Luggage restrictions - what you can and can't carry on our flights and cruises

• View a full list of items you can take onboard your flight.

• View the cruise prohibited items list.

You’ll notice some items are marked as needing ‘Operator’s approval’ – this means you’ll need to contact us as far in advance as possible to arrange. You can call us on 0203 451 2688.

Enhanced security checks for flights returning to the UK

UK airlines need to carry out enhanced security screening from certain destinations for return flights to the United Kingdom. If this applies to your flight, you'll be told whilst you're on holiday as it may mean that you need to check in a bit earlier. You might need to be at the boarding gate earlier, too.

Airport security regulations state that you’re only allowed to carry small amounts of liquids in your hand luggage.

How much you can take

Liquids make up part of your 1-bag hand luggage allowance. You’ll need to pack them in containers of no more than 100ml – 3.5 fluid Oz and carry them in a clear, resealable plastic bag up to a maximum size of 20cm x 20cm – 8 inches x 8 inches, or that can hold up to 1 litre. Any liquids in containers bigger than this need to be packed in your checked-in luggage.

How to pack your liquids

Make sure the containers fit comfortably in the bag and that the bag is completely closed. You’ll need to ensure the containers are easily visible, too. You’ll need to provide the plastic bag yourself. Each person travelling – including infants – can carry 1 plastic bag for liquids.

What ‘liquids’ means

Examples of liquids that you should pack as above include:

• Water and drinks, soups or syrups

• Creams, lotions and oils

• Perfume

• Sprays

• Gels - including hair and shower gel

• Shaving foam, other foams, deodorants and anything in pressurised containers

• Pastes, like toothpaste

• Liquid-solid mixtures

• Mascara

• Any other items that have a similar consistency

Liquid prescription medications

You'll be able to carry medical and dietary liquids over 100ml, but you'll need to bring a doctor's letter to show at security.

Liquid baby food or milk, or food for special dietary requirements

You can carry liquid baby foods or baby milk that’s either pre-packaged or made up at home. You can also carry foods for special dietary requirements as long as it’s essential for the flight or holiday. Please give any food or baby milk to staff when you go through airport security, as it’ll be screened separately.

Taking your liquids through security

When you get to security, you’ll need to remove the plastic bag from your hand luggage – it gets screened separately.

Buying liquids at the airport

Any liquids you buy from duty free must be carried in a sealed security bag - you'll be given this bag when you buy the item at the airport. You'll need to keep the item and the receipt sealed in the security bag throughout the journey.

Just so you know, security officers might need to open the bag to screen the item. If you're going to be connecting with another flight at your destination airport, let the security officer know and they'll reseal it in a new security bag.

Food items and powders in your hand luggage can obstruct images on x-ray machines. Your bags may need to be checked again manually by security. You can put these items in your hold luggage to minimise delays.

You can take a small lighter through security as hand luggage – apart from flights to and from the USA, where they are banned.

How to pack your lighter

The lighter will make up part of your liquid allowance and needs to be either packed in the resealable plastic bag or handed over separately for screening. After security, you’ll need to keep the lighter in your pocket for safety – it can’t be packed in your cabin bag.

What’s more, you should never pack lighters or matches in your checked-in baggage.

No scissors, knives or blades can be carried in the aircraft cabin.

You’re allowed to carry devices like mobile phones, digital cameras or MP3 players in your hand luggage. If you’re carrying any larger electrical items – a laptop, for example – you’ll need to take them out of your hand luggage before you get to the security search point. This is because they’ll need extra screening.

Small vehicles powered by Lithium Batteries commonly known as Hoverboard, Segway, Balance Wheel, Solowheel and Airwheel are not allowed to be carried in either carry-on baggage or checked-in baggage.

New airport security measures for electronic devices

If you're carrying any electronic devices in your hand luggage that are capable of holding a charge, you'll need to make sure they're fully charged when you go through airport security. This is part of new security measures that have been introduced by airports in the UK and abroad.

We recommend you keep things like mobile phones switched on until you board the plane, as there might be more checks at the departure gate.

You’ll need to take off your coat or jacket before you go through security, and you may also be asked to remove your shoes. They’ll need to go through the scanner.

You can take a wheelchair, walking aid or pushchair on board, but it’ll need to go through the x-ray machine when you arrive at the security checkpoint.

