Can You Bring Cigarettes On A Plane?

Are Cigarettes Allowed on Planes? Can You Bring Cigarettes On A Plane?

Did you know? Till the first half of the 20th century, smoking in planes was of no offense, actually. This phrase is regarded as the golden age of in-flight smoking. But from the second half of the 20th-century, in-flight smoking was prohibited in almost all airlines. 

In 2015, the United States Department of Transportation prohibited the use of electronic cigarettes as well. 

But just because you can no longer smoke in-plane does not mean that you cannot carry them while traveling. Yes! You can take cigarettes on the plane. All you have to do is keeping a few points of concern in mind. Because, if you don’t, it may cost you a lot. 

Let’s have a look at all the rules and regulations to travel on a plane with cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

Where to Carry? How Much to Carry? 

You can carry any tobacco products in the handbag. In the case of E-cigarettes, it should be packed well inside resealable bags, which can also be kept near you for the entire journey. There are many other rules associated with e-cigarettes, which are discussed below. 

It is recommended not to put any of your cigarettes in the Hold Luggage as it is completely banned in most airports. 

The Transportation Security Administration does not put any restriction on the number of cigarettes that you can carry. Therefore, you can take 1 single piece of cigarettes with you without any worry. The best way to determine this is by clearing this fact with the airport services you plan to travel with. 

For instance, the US and Border Protection limit the importing of about 200 cigarettes from most foreign countries. On the other hand, you are allowed to bring about 1,000 cigarettes in the US from places like American Samoa, The Northern Mariana Islands, and The Virgin Islands.

WHAT ABOUT THE E-CIGARETTES? – Can You Bring Cigarettes On A Plane?

Electronic cigarettes’ increasing popularity has led the Transportation Security Administration to impose some new rules on the flight. All kinds of vaping devices (vaporizers, e-cigarettes, or vape pens) are only allowed in aircraft cabins. 

That means you are only allowed to take within “Carry on” never on your “Checked luggage” as they contain lithium batteries that can get overheated if kept somewhere else. 

Read: Can You Bring Cigars On A Plane?

Details about the other articles related to cigarettes

You are now aware of the basic rules of carrying cigarettes and other tobacco products on a plane. Good. Furthermore, there are some other rules regarding tobacco paraphernalia that should also be considered. Here is a list of all the things that you can and cannot bring on the plane. 

LIGHTERS

You are allowed to carry one standard lighter on your carry-on bags. As per the report of The Department of Transportation, the use of fueled lighters is strictly prohibited in checked luggage. Torch-style lighters are also not at all allowed on planes.

TOBACCO PIPES

Pipes are allowed to be carried in both carry-on and checked luggage. 

MATCHES

A pack of standard safety matches is allowed in the carry-on bags. Checked luggage prohibits carrying matches, however. Strike anyway matches are neither allowed in carry-on nor in checked luggage. 

How to Overcome Cravings During Flights?

Yes, carving during long hours is a common problem that cigarette lovers face on flights. It’s a major issue for many individuals. Here are some tricks that might help you to overcome your tobacco cravings during flights. 

Keep your hands busy with something else. You can grab a magazine or a GameBoy. Sitting still allows you to give in to such emotions. Thereby you can get a walk to the washroom, clean your face up, and take a deep breath. 

Stock yourself up with varied snacks. Just pay some bucks, and the attendance will be there with a bulk of snacks. Or you can try chewing gums. It’s a great substitute. It will keep your mouth occupied as well.

WHAT IF YOU DO NOT MAINTAIN THE RULE?

There are always some obvious reasons that the airline’s authority displays no-smoking signs so prominently in the aircraft. Nothing spreads faster than a fire in an aircraft. Hence, if anytime they find someone breaking the rules, then the outcome can be severe. Authorities take things like this very seriously.

As reported in the US, if a passenger is caught smoking, then he/she will be fined up to $4000 or can get imprisoned too. The authorities are advised to arrest the one they find guilty. 

The Federal Aviation Administration, however, has not published any details about in-flight smoking fines and penalties. They still now have published only 10% of the fines. Travelers have reported that some fines are too less to be charged. Like in Tampa, a man found smoking 2 times was charged with only $50.

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SOME COMMON QUERIES!

How many cigarettes can I take on a plane?

There are no such rules and regulations set by The Transportation Security Administration. You can easily carry cartons of cigarettes with you. But different airports have some set of rules and regulations. For instance, the US allowance is 200 cigarettes only. Not more than that.

Are flight attendants allowed to smoke?

It completely depends on the airline’s rule. Some allow their attendants to smoke under certain conditions. Take FlyDubai and British Airways, for example. In contrast, some of the flights like Qatar Airways do not allow their attendants to smoke in flight under any circumstances. If caught, they might be heavily penalized. Even their job will be at risk.

When was smoking banned on the planes?

Now all the airlines have banned smoking. On 25th February 1990, the AFA finally banned smoking on domestic flights for the first time. 10 years later, almost every air service banned smoking on flights.

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