Back in 2012 I came across what I’d considered the oddest checked luggage I’ve ever seen.
Since then, no luggage has really caught my attention as being odd or strange. However, I did see the oddest airline passenger back in February. (No, it isn’t really a person!)
So what might a can of beer and checked luggage have in common? Most of you would say nothing but boy would you be wrong…
An Australian man, Dean Stinson, “claims he successfully checked as luggage a single can of Emu Export, a Western Australian lager“, according to CN Traveler. Stinson was flying on Qantas from Melbourne to Perth.
The can of beer in question flew 1,682 miles on it’s own with nothing more than a luggage claim tag on it. What’s really impressive is that it made it through the journey unharmed.
Stinson says that he showed up at the luggage area a bit late since he was sitting at the back of the plane. No luggage was out yet but many people had their phones out so he had an idea of what was up. The can of beer was making it’s way around the luggage carousel by itself!
CN Traveler mentions that, “Flights within Australia aren’t subject to restrictions on liquids, so Stinson could have brought his brew onboard as a carry-on, but that wasn’t the point. He admits the stunt was planned in advance“.
Stinson has a friend who works at the airport. They’ve wondered what they could get away with as checked luggage. Another option besides the can of beer was a “single deodorant“.
It turns out that this was Stinson’s second attempt at checking his can of beer. While leaving Perth he was too late to check the beer so it made the trip across Australia in his carryon and got checked on the way home.
Stinson says that he expected to find the can of beer empty at the baggage area and if it didn’t turn up, he would’ve “filed a lost luggage report“. I just want to know what kind of compensation Stinson would’ve asked for? I think Qantas could’ve repaid him with a free drink voucher!
Find out more from CN Traveler here.
Mike- Awesome!
Rjb- LOL
Next time the water police (TSA) catch me with a bottle of AquaFina I’m gonna check it!
A few years back I checked a bottle of booze in a plastic bag. I was flying AA back from San Jose Costa Rica to Miami and I forgot that to put my bottle in my checked bag. Security let me through, but extra security at the gate hand searching carry ons during boarding found it and told me I had to throw it away.
Gate agent let me check it, telling me 90 % shot it wouldn’t make it, but I figured 10% shot is better than the 0% shot of me throwing it away.
I’m at baggage claim at MIA, and the bottle never comes on the belt. As we are walking out, next to the belt is sitting my bottle of booze, in a bag, with the luggage tag on it. Such a happy moment!