Just so you know, you may need to undergo extra screening or searches at the boarding gate if you’re going to the USA.

If you’re travelling back from the USA to the UK, there are a few more restrictions you need to be aware of.

Liquids

Just so you know, when you leave the USA, there are restrictions on taking liquids and gels into the departure areas. You’re allowed to take liquids in containers with a capacity of up to 90ml, which need to be packed in a 1 quart – or 1 litre, transparent plastic bag. You’ll need to make sure the items in the plastic bag fit comfortably, completely closed and sealed, and handed to the security staff separately to your other hand luggage.

Liquid baby food or medication

If you’re carrying any baby food, medication or diabetic kit that either doesn’t fit in the resealable plastic bag, or has a container bigger than 90ml, you’ll need to declare it to security staff.

If you’re carrying any form of liquids, you may need to undergo extra security screening.

Dangerous and prohibited articles not allowed in cabin luggage

You’re not allowed to carry the following items into security restricted areas and onto the aircraft.

Guns, firearms and devices that can fire projectiles:

This includes anything capable of injuring someone by firing a projectile.

• Firearms of all types, including pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns

• Toy guns, replicas, and imitation firearms that could be mistaken for real weapons

• Component parts of firearms, except telescopic sights

• Compressed air and CO2 guns, like pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns

• Signal flare pistols and starter pistols

• Bows, crossbows and arrows

• Harpoon guns and spear guns

• Slingshots and catapults

Stunning devices:

This means devices that are specifically designed to stun or immobilise.

• Devices for shocking, such as stun guns, tasers and stun batons

• Animal stunners and animal killers

• Disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, such as mace, pepper sprays, capsicum sprays, tear gas, acid sprays, and animal repellent sprays

Objects with a sharp point or edge:

Anything with a sharp point or edge that could be used to seriously injure someone.

Workmen’s tools:

Tools that could cause serious injury or threaten the safety of the aircraft.

• Items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets and cleavers

• Ice axes and ice picks

• Razor blades

• Box cutters

• Knives with blades of more than 6cm

• Scissors with blades of more than 6cm as measured from the fulcrum

• Martial arts equipment with a sharp point or sharp edge

• Swords and sabres

Blunt instruments:

Things that could cause serious injury when used to hit someone.

• Crowbars

• Drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills

• Tools with a blade or a shaft of more than 6cm that could be used as a weapon, such as screwdrivers or chisels

• Saws, including cordless, portable power saws

• Blowtorches

• Bolt guns and nail guns

Explosives and incendiary substances or devices:

Explosives and incendiary substances that could – or appear to be able to – cause serious injury or pose a threat to the safety of the aircraft.

Dangerous and prohibited articles not allowed in hold or cabin luggage

For safety reasons, you can’t take the following items on the plane at all – either in your hand luggage or your checked-in luggage. You may be able to have them carried as air cargo if they’re packed and shipped in line with Dangerous Goods Regulations. This would need to be done by an approved cargo agent.

• Baseball and softball bats

• Clubs and batons, such as billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks

• Martial arts equipment

• Ammunition

• Blasting caps

• Detonators and fuses

• Replica or imitation explosive devices

• Mines, grenades, and other explosive military stores

• Fireworks and other pyrotechnics

• Smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges

• Dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives

• Compressed gases– Deeply refrigerated, flammable non-flammable and poisonous – such as butane, oxygen, liquid nitrogen, and aqualung cylinders.

• Corrosives- such as acids, alkalis, mercury and wet-cell batteries.

• Explosives, munitions, fireworks and flares- including hand guns, ammunition, and percussion caps for toy guns.

• Flammable liquids and solids- such as lighter fuel, matches, paints and thinners.

• Radioactive materials

• Oxidising materials- such as bleaching powder, or peroxides.

• Poisons and infectious substances- such as insecticides, weed-killers, and live-virus materials.

• Small vehicles powered by Lithium Batteries- commonly known as Solowheel and Airwheel are not allowed to be carried in either carry-on luggage or checked-in luggage.

• Other dangerous articles- such as magnetised material, offensive and irritating materials.

If you’d like more information on luggage restrictions, visit the gov.uk website.