Writing in caps is a form of shouting.

The way they throw checked luggage around, I wouldn't risk it!

They sell cheap boxed wine in the stores in Hawaii. Why bother unless you bringing something special.

For opinions, Fodors is great.
For laws and policies, why not go to the source, the airline itself
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/baggage/before-your-trip/special-items.html

Looks like you could take it as long as it doesn't exceed weight and other basic requirements, but with no guarantee that it will arrive safely

I might be wrong but I would guess that in the low air pressure hold of the plane that at least 1 cork would pop.
Example: If I fill my hydration pack with water near the coast, by the time I drive to 5500 feet elevation, it looks bigger and it is leaking.
Buy your wine in Hawaii or ship it ahead.

Can wine handle the extreme temperature changes. I don't think the hold where the luggage is is pressurized. It gets probably below zero temperatures at 33,000 feet above sea level.

I checked two bottles of expensive wine I bought in Saint-Émilion one time and when I opened it a few months later it tasted HORRIBLE!!

Generally speaking, yes, you can carry wine or "ship" it as extra luggage.

The wineries have special boxes with special inserts that separate the bottles. These are very secure. Wineries ship cases of wine all the time. Is your box such a box with the special inserts?

I've carried wine in my check-in luggage (not a whole case full, but two, three or four bottles) and have never had a cork pop.

You should also label the box "Handle with Care, Olive Oil" or "Homemade Jam" [The olive oil part was taught to me by ...anyway, too long a story, but you need to label the box as something innocent-sounding so that the case of "wine" will reach your destination]

For Delta specific information, check out nyer's link.

We had a special Styrofoam type cooler/case we bought at a wine store and took win to Hawaii a number of times as well as to Miami for a cruise.

Wasn't really expensive - and actually - I think we had two - which each held six bottles.
They traveled well - and maybe the Styrofoam not only protected the wine but also partially insulated it in the baggage hold - which can get cold.

I wouldn't treat a good wine that way. And if it's not a good wine - why not just buy it on the spot?

The wine will be fine, if properly packed, for check in.

People do this all the time - shipping wine home from visits to CA

Ahhh nanab: Love your standards. They were mostly good Chards - which I think hold up a little better than some of the finer/more delicate reds.

BTW - years ago - there were much fewer wines available in Hawaii - and they were also pretty expensive. From here in Cal as you know - you get the best buy on Cal wines.

There are some ignorant airplane folks. The entire airplane including the luggage area is pressured to about 8000 feet and it is heated since animals and other sensitive cargo goes there. The wine is not going to pop any corks and nothing will freeze. You are riding in a modern plane and not an unpressurized B-25 bomber. It the wine is properly package it will have no problems.

fmpden - agree.

How do you think Beaujolais Nouveau gets to the U.S. on the third Thursday of November?

submarine?

I don't bring my own wine on the plane for many reasons. I do ship a case of wine to the condo/resort/rental that I am staying. I have never had a problem with shipping. Anyone who tells you that there will be a problem, does not understand the true nature of wine.

If you want to ship good wine, find an excellent wine shop that ships. I use either K&L in Menlo Park or Premier Cru in Berkeley. Allow for a few day shipping. Transit rarely changes wine.

I'm still amazed about the "hydration pack"...I know flying can be stressful, but...

Sure - you can pay to have someone ship it for you - or as noted - do it yourself.

On another web site there was a long discussion and strong belief that you had to deflate bike tires or they would explore on the airplane. Another urban story that has too many believers.

We brought alcohol to California, like rum from Caribbean, nothing bad happened to it. Of course my husband packed it well, in bubbles. The luggage is tossed, so we only worry about bottles being broken.

My dad didn't tell me beforehand, but he put two bottles of wine in his suitcase coming home from Italy. They were fine. He had no special containers for them, just tied them in a dress shirt. I myself would recommend a styrofoam or other surround, though.

If you are comfortable checking it, then do it. I am not comfortable with checking fine wines. I've had luggage broken and jewelery stolen, so for me I'll let someone else take the risk.

Tomsd on Feb 1, 13 at 5:18pm
BTW - years ago - there were much fewer wines available in Hawaii - and they were also pretty expensive. From here in Cal as you know - you get the best buy on Cal wines.

bullcrap Tom. There has always been Safeway, Foodland and Times that have ALWAYS had an excellent selection of wines and not much more expensive than anywhere else.

Rags....Costco is on all the major islands, good selection as is the above stores I mentioned. No need to bring your own wine, but if you do, it will travel fine as long as it is wrapped properly.

matnikstm: When did you first start going to Hawaii?

yeah matnikstm, when did you first start going to Hawaii? who do you think you are knowing about the quality of wine sold in Hawaii?

oh the things tourists could tell the locals about the lousy wine in Hawaii during prohibition . . . LOL Oh and those heady days of the earliest Pan Am flights to the islands when they let you carryon a case, no questions asked. And the stewardesses?!?! Yowzie. I mean did you know that Whaling Ships actually carried casks of wine, back in the day, to the islands that were pretty darned tasty? sheeeesh

Not to be a wine snob - but some wine aficionados/collectors prefer to take wine from their own collections - perhaps a vintage they bought 5 to 10 years ago and laid down and it's now ready to be enjoyed.

And if you actually traveled to Hawaii in the 70's and 80's - and even into the mid 90's - I will say that the selection of wines was somewhat limited.

