Most airports and airplanes have banned traditional cigarettes, citing the health concerns for the general public as the main reason. Since e-cigarettes (e-cigs) are not traditional cigarettes, some may wonder if they fall under the same regulations and bans. The United States TSA has laid out a few of the guidelines they set for e-cigarettes. While this is one example of the regulations you might find, it is important to check with your specific airline before you fly.
The TSA Regulations
Right now, the TSA has no regulations specific to e-cigs or their parts. Still, the e-liquid falls under the general regulations on liquids. Thus, you’ll want to make sure that you take the e-liquid tank out of your e-cig and put it in the bag with your other liquids. Currently, e-liquid will fallfalls under the 3-1-1 rule. For travelers within the United States, this means that liquids or gels cannot be in a container bigger than 3.4 ounces and they must all be gathered in a one-quart clear plastic bag. There is only one bag per passenger.
For those who aren’t heavy users, they can typically get through the TSA check points without any difficulty.
Traveling with Your E-Cigs
There are many ways to make traveling easier with your e-cig. One is related to the TSA regulations on liquids. You should separate the electronic components and put them with your other electronics. The e-liquid must be included in with the other liquids you are carrying, but beyond that, you should have no reason to declare that you are traveling with an e-cig or its components.
Still, it is important to remember that while the TSA does not have any specific rules about traveling with e-cigs, there are still the actual airplanes to consider. Each individual airline may have its own rules, so it is important to check with them prior to vaping on the plane.
Vaping on the Aircraft
As we noted above, each airline can have its own rules regarding vaping on planes, primarily because e-cigs do not have the same ban as traditional cigarettes do. However, the vapor from your e-cig could possibly set off the fire alarm. So be discreet in your vaping, keeping your vapor clouds to a minimum. Additionally, most individuals might not recognize that it is an e-cig, so you might have to explain that you aren’t smoking and allow for the airline personnel to confirm that it is in fact not a cigarette.
Overall, the most important thing to remember is that some airlines have banned vaping on the planes to avoid confusion with standard cigarettes. Thus, before you travel, check with your airline to be sure vaping is allowed on the plane.
Checklist before Taking Off
Regardless of where you are vacationing, it is important to make sure you have all your vaping supplies. After all, while you might easily be able to replace shampoo or a toothbrush, your e-cig supplies might be harder to come by. Pack extra batteries, cartridges and any charging devices you might need. The actual electronic portion of your e-cigarette you should keep with your carry-on luggage.
The critical part is to separate your battery from the cartridge. It will make getting through any checkpoints. Moreover, having them separated will avoid any potential hazard of them getting overheated in your checked luggage. The actual e-cig needs to be kept in your carry-on luggage, as it can be a fire hazard in your checked luggage if the heating element is accidently activated.
Since checked luggage does get x-rayed and examined, it is better to take your e-cig with your carry-on luggage. If you aren’t there to explain what it is, the TSA agents might discard your e-cig, which can be difficult to replace while traveling.
Currently, while you are on the road, it might be difficult to find a brick and mortar store that sells supplies. Thus, as mentioned previously, it is important to make sure you have extra cartridges packed in your checked luggage.
Hanging Around in the Terminal
For many airports, vaping is not necessarily allowed within the terminal. Airports, while not being very specific about e-cigs or vaping devices, typically group them with traditional cigarettes and consider it smoking when e-cigs are used. Thus, you may find that airport personnel will direct you to the designated smoking areas.
Thus, in order to vape, you may have to go to the designated smoking area in the terminal. However, that might not smell too great, so you will want to consider that when choosing to vape at an airport or not.
Final Points for Vaping While Traveling
The most important points to remember are that your device needs to be powered off, with the electronic components separated from the power source and the cartridge. It is best to keep all the components with you in your carry-on luggage. Extra cartridges of e-liquid should be kept in your checked luggage, as a large quantity of e-liquid can push you past the maximum amount of liquids allowed in carry-on luggage by the TSA.
For other countries’ travel restrictions on liquids, you should check with your specific international airline. Another thing to remember is that your e-cig will often be considered a potential fire hazard if put in checked luggage, so you want to make sure that you have not packed any parts of your e-cig that could overheat in your checked bags.
Some airlines might require you to take the e-cig components out of your carry-on bag and keep them on your person throughout the course of the flight. Overall, e-cigs are safe to travel with, as long as they are taken apart. But you may not be free to vape until you have left the grounds of the airport and gotten off the plane. While there are no regulations specific to e-cigs, airlines do have their own restrictions. Thus, it can’t be stressed enough how important it is to check with your airline prior to your flight for their specific rules.
No matter where you’re traveling, we can help you find the best e-cigs. Take a look at our pages covering the best e-cigs in the UK, Australia, or the EU.