As major airports including Heathrow and Gatwick say they’re not ready to lift 100ml liquid limit, one woman has shared a ‘genius’ way to avoid the rule at security
The 100ml rule is one of the most annoying parts of packing for a holiday.
If you’ve been on a flight since 2006, you’ll be aware of the 100ml rule which means all liquids in your hand luggage – including toiletries such as shampoo and shower gel – must be in containers no bigger than 100ml and must fit in a clear plastic bag. This rule is set to come to an end at smaller airports in the UK this year thanks to new scanners that will allow for bottles of up to two litres to be permitted.
However, major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester airports will not have the technology in place for the June 1 rollout, so the 100ml rule will stay in place for now – and there’s a chance it won’t be lifted until 2025. But if you’re planning on flying from one of the UK’s major airports this year, worry not, as one woman previously shared the cheeky loophole she uses to bypass the 100ml rule.
Ellie Connolly, from Dartford, Kent, said that all you have to do is place an order for all the toiletries you need at the chemist – usually Boots or Superdrug – that can be found inside the airport after the security checkpoint.
This means Ellie’s liquids don’t go through the airport security, and she just picks them up once she’s through. That way she can bring all of her favourite products on holiday without running the risk of them being confiscated.
She explained: “I order toiletries to Boots whenever I go away and I’ve been doing it for the past two years. Only taking 100ml bottles works out so expensive so I just started ordering full-size products to the airport Boots. I order shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, toothpaste, razors, sun lotion, deodorant, face wash, baby oil, hair spray and heat defence.
“I order things I don’t mind leaving behind. Some people say it’s a waste but usually, when I go away I will stay in an Airbnb and leave them there or I go away with friends and we all share between us. I realised I could start doing this when I was going on holiday and I had forgotten some things so I had to buy them at the airport and couldn’t believe how expensive it was. I spent around £30 and still didn’t manage to get everything and they were all minis. The hand cream alone was £4.50.”
Ellie noticed that there were order boxes for people’s click-and-collect parcels available at the airport. “So I went online and saw it came up to get the delivery to the store so I decided to just try it one time and it worked,” she said.
Since posting her tips online, people have been quick to call Ellie a ‘genius’ and her tactic ‘game changing’. She added: “A lot of people have started doing this now getting nappies and formula for their babies. My friends have also started doing this now too. I am like the mum of the group and will order it for everyone and works out cheaper as well.
“People have been loving it on TikTok, but a lot of people tell me it’s a waste and tell me to buy the things I need when I’m in the country I’ve gone to or just buy at the airport. There has been a lot of negativity but there has also been some saying it’s so useful and they’re going to try it.”
UK airports were initially told to scrap liquid rules by June this year in order to allow passengers to bring two-litre bottles on flights. However, delays in the installation of new scanners to facilitate this change has meant that major airports have applied for an extension.
According to BBC News, airports must apply individually for these extensions and they could last for up to a year, meaning passengers could continue to face the 100ml rule until June 2025. A Department for Transport source has said these delays are for “genuine” reasons, however the Civil Aviation Authority will impose financial penalties on airports that keep missing deadlines.
Smaller airports including Teesside and Birmingham already have the new security screening technology in place and are expected to go live on time, while London City Airport became the first in the UK to start using the new scanners last year.
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