Transporting cigarettes on a plane

Today we will talk about cigarettes on a plane, both regular and electronic. We will figure out if it's allowed to smoke on a plane and how to transport them.

Transporting cigarettes in checked baggage. How many cigarettes can you carry on a plane?

The quantity of cigarettes you carry in checked baggage is not limited. The main thing is not to violate the customs legislation of the country of entry. It is forbidden to import into Russia:

• more than 200 cigarettes - one block (one block contains 10 packs of 20 cigarettes), or
• 50 cigars, or
• 250 grams of tobacco,

per person, aged 18 or over. The same restriction applies in the EU. In the USA, you can import a little more tobacco (leaf) - up to 2 kg, but here there are stricter age requirements; import of tobacco products is allowed only for persons over 21 years old. Please note that if you bought cigarettes in the EU and are traveling within the EU from one country to another, customs restrictions will also apply to you. In this case, you can duty-free transport, for example, from Poland to Germany up to 800 cigarettes or up to 200 cigars, or 1 kg of tobacco. Rules vary in many countries, so it's impossible to give a definitive answer to the question "how many blocks of cigarettes can be carried on a plane?" but if you carry no more than one block, you definitely won't go wrong.

Transporting cigarettes in hand luggage

Restrictions on cigarettes in hand luggage are exactly the same as for checked baggage. That is, the quantity is limited only by customs regulations.

Remember, smoking on board an airplane is prohibited!

Hiding in the lavatory is not an option - a smoke detector is installed there, and if it goes off and you are caught, you will have to pay a fine or deal with the police upon arrival. The penalty depends on the airline's policy and the legislation of the country you are flying to. Smoking on board is very strictly enforced in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Smoking on planes is also legally prohibited in the USA. If you are carrying cigarettes, then naturally a lighter too. In most cases, a passenger can take one lighter into the cabin. Please note that carrying gasoline lighters is prohibited, as they are considered flammable items; we wrote more about this here.

Electronic cigarettes on a plane

Recently, more and more smokers are switching to electronic cigarettes. There are no restrictions on their transport, neither for the cigarettes themselves nor for their liquids. Electronic cigarettes are equated with electronic devices. Please note only three points:

• The quantity of cigarettes or liquid must be reasonable for personal consumption. Otherwise, your batch may be deemed commercial, and you will have to pay.
• In hand luggage, liquid volume restrictions apply. Each container must not exceed 100 ml, and the total volume of liquid in hand luggage must not exceed 1 liter.
• It is forbidden to carry lithium batteries in checked baggage, which includes batteries for electronic cigarettes. Therefore, it is better to take them in hand luggage.

Can you smoke electronic cigarettes on a plane?

The official policy of most airlines is that smoking on board is prohibited. Some airlines specifically clarify that the ban also applies to electronic cigarettes. However, there are currently no legislative restrictions on smoking electronic cigarettes on a plane, so the ban is merely the policy and rules of a specific airline. The ban on smoking, including electronic cigarettes on a plane, applies to the following airlines: Aeroflot, Continental, American, Japan, KLM, Japan Airlines, Airtran, Delta, Southwest, United, Northwest, US Airways, British Airways, Quantas, Iberia, Korean Air, American West Airlines, Air China, Air Canada, SAS, KLM, Emirates, EasyJet, China Southern, Alaska/Horizon Air, Saudi Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa and Thai Airlines. Smoke, or rather vapor from an electronic cigarette, rarely triggers a smoke detector (so far only one case is known, on an Emirates Airlines flight), and it is odorless and will not bother other passengers. However, smoking in the cabin can provoke other smokers, and it is precisely for this reason that smoking is prohibited for everyone on a plane. But you can still ask a flight attendant for permission; they often allow it, but discreetly. If they forbid it, don't be upset, you can smoke in the lavatory, where no one will see you, and you won't leave any smell behind. Another way to "smoke" during a flight is to buy a ticket on Kupi.com on an Irish low-cost airline Ryanair. This airline officially allows smoking electronic cigarettes on board, but with one condition - you can only smoke a cigarette purchased on board Ryanair.