No Liquor in Checked Baggage at FLL

[pamscholtz]

We returned from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess on 8/26 to FLL. Our airline was Delta - at the curbside checkin, everyone was being told that they had to dispose of their liquor - it could not be in the checked baggage at all, nor could it be checked in the sealed boxes provided by the liquor stores in the islands. We went inside and were fairly accosted by a Delta ticket agent ... "Where have you been? Don't you even watch the news??" Of course, we had dutifully packed all our liquid and gels in our checked luggage - we aren't ignorant to the rules. The airport was a zoo and we had to get to our flight, so there wasn't any time to continue to argue the point - we gave our liquor (okay, we sold it for a VERY cheap price!) to someone leaving the airport. On our way thru security, we asked TSA officials about the policy and they assured us that liquor was fully allowed in checked baggage, or in separate sealed boxes such as we had. They insinuated that someone out front was probably running a scam. Nice, huh?

Since then, I have tried to check with Delta to confirm their liquor policy and received a useless form letter about the Gel/liquid policy, which I did not need repeated to me.

I contacted Dazzlers in St. Thomas where we purchased the liquor and the store manager replied very quickly that he had not heard of this problem before. He contacted Delta and was told that FLL personnel was in error - of course, that does me no good at this point. He will continue to tell travelers that liquor is allowed in your checked baggage, as he should I suppose.

However, before you leave on your next cruise, double and triple check on the liquor policy of your airline. I feel ripped off and should have put up a bigger fight - but these days, you're afraid to be too difficult or obstinate in an airport at the risk of being whisked off to jail!

Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone have the Delta Customer Service phone number? It's water (or rum, in this case!) under the bridge at this point ... I'm angry at myself at this point for not resolving this while there, but I was not getting any satisfaction at all. It's only liquor - it can easily be replaced - but it really left a bad taste at the end of a great trip!

[Bequia]

Delta Airlines Complaints and Compliments 404-765-2600

[spongerob]

In related news, incidents of drunk driving near the FLL airport have gone up dramatically...

 

I'm not surprised to hear about this scam. Sorry you got hit by it. I guess the only thing to do (in hindsight) would have been to pull out a video camera and film the person telling you this. Maybe that would cause the tune to change...

[Lightsluvr]

That will earn you a trip to the "naughty room"... strictly forbidden.

 

LL