Traveling with BPAL

[helarctos]

What about BPAL imps in carry-on luggage? I want to bring my collection to share with my sister when I visit her in a few weeks, but I don't want to get pegged as a security risk with my assortment of mysterious vials.

 

Anyone with experience taking BPAL through the airport? I only travel with a carry-on because I fly standby, so checked luggage is not a possible solution.

[LaLisa]

Make sure each imp is labeled as perfume and sealed with tape; put them in a bag with all your other lady-items that you WON'T open on the plane--deodorant, tampons etc. Keep the stuff you need on the plane in your purse, while the other stuff is packed in your carry-on.

 

Dress as straight as possible.

 

 

But this is no guarantee you won't be searched. One of my girlfriends who looks NORMAL NORMAL NORMAL always has her bag checked because she packs a Hello Kitty change purse and a ton of make-up; guess Homeland Security wants to see what the hip colors of the season are. When we travel together we factor in 15 minutes for a cosmetic Q& A.

 

Who knows if they'll confiscate the imps.

 

Ship them to your sister's and save the hassle and worry

 

Airplanes are closed environments, so I try to keep perfume, oils, scented products to a super-minimum. What I love and think smells great could really annoy the person (who then starts sneezing) a couple rows back.

[aessedai]

Make sure each imp is labeled as perfume and sealed with tape; put them in a bag with all your other lady-items that you WON'T open on the plane--deodorant, tampons etc. Keep the stuff you need on the plane in your purse, while the other stuff is packed in your carry-on.

 

Dress as straight as possible.

 

 

But this is no guarantee you won't be searched.  One of my girlfriends who looks NORMAL NORMAL NORMAL always has her bag checked because she packs a Hello Kitty change purse and a ton of make-up; guess Homeland Security wants to see what the hip colors of the season are. When we travel together we factor in 15 minutes for a cosmetic Q& A.

 

Who knows if they'll confiscate the imps.

 

Ship them to your sister's and save the hassle and worry

 

Airplanes are closed environments, so I try to keep perfume, oils, scented products to a super-minimum. What I love and think smells great could really annoy the person (who then starts sneezing) a couple rows back.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've never had a problem at Logan, Baltimore, and Atlanta. I pack them in a little purse (only usually bring a max of 10) and I never tape them up or anything like that. I've carried them on and also checked them. I guess each airport experience can be different, though.

[Morgan]

I've never ahd a problem in Atlanta or Newark. I had about 8-10 in a plastic baggies in my purse. I din;t even think that I might have a problem, I guess I should have That would have sucked if they got confiscated.

I would just keep them in your makeup bag or something..Good luck!

[LunaSea]

Thanks for posting this question, helarctos. We're flying to Seattle next weekend, and I was wondering the same thing.

 

I do have another question for you imp-travel-savvy people out there. Has anyone had trouble with their imps leaking due to the pressure change? That would truly suck. I always pack my shampoo, soaps, etc. in plastic bags so if they leak they don't go everywhere. But with the preciousss, I'd be more upset over the loss of oil!

[Ina Garten Davita]

I just returned from a trip (Atlanta to Boston and back again). I had my essential oil travel carrying case full of bottles and imps in my backpack that I carried on. Not a word from anyone on either end. The TSA guy in Boston laughed at the cake pans in my hand luggage on the way home though. He wanted to know where his cake was.

 

No leakage or breakage at all from bottles or imps. I also had some imps in a film container in my handbag and no one said anything about them either.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I had imps in empty film containers when I went to Chicago and back--they were in my purse; no one said anything. No leaks either!

[alston78]

I got asked about a perfume vial once- it was at the Smithsonian in DC, though, not at an airport. The guard was searching my purse, asked what it was, and didn't confiscate it or check further when I replied it was perfume. Like the others, I would say that if you tape them, put them with other make-up/feminine articles, and answer truthfully if asked, it won't be a big deal. I wouldn't go to any effort to get them out of sight because from what I've heard, that attracts much more attention than just leaving things in the open.

 

Good luck and have fun! I hope you and your sister have a good time with all those imps!

[Scylla]

I've never had a problem traveling with imps. I tape the tops and put them in a film case, as suggested by another forumite (sorry! I forget who suggested it--Laurel, perhaps?) and put the film case in my makeup case with my other makeup, etc.

[antimony]

I usually have about half a dozen loose in my purse, and never had a problem.

 

I've flown out of San Francisco, Oakland, O'Hare, Lexington, Denver International, Midway, Austn, Houston, and maybe a couple of others if I'm forgetting any, with imps, and even when my purse was hand-checked, they didn't give them a second look.

[starrykitten]

I started doing the imps in film containers idea per Andrabell, which works really well, plus the folks at film developing places will often have lots of extra film containers on hand that you can ask for.

 

I just traveled with BPAL and didn't get my imps or bottles checked, though they must've looked weird on the x ray. I wrapped mine in plastic wrap and put them in little paper cups, also saran-wrapped, and put those upright in a makeup bag. On the planes, whenever possible, I kept the bag right in front of my feet under the seat in front of me so it stayed upright. One flight I didn't have that compartment so I had to stow my bag in the overhead bin and there was a little leakage. Perfumes leaked onto their own labels, but not much disappeared from the bottle. and they didn't leak onto each other.

[silverangel]

I've never had a problem. When I went home in Sept. I just had them lined up in a ziploc baggie in my backpack. My shoes got more notice. (I had to be searched since I about a ticket the day before t fly on sept. 11.) No one questioned me. And that was out of Oakland and Bradley airports. And Bradley goes through more security than usual I find lately.

[Sara]

I've taken both bottles and imps in my carry-on luggage. They were wrapped in tissue and in the front pocket of my purse. No issues at all.

 

Edited to add that BWI (Baltimore/Washington) and STL (St. Louis Airport) are the ones I've flown out of/into. I also had no leakage problems with my imps or bottles. (I walked around with 3 bottles and like 5 imps)

Edited December 4, 2004 by Sara

[ipb]

I do have another question for you imp-travel-savvy people out there.  Has anyone had trouble with their imps leaking due to the pressure change? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i wasn't thinking when i flew out here in july and left my impage in my checked baggage. one imp leaked, and not very much.

 

but the following airports haven't had issues with imps: albuq, denver, cincinatti, chicago, cedar rapids, moline, des moines. i'll let you know about atlanta and ft lauderdale come january

 

but really, most of the imps that get swapped go by air mail, and in unpressurized cabins - and most don't have issues doing so.

[pekeana]

I kept mine in my purse, bubblewrapped & plastic baggied them -- and the bottles in a seperate baggie done the same way -- and didn't have problems either at Kansas City or LAX. I explained before I put my stuff through that I had essential oils in the bags before they x-rayed them, and they said it wasn't a problem.

[darkling]

I have not had any problems with taking my imps aboard a plane even when I traveled internationally.

 

In contrast, I have had a lot of trouble with a metal barrette that I used to carry in an interior pocket of my bag as well as pixie stick leakage that was always suspected to be drugs.

[BellaCrow]

Hmmm, any ideas on how to take 15 or so bottles and 20 imps? I want to take some of my collection to my convention this weekend, Chicago to Oakland and I fear.

 

 

Urk!

 

 

Bella

[lucytalk]

I've been flying a lot recently between London and Houston, and not had any problems with imps or bottles. I just put them in my make-up back in carry-on luggage as the other have said. At London Gatwick they always check everyone's carry-on bag by hand, last time I flew I had a bottle of Come to me and some imps - the security woman asked what the Come to me was, I told her it was perfume oil and she opened it up and had a sniff to check! She seemed convinved it was harmless

 

ETA re leakage - I've never had any imps leak either, and of course all the imps we non-US people order come by air, all mine at least have been fine

Edited February 15, 2005 by lucytalk

[The Ace of Spades]

Hmmm, any ideas on how to take 15 or so bottles and 20 imps?  I want to take some of my collection to my convention this weekend, Chicago to Oakland and I fear.

 

 

Urk!

 

 

Bella

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bella, if you have an Organized Living near you, they sell sturdy little plastic battery carrying cases that are just about right for six imps (I bought the AAA size). I'd put bottles into film canisters or prescription bottles with a layer of bubble wrap, and pack the whole lot in a cosmetic bag with a few other things as a 'See, I'm not a terrorist, I just like to smell good' thing.'

 

I'm only bringing what I can fit safely and need for wearing - probably two bottles and six imps.

[ashtonrose]

I'm so glad I saw this. I am heading to Minneapolis via Charlotte and this hadn't crossed my mind. The film bottles sound like a great idea. I am so sad. I am brining almost everything with me. I never know what I want to wear. It's worse than my bringing clothes.

[Caitfish]

I've had safe imp travel experiences (in carry-on luggage) in Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego and San Juan. Went straight through the x-ray, no additional searches required.

[Penance]

Anyone taken imps out of the country? I'm just wondering because I'm flying to the Bahamas in June and I don't want to get anything confiscated.

[ipb]

i took mine to puerto rico, antigua, sint maarten, and the bahamas, but i was on a boat.. airport-wise, i was only stateside.

[rainbow]

I've been fine with both imps and bottles in both big airports (Dulles, Boston) and tiny ones (Charlottesville, VA). In all cases I travled with the stuff in one of the lab's priority mail boxes (bottles wrapped in bubble wrap, imps as they come on the bubble wrap cushioning. Anyway, it was never a problem.

 

I've not traveled internationally with BPAL imps, but I *have* flown back and forth alot between England and the US and had lots of similar perfume bottles0 sample size vials on their own, and small bottles, etc. and it was never, ever a problem. I'd just pack them with your other cosmetics and you'll be fine. I've been through customs with odd (and lots) of perfume bottles at Manchester and Heathrow, UK, and Philadelphia, Boston, and JFK, and, as I said, never been an issue.

[summer]

I have travelled both internationally and domestically with BPAL and never had a problem. I usually stick 8-10 imps in my jewelry box and either pack it in my suitcase or carry it in my carry-on bag (always carry on, in the case of international travel). It's never been searched, and I've had it with me in Atlanta, New York, L.A., Denver, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and even Beiruit!