Gone are the days of blurred etiquette surrounding vaping. The eagle-eyed among us may recall people in doorways, looking like a statue. A moment later, the person would surreptitiously un-pocket a hand, raise it to their dipped head, and disappear behind a wall of vapour. Then the statue would return. This bizarre behaviour would continue for some minutes. Eventually, the person would puff their last (for now) and walk back indoors.
Whether people were conscious of avoiding conversations about giving up cigarettes or whether they would have always put their lit cigarette in their pocket between puffs if they could, is not clear. The fact is, public perceptions have caught up, and vaping is not the solitary doorway hobby it once was for some people.
Nowadays, the vaping community is out in force. And that means travellers and the authorities alike must adapt to the throngs of travelling hopefuls who arrive at airports with vape devices in tow (see 88vape.com for more info). Here’s what you need to know.
Air Travel & E-Juice
Your airline may have different carry-on restrictions regarding the amount of liquid you can bring on board. For example, British Airways states “Each liquid must be in its own container of no more than 100ml (3.4oz).” However, standard e-liquid bottle sizes (i.e. 10 ml and 30 ml) typically fall below the upper liquid limit for most airlines, so you should be OK.
Keeping your e-liquids dry and cool is essential. Don’t travel with e-liquids to hot destinations without making provisions for heat protection upon arrival (heat and direct UV light from the sun can spoil your e-liquid).
Vape cases are widely available and relatively inexpensive. If you have run out of time and you do not have a vape case to hand, wrap your device in a cloth and seal it inside a plastic bag. The cloth will not only help to provide a layer of heat protection but will also help absorb leakages. The pressurised plane cabin can sometimes force a small amount of e-liquid to escape the atomiser chamber (that is why some vapers prefer not to travel with a fully-refilled device).
Other travel tips include:
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- Fully charge your device before travelling. Airlines do not permit you to charge your device on board. Do not rely on any charging facilities beyond your home and the hotel.
- Switch off your vaping device while travelling. By turning your device off, you remove the risk of accidentally firing your device. You can’t use it on board the plane anyway, so powering down should not be a problem….
- …remember that secretly vaping onboard a plane (so-called “stealth vaping”) can be met with fines and even jail time depending on the airline and according to any domestic foreign laws. Switch your device off.
- Don’t vape inside the airport upon arrival. Not only is indoor vaping inconsiderate to other travellers, but you may be breaking the law. Some countries have banned vaping altogether – entering a country where vaping is banned while carrying a vaping device is not advised.
