Bringing your favourite fragrance along when travelling is a must for many passengers, whether heading away on a summer holiday or flying for a business meeting. However, because perfumes, aftershaves, and body mists are liquids packaged in delicate glass bottles and containing alcohol-based formulations, specific airline and airport security rules apply. To ensure your luxury scent arrives safely without being confiscated at the security gate or broken in transit, here is the complete guide to flying with perfume from UK airports.

1. Perfume in Hand Luggage: The 100 ml Rule

In your hand luggage (cabin bag or personal under-seat item), perfume is treated under standard aviation liquid restrictions:

• Maximum Bottle Size: 100 ml (3.4 fl oz): The perfume bottle itself must have a maximum stated capacity of 100 ml or less. A half-empty 150 ml bottle will be confiscated by airport security, even if only a few sprays remain inside.
• Clear Resealable Plastic Bag: Your perfume bottle must fit comfortably inside your single 1-litre transparent, resealable bag alongside your other travel liquids (toothpaste, shampoo, creams).
• One Bag Per Person: You are allowed only one clear plastic bag per passenger through airport security.

2. Perfume in Checked (Hold) Luggage

If you wish to travel with larger bottles (such as 125 ml, 150 ml, or 200 ml luxury bottles), they must be packed in your checked suitcase.

3. Buying Perfume at Airport Duty-Free

Purchasing fragrances after clearing airport security is a popular way to bypass the 100 ml hand luggage restriction:

• No 100 ml Cap: You can purchase full-size 100 ml, 150 ml, or multi-bottle gift sets in the departure lounge.
• Keep it Sealed in the STEB Bag: The shop assistant will pack your purchase in a transparent Security Tamper-Evident Bag (STEB) with the receipt visible inside.
• Connecting Flights: Do not break the tamper seal until you arrive at your final destination, as security staff at transit airports will inspect the intact STEB bag.

4. How to Pack and Protect Glass Perfume Bottles

Fragrance bottles are typically made of thick glass and can easily crack under airport baggage handling or cabin pressure changes if not packed properly:

1. Use a Refillable Travel Atomiser: Instead of packing heavy, expensive glass bottles, decant a few millilitres of your scent into a compact 5 ml or 10 ml pocket atomiser.
2. Double-Bag to Prevent Leaks: Place your fragrance bottle inside a sealable ziplock bag before packing it to protect clothing in case atmospheric pressure causes minor leakage around the atomiser nozzle.
3. Cushion in the Centre of Your Suitcase: When placing perfume in checked luggage, never position it against the outer walls or corners. Wrap it inside thick knitwear or soft towels in the core of your case.
4. Secure the Atomiser Cap: Ensure the protective cap fits firmly over the spray button to prevent continuous accidental spraying inside your luggage.