As for "fine" wine - I haven't really shopped at Safeway or Foodland in Hawaii for the wines - but I can say that Costco does offer some good wines, but not necessarily what some might consider a wide selection of truly fine wines.

It's all up to the traveler - and if they want to take their own wines, good for them.

Wow, I have to say, there is so much bad advice in this thread!
YES, CHECK THE WINE, IT WILL BE FINE.
I have done it many times, it does not freeze, or pop, or degrade in quality.

As for fine wine at Safeway or Costco, lets agree to disagree on that. As someone pointed out, some people like to bring special wine or wine from their collections. There is no reason to wonder at that, really.

you all realize you are advising someone about wine who is also looking for an all you can drink champagne brunch

Lookin_Glass on Feb 9, 13 at 8:56am
yeah matnikstm, when did you first start going to Hawaii? who do you think you are knowing about the quality of wine sold in Hawaii?

1972 gyppielou. How about you? There was plenty of good wines then. 41 years later, there still is.

and tomsd...when's the LAST time you were in Hawaii? Where's the trip reports? ALL of your postings are dated and or googled. You've been called on this many times on many forums. Fess up.

matt honey, you clearly missed my point, as the punchline is asking someone(you) who has lived on the island of Hawaii "when did you first start going to hawaii?" Fell off my chair reading that one.

I was last in Hawaii - for two weeks - about 4 years ago. We were on Oahu for three days - mainly up at the North Shore - then stayed at our timeshare on Kauai for a week - and wound up on Big Island for about four days - and as we always do - drove around the islands.

On the trip a couple of years before that (another two week jaunt) - I/we also drove around all the main islands - (around Big Island twice on that trip) - and I also went to Lanai for day - as we were looking at hotel deals.

Spent quite a bit of time with a law school classmate who has lived on Oahu since '75 - and he has had real estate dealings/clients all over the islands - including one client/family on Kauai - who was similar to what George Clooney portrayed in the movie - The Descendants.

My classmate was our lead "scout" when we were looking for property deals, and he also went with us to Big Island.

In any event - part of the discussion above was about why people used to take their wine to Hawaii - when a good selection wasn't that readily available - or reasonably priced. Hey - we're not talking Red Ripple here.

that would be me Tom. I've lived here for over 20 years and started vacationing here in 1972 and most years after that.

Southern Wine and Spirits have been bringing in premium wines and liquor since 1968. Better Brands since 1967. R.Fields Wine Co in the early 80's. Lots of fine wines available since then at wine shops and supermarkets.

Sorry L_G, I did miss your point.

Good for you matn: All I know is that when I asked my classmates and work associates who lived in Hawaii - starting back in circa '75 - "what if anything they didn't like about Paradise" - it was generally: Can't get the wines we want- and/or at the price we want. Oh - and food prices were higher than on the mainland.

Perhaps coming from California - we/they were spoiled?

The 2nd most frequent complaint - but to a lesser degree - was of course "Rock Fever" - that some needed to get off-island - and if you had business trips back to the mainland great (unless your wife was also not from the islands) - but if not - a few did move back because they felt too isolated.

That included one of my law school classmates - who was Chinese-American - and also a former Miss Missouri - who loved Hawaii for a while (she had a great job with the City Attorney's office over there) - but she moved back to SF after several years over there.

She and her husband are now both retired from the practice of law - and have become globetrotters - spending a lot of time hanging out in little villages on the French coast of Brittany and points south.

what does that have to do with anything this post is about?

OK, guys. It is very simple to take wine on a flight. We do it all the time. When we take a case, we have the winery pack it for shipping ( in styrofoam). At the airport, we go to the counter to check it in. We tell them it is wine. It is labeled as such, taped securely by them and labeled 'Fragile.'. We get a receipt and pick it up at Baggage Claim. We have never had a problem.

The winery can pack 2 or 3 bottles in a special carry-on box also. We have occasionally used those neoprene wine sacks also, either inside luggage or for carry-on.

If we buy a few bottles on impulse, as we did in Italy, we just wrap the bottles tightly in our clothing inside the luggage. I think this method is riskier but it has worked ok. Shipping from Italy is pricey.

I prefer cardboard wine cases with egg crate inserts, because one set of styrofoam inserts arrived cracked all over inside the case. But the bottles were fine, so that could have been a one off.

Jeez Tom. We've always been able to get good wine in Hawaii. If anything, it was easier in the past when the post office and airlines were much more tolerant of liquids being carried or shipped.

You've got to understand that people in Hawaii have very little to complain about to theeir mainland friends (" It's 74 degrees and I'm FREEZING" ), so they always fall back on the cost of groceries, housing, and the travel time between HNL and LAX when they want some attention.

Get a decent wine carrier and your wine will be fine, rags.

lcuy - happy to hear you are well situated.

And amen to people living in Hawaii having it good. I will never forget my first biz trip - and I stayed over for the weekend. A couple of my law school classmates were living over in Kailua (mind you - this was in '76 or so).

Yes, they did have a commute - 20 minutes - but hey - it was through a rain forest to get over to Honolulu. It's obviously longer now.

And on a Sat morning - they were having a tv/football party - watching USC play UCLA - starting at 9:30 am - and after that - they were going to the beach.

The house was modest - 3 BR/2BA - but it backed up to a canal - and they had their own dock.

The only complaint was - we haven't been able to justify buying a boat yet.