Vapes on a Plane: Flying with Your Vaporiser

12 July 2018  |  Eugene

Those of us who love to vape know how prised of a possession your vaporiser can be. You know what vape and e-liquid works for you, so once you find them, you won’t want to go anywhere empty handed.This can pose particular problems when it comes to air travel, as some airlines and countries have recently released new regulations to limit where you can vape, and what you can take with you.

Here at Vape Mountain, we want you to be prepared, and we don’t want to see you caught in a difficult situation in an unfamiliar country or airport. That’s why we’ve compiled our best tips and tricks for flying with your vape, letting you enjoy your time abroad without sacrificing your cloud-puffing passion.

Know What’s Allowed on Board

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it can be more difficult than it sounds. While there was a time that vaping was no worse than having a drink on a plane, as with smoking, that time has passed. Nowadays, most airlines allow you to take your e-cigarette with you on board in your carry-on luggage, but it’s always best to check with your specific airline before flying. EasyJet, for example, allow an e-cigarette with a maximum of two spare batteries to be taken with you to your seat.

When it comes to travelling with your favourite e-liquids, normal aircraft liquid allowances apply. That means it shouldn’t be a problem taking your small bottles or capsules with you on-board, as long as they fall under the regular 100ml limit. As with all other liquids, you should place your e-liquid in one of the small plastic bags that are normally supplied by the airport before reaching security. For larger bottles of e-liquid, place them in your checked luggage. Speaking from experience, it’s always a safe bet to protect them with a plastic bag and some padding before flying. If not, you could be dealing with some extra-fragrant clothing for the remainder of your trip.

What About Checked Luggage?

Checked baggage brings up a whole different kettle of fish while flying. As a general rule, it’s usually safer to take your vapes and e-liquids (under 100ml) with you onto the flight as carry-on. Recently, e-cigarette and vaporiser batteries, like most other lithium batteries, have been subject to worldwide bans on many of the leading airlines. These batteries are still allowed to bring as carry-on luggage there, so for most this shouldn’t be an issue if prepared. According to Gatwick Airport, e-cigarettes themselves are also subject to a checked baggage ban inside and from the UK, so it’s best to check for specific regulations when abroad.

Security Tips: Help Them Out

As with dealing with airport security at any other time: it’s best to keep your head down and stay polite. The best method is the path of least resistance, so make sure you make the process as simple for security as possible. Keep your e-cigarette and liquids on the top of your carry-on bag, allowing for easy retrieval if it’s ever called for. Security officers don’t like to wait around for clumsy passengers fumbling around in their bag, so don’t make them. The battery is the most likely piece of kit to get you flagged down by security, so make sure you declare all your electronics and keep your battery with the rest of your vape kit at the top of your bag. Where applicable, it may be a good idea to mention the battery before any x-rays, just to be extra safe.

Can I Vape on the Plane?

The short answer to this question is no. While years ago, vaping on planes may have been acceptable, it definitely isn’t today. Policies on airlines tend to vary, with no blanket rules governing all airlines, so again, if unsure it’s best to ask your airline. To illustrate the wide array of attitudes towards vaping, consider the following examples:

  • Ryanair: This airline will not allow you to use your vape on the plane, but do sell their own e-cigarettes on-board and permit passenger use.
  • British Airways: As with Ryanair, this airline does not allow you to use your own vape, but supply them to customers on some flights, depending on the destination. To complicate matters, they do not expressly allow or disallow use of their own e-cigarettes in-flight, but do not bank on a “yes”, as experiences have varied. 
  • Qatar Airways: To illustrate the other side of the spectrum, and why you should be so careful, this airline has been reported to arrest and jail passengers for using e-cigarettes on planes. So long story short: don’t try it.

As an added note, there have been many reports of rebels going against company policy and vaping anyway. This, we would not recommend. While vaping will not always set off fire alarms in airline toilets, it has been known to, and it just isn’t worth the risk.

Vapes on a plane travel with your vaporiser pilot

Charging Your Device

When it comes to other considerations of what's allowed on board, at this point we've covered them all with one exception: no charging on board. While other electronic devices can be charged on the aircraft, e-cigarettes are an exception. That means if you're planning to use your vape soon after you land, make sure you have a full charge before you board the flight or you could be left searching for a new plug adaptor in the airport gift shop.

Pro Tip: Empty Your Clearomiser!

Here's something most vapers don't consider before taking to the sky: vapes and air pressure changes don't mix. Once the plane gets near cruising altitude, the tank will start to leak, and the problem will only get worse as the flight goes on. This can leave you with an embarrassing stain, leading those near you to think you've had a different sort of accident.

It can also lead to some unhappy co-passengers complaining about smells or even thinking you've used your vaporiser when you haven't (which can lead to some pretty sticky situations). With that considered, it seems like a good idea to take a minute before your flight to empty your clearomiser in the bathroom, or finish your e-liquid before reaching the airport.

Enjoy the Clouds

So after reviewing many of the new rules relating to flying with your vape the bottom line is: it's become more difficult, but is still very possible. As long as you keep your batteries, and in most cases vaporisers, out of your checked baggage you should be okay. Follow normal airline policy when it comes to liquids, with bottles over 100ml in your checked bags. Check up on the specific rules of your airline before flying, and ALWAYS be respectful to security to avoid any problems. After that, just remember to charge up, empty your clearomiser and you should be fine, providing the laws of your destination are vape-friendly. 

Looking to stock up on vape gear before your next trip? Check out our full range of Vaporisers, E-liquids and Accessories, all with FREE UK delivery on orders over £20!

Have any questions, or anything to add? Leave a comment below, or find us on Facebook and Twitter!

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