AIRPORT BOOZE BAN HARD TO SWALLOW

22-01-2007

We all know that in these post 9/11 times there arerestrictions on the liquids we can carry thorugh airport security. But as Edward Cameron has been discovering, passengers have been legally buying booze for flightstaking off fromBirmingham International - only to have it confiscated atthe other end.

A friend flew from Birmingham Airport to Denver via Amsterdam the other day, and uncovered a rather irritating situation sparked by the new anti-terrorism rules.

He knew already that it is forbidden to take a bottle of liquid onto a flight unless, bizarrely, you buy it once you've gone through to the airside - You see allowing the businesses to continue making a trade and paying their rents overrides any concerns about terrorism.

By buying a bottle duty-free at Brum, a helpful young checkout worker pointed out to my mate, he risked having the bottle confiscated at Schiphol Airport even though he was only transferring there for his flight to the States.

My friend pointed out that he would be airside the entire time but the young woman said she was led to believe that didn't matter. She promptly gave him a refund.

And it turns out she was bang on.

Sure enough every passenger getting off at Amsterdam who had bought booze at Brum was relieved of it.

It seems at Amsterdam they have a different system, wheresomeone takes your purchases and puts them on your airline seat, so that you can't tamper with it between buying it and boarding - so presumably they believe that alcohol brought in from Brum or eslewhere poses some kind of security risk.

So the opportunity for airports to turn a profit has actually increased thanks to the ever more Draconianrestrictions that have been introduced.

But you can't actually drink thatcheap bottle of whisky you paid good money for - it's for your own protection. It's enough to turn anyone to drink - if only they could get their hands on it.

Have you had similar run-in with airport security over the current restrictions? Leave a comment on our messageboard.