Reduce the size of travel containers to 3.4 ounces when carrying on luggage. Purchase a set of clear containers at your local drugstore. When packing liquids in carry-on luggage, follow the 3-1-1 rule in accordance with the Transportation Security Administration's standards. The maximum size for travel containers allowed is 3.4 ounces. All containers must fit into a 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag and only one bag per passenger goes in the screening bin. These restrictions pertain to liquids and gels, which allows airport security to limit the amount of fluids taken aboard by any one passenger.
Alert a Transportation Security Administration officer if you must carry-on vital fluids that exceed the maximum size for travel containers allowed. The exceptions to the 3-1-1 rule are medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk. They do not have to be in a zip-top bag, but an officer must know of every item over the limit so they can inspect and clear each container to board the plane.
Use your checked luggage for larger amounts of liquid. Honestly, what woman can survive a week with a mere 3.4 ounces of lotion, shampoo or hair serum? Pack liquids and gels that you cannot reduce to small containers inside your checked luggage. In this case, the personal recommended size for travel containers is still smaller than the average jug of your favorite shower gel. Try to fit any remaining liquids inside a one-gallon sized zip-top bag or a similarly confined container. This will alleviate annoying spills on your new vacation clothes and Transportation Security Administration officers searching high and low for mysterious fluids. Keep your fluids contained to an easily accessible place and remember that your checked bags and the liquids inside are subject to extensive airline search.
Keep the contents of your carry-on and checked luggage as neat and organized as possible. Having cords untied and bottles of liquid in every compartment makes it more difficult for security officers to search your belongings and move on to the next passenger's items. Officer difficulty can result in broken items that the airline may not replace.
