Due to the alcoholic content in wine, or any other alcoholic drink, there is a limit on how much can be tranpsorted per passenger. This is in-line with the dangerous goods policy that would outline similar restraints on spare batteries and the like. I am surprised Jetstar gave you that response as all Qantas Group airlines follow the same Dangerous Goods Manual.
If you look at the Jetstar website it mentions the following:
"Jetstar and Qantas follow the same dangerous goods policy – governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and CASA Civil Aviation Safety Regulations.
Certain dangerous goods are permitted on board as carry-on or checked baggage, but they must comply with specific requirements as outlined on the Qantas Dangerous Goods Guide."
If you look at the Virgin Australia website, it mentions the exact same policy:
"Alcoholic beverages
Permitted as carry-on or checked baggage – A maximum net total of 5L per person is permitted providing the alcohol is contained within retail packaging. The alcohol must not be more than 70% alcohol by volume and consumption of alcohol carried on board is not permitted on the aircraft."
I am guessing from previous times when you have travelled maybe the dangerous goods rules were different as they are updated frequently, or there could have been a misunderstanding of the policy. But it seems all Jetstar, Qantas, and Virgin all have the same policy regarding alcoholic beverages, and perhaps the people you spoke to were unaware, but theoretically, only 5L should be taken onboard.
Hope that helps and I'm sorry to hear about the confusion you had.
I don't mean to offend, but the gist of that is utter nonsense. If alcohol like wine and beer are 'dangerous goods', then they shouldn't be transported at all, including by the airline in the cabin for serving to customers. There are certainly more than 5 litres of booze stacked together in the galleys (at least in International) and not in 'retail packaging'. Is this dangerous, and forbidden? That Chevis Regal? Flammable. Ban it!
Do cases of wine get transported by air freight? I reckon they do. Australia Post I'm pretty sure transports my wine orders (by the carton) from Buzz's wine tours to Tasmania by air.
The reference to
CASA safety regulations and
IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations is a bit cute. IATA isn't clear, as they want you to pay to see them, but the CASA regs seem to refer only to the requirement to have management plans, not that alcohol transportation in certain quantities is inherently dangerous and/or is forbidden by CASA. It seems to me that this policy is entirely an initiative of the airlines, not the regulators, although I stand to be corrected.
Lets look at this statement by 737 again:
Due to the alcoholic content in wine, or any other alcoholic drink, there is a limit on how much can be tranpsorted per passenger.
Could we be enlightened as to how the alcohol content of a beverage, transported in the hold, limits the amount that can be transported per passenger?
I too have frequently sent cartons of wine in checked baggage, over a number of years, and given the popularly of wine threads on AFF I reckon there would be more than a few in that boat.
Hope that helps and I'm sorry to hear about the confusion you had.
That's a bit rich. I don't think there is any 'confusion' on our part. We go to the airport and check in cartons of wine. Usually its perfectly obvious what it is. Maybe, 737, any 'confusion' is on the part of airline staff, if they are not supposed to check this stuff in, and yet that have been? What do you reckon?
