Baby formula on flight - did you ever have an issue at security (liquid rule)?

[Cinai2]

As the title says…baby is formula fed and I will need at least 2 feeds of 150 ml during our journey. After a quick google it seems that UK airport security is ok with baby formula as needed, including bringing sterilised water (thinking of bringing a flask with 500ml of boiled water to mix formula on the go), but this note on the airport website we’re flying to makes me worried. Are there airports that also limit baby formula on hand luggage to 100ml containers and is there a risk that they won’t allow us through security? Should I bring a few 90 ml pre-mixed bottles instead and use my and DHs hand luggage liquid allowance to carry 2 pre mixed bottles each?

I’ve just flown out of LHR with 4mo. He’s BF but I brought pre-made formula just in case. I had 2 x 250ml bottles. 1 x 500ml water (it was just water for me to drink but they assumed). No issue at all.

Security wise you should be fine- never done the flask method but I have taken water in a sippy cup and like the formula it was exempt from the usual rules. They will probably put some or all of it through a liquid scanner so allow extra time.

But personally I would take ready made in the normal 7oz cartons and always 24 hours worth. There could be delays, checked luggage could get lost so would never take less with me even for a short flight. And I think the flask method is something to avoid on planes unless you’re on a prescription formula and have no other choice as it may not stay at temp as long as you need it, if there are delays, and pouring out hot water on a flight when you might get an unexpected bump of turbulence and are in a confined space with the baby is just all round a bad idea!

Yeah no issue here either. Have done it twice from Luton and Stansted.

Just to also add to this, we did a long haul flight and did a preorder to pick up once we cleared security. DC was 5 months old and feeding was all over the place (my milk was drying up and so had no idea how much formula to take).
I just did a Boots click and collect. Worked a treat.

On a separate flight we just allowed extra time to get through security. They took the formula bottles off to another scanner but no one was difficult about it.

Thanks all that’s good to know. Was it the same on your return flights?

Not like I’ve been to every country in the world with a baby lol, or even close! But for the routes we’ve done it’s always been the same on the return leg too.

We took a flask of hot water through a London airport (can't remember which one) and got stopped and had extra checks because it was 'too hot', which made me roll my eyes a bit as we'd boiled a kettle and let it cool a bit before putting it into the flask. But they didn't bat an eyelid at made up formula or ready to drink formula, so I think next time I'll do a click and collect as per PP, or just take ready to drink stuff. I've never had a problem at any foreign airport either - some of them have dedicated family lanes where almost everyone in the line is dealing with formula/snacks/pushchairs etc.

I bought a couple of bottles of pre-made formula online, for collection airside at Boots, when I had a formula fed baby. Took an unopened tub of powder in the case.

I exclusively expressed for DD and travelled with bottles of breastmilk and ice packs. They just asked me to lick a drop from each bottle.

I took readymade bottles and they didn’t say anything. We had DS with us too but they didn’t query it. I did stupidly take sudocream in the hand luggage that was just above the limit and practically new and had to throw it. I wasn’t thinking.

Isn't it less stressful to just buy it ready made at Boots once you're through security?

We took the sealed ready made aptamil bottles through security on holiday to turkey and Corfu and had no issues at all.
We also did a click and collect order from Boots airside to take more with us.

We also had the aptamil formula tablets that are the equivalent of 1 scoop per tablet which made life easier when in a restaurant or by the pool, rather than measuring out the scoops. We also just asked for boiled water to make up bottles while away and would've done so on the plane, so we didn't need to take flasks of water or anything with us

went to Mallorca last year. No issue with formula powder, several flasks of hot and cold water, or even 2x 1litre straw cups with water and cordial, one for each child. They took it away and tested it, along with ds4’s large bottle of antihistamine and it was all back with me by the time I’d got my shoes on. Prescription formula so no pre-made bottles available.