Interesting the TSA has the same rules, except that anything below 24% (basically, anything not made by Zind-Humbrecht) is unlimited. I wonder if that’s what Air France is basing their rule on.

The interesing thing about this is they opened a new airside Moonshine Distillery in the airport here in Greenville. No restrictions on amount in volume or alcohol to carry on board. I guess it doesn’t have to go through the TSA checkpoint and you are on your honor about not drinking it in flight.

When I returned from Germany with my Wine Check in tow, the customs officer told me that they don’t care how much wine you bring back for personal consumption. Their only concern is if you’re bringing in cases of higher alcohol liquor or palettes of wine that are clearly being imported for distribution, in which case you pay the tax.