Holidaymakers flying ahead of 25 December will have packed their suitcase and checked it twice – but it’s best to leave the gift wrapping until you land.
Whether headed for a destination Christmas or visiting far-flung family, travellers may want to keep sentimental gifts close in their carry-on when taking off.
But passengers are being warned to ditch wrapping efforts before passing through security checks to avoid line delays and gift confiscations.
Although it’s obvious that some gifts will be banned from hand luggage – such as perfumes, snow globes and alcohol bottles over 100ml – don’t be tempted to tuck elaborately wrapped presents into your carry-on without being prepared to peel off all your hard work if questioned at security.
Budget Irish airline Ryanair advises against the hand luggage pitfall. It warned in a statement: “Don’t spend hours intricately wrapping gifts to carry in your hand luggage. Wrapped gifts may be opened, searched and screened by airport security staff.”
Instead, Ryanair says to “take a gift bag that can be folded and packed flat or save your expert wrapping skills until you arrive at your destination.”
According to the airline, party poppers, sparklers, fireworks and Christmas crackers should also only be bought once you have reached your destination.
Heathrow airport, the UK’s largest and busiest aviation hub, tells travellers not to wrap gifts on their website, “as security staff may wish to view them”.
The airport said in a blog post last year: “Wrapped gifts can be viewed as concealed packages and may need to be screened, opened and searched by airport staff. If you are taking wrapping paper and gift bags with you, make sure they fold flat so they won’t get creased. And if you’re expecting a festive haul on the big day, make sure you pack a swag bag to bring them all back safely!”
After security, however, duty-free purchases can be bundled with all the bells and whistles at gift-wrapping stations in Heathrow terminals.
According to a guide for Gatwick, “Wrapped Christmas presents are not exempt from the current aviation security measures and are subject to searching and screening measures by airport security staff when flying from the UK.
“It is possible that passengers may be asked to unwrap any presents by security staff at the airport before their journey. Therefore, passengers should travel with any presents unwrapped.”
The guide also suggests that liquid presents are best placed “unwrapped in hold baggage”.
In 2023, London Luton airport said that 38 per cent of British travellers claim to have never heard of airport guidance advising against packing gift-wrapped presents in hand luggage.
The airport teamed up with a Rowan Atkinson lookalike to parody the Love Actually elaborate gift-wrapping scene and remind passengers to arrive at the airport with their presents unwrapped at Christmas.
Read more: The UK’s airports brace for busiest Christmas period in history
