Taking food and drink on a plane

[shesariver]

Hi, looking for some advice regarding taking food and drink on planes - its been years since Ive been on a plane as our holidays usually involve driving to France, but next year its a dream holiday (booked up to go to California).

So not very up to date with security arrangements etc. Ive heard you cant take anything over 100 ml on board - does this also mean the drinks you buy in the shops after you have checked through passport control and security as someone told me you can buy them and take them on board? Also what are the arrangements for taking your own food and snacks on board? Have 2 boys.

You can't take anything over 100ml through security. But there are loads of shops after security and anything you buy there is fine.

No problems with food being taken on, as far as I'm aware (I've taken food onto several flights recently). Buy drinks once you're through security in the airport, or you may be able to take an empty drinks bottle through and fill up from a water fountain.

You are fine to take anything bought after security on board, and you can take your own food through security, but obv things like yogurt, jelly, purees are subject to the 100ml individual item, each persons liquids/gels/creams to fit into one, 1l clear plastic sealable bag

Thanks everyone for the advice, that sorts that out, will take along food and buy all drinks after security. Do security give out the plastic bags then?

There is no issue at all with bringing foodstuffs like sandwiches and fruit through security. Would not take through any runny foodstuffs though like yogurt if over 100ml, they may look twice at such things.

(BTW if travelling to the US do leave any uneaten fruit or any meat or cheese sandwiches behind on the aircraft).

You cannot however, bring any liquid like water through the security checkpoint; it will be taken off you and there are signs and amnesty bins at many entrances to such checkpoints (particularly at Heathrow). They do not like you bringing through partially empty or even empty containers if over 100ml either.

Any food or drink you buy airside can be taken onto an aircraft without any problems at all (as this has all been security cleared beforehand).

I use one of the small zip seal freezer bags you get as they will not give them out at the airport although they may have some there that you have to pay for.

Thanks Attila thats been helpful - would have taken all our rubbish off anyway but Im curious about not leaving fruit and sandwiches on the plane?

And thanks vodka - I will make sure I have some plastic bags

For some destinations you have to throw away fruit/sandwiches etc. in the airport before going through customs, so font leave them scrunched in the bottom of your bag

(BTW if travelling to the US do leave any uneaten fruit or any meat or cheese sandwiches behind on the aircraft).

As Bumply stated, such items have to be binned before you enter the country so you need to leave any uneaten sandwiches or fruit behind on the plane. Do not therefore take any rubbish off with you (you would not find any trash bins before immigration in any case).

Ah ok

They always give out the plastic bags at the security gate at Gatwick - i have never needed to buy one

At Birmingham I had to get them from a dispenser, £1 for 4 or 5.

If you do leave an apple and orange in your bag and get off the plane in America, when you get to the immigration line a small dog in hi-via FDA jacket will run round and round your feet so you can't move, and all the other passengers will glare and assume you're a drug dealer. The dog handler will be very nice about it though and just confiscate the fruit.

Thanks everyone