Hand baggage gets all the attention. Everyone knows about the 100 ml bottles, the laptop that has to come out of the bag, the power bank you cannot check in. The hold is where the rules get vaguer in most people's heads, and where the assumptions are wrong more often. A surprising number of travellers believe that anything not allowed in the cabin can simply go in the suitcase, and a smaller but stubborn group believes the opposite: that checked baggage is a lawless space where anything goes as long as the zip closes. Both are wrong, and both cost people money, confiscated items and, occasionally, a missed flight. ✈️
This guide walks through fourteen categories of items and tells you, for each one, whether it belongs in the hold, in the cabin, on your person, or nowhere near an aircraft. The rules below are the international dangerous-goods provisions that apply to passengers on flights in and out of Europe; individual airlines can and do add their own restrictions on top, so the last word is always the operator's own baggage page and, where needed, its approval. What we can give you is the framework, the reasoning behind it, and the practical packing advice that goes with each category.
One disclosure before we start: we sell Peli cases. When we talk about packing fragile equipment for the hold, we will recommend the cases we know. The rules themselves are the same whatever you pack in.
First, the basics: weight, size and what the hold is
Most European airlines sell checked baggage in weight tiers of 20, 23, 25 or 32 kg per bag, and 32 kg is the practical ceiling almost everywhere, because it is the ergonomic limit for the people who lift bags for a living. A single bag heavier than that will usually be refused or repacked at the desk, regardless of what you paid for. Size limits are looser than in the cabin but they exist, typically expressed as the sum of length, width and height. If you are flying low-cost, read our Ryanair 20 kg guide or the Wizz Air 20 kg guide before you pack, and if you want to understand how fees are calculated, how airlines measure baggage explains it.
The second basic is what the hold actually is. It is pressurised and heated on passenger aircraft, so your suitcase does not freeze or get vacuum-packed, but it is not a gentle place: bags are stacked, tipped, dragged and dropped on the way there and back. We wrote a whole article on what happens to your suitcase after check-in. Keep it in mind as you read the categories below, because the question for many items is not just is it allowed but will it survive.
The 14 categories
1. Liquids, creams and gels 🧴
Checked: yes, with no 100 ml limit. The 100 ml rule is a cabin security rule, not a safety rule, and it does not apply to the hold. Full-size shampoo, a litre of olive oil, a bottle of wine or a jar of honey can all go in your suitcase. The practical limits are weight and mess: liquids are heavy, and a cracked bottle in a checked bag ruins everything around it. Pack bottles in sealed bags, tape the caps, and put them in the middle of the case surrounded by soft items rather than against the shell. Perfume is a slightly special case because of its alcohol content, which brings us to the next category; the details are in can you transport perfume on a plane.
2. Alcohol 🍷
Checked: yes, within limits that depend on strength. The rule is about alcohol percentage by volume:
- Drinks up to 24% ABV, which covers beer, wine and most aperitifs, are not restricted as dangerous goods. Only your weight allowance limits how much you can take.
- Drinks between 24% and 70% ABV, which covers spirits, are limited to a total of 5 litres per passenger, in retail packaging, in containers of no more than 5 litres each. This applies across checked and cabin baggage combined.
- Anything above 70% ABV is forbidden in both checked and cabin baggage. That includes high-proof spirits, some absinthes and pure alcohol sold for cleaning.
Customs rules are a separate question. The dangerous-goods limit tells you what is safe to fly; the customs allowance of the country you are entering tells you how much you can bring in without paying duty.
3. Lithium batteries, power banks and spare cells 🔋
Checked: no for anything loose. This is the most important rule in the article. Spare lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, which means any battery not installed in a device, must travel in the cabin. That includes power banks, camera batteries, drone batteries, laptop spare batteries and the small button cells in a bag of camera accessories. The reasoning is simple: a lithium battery that goes into thermal runaway in the cabin can be dealt with by the crew; the same event in the hold may not be detected until it is too late. Power banks in particular are treated as spare batteries, and our power bank guide covers the watt-hour thresholds.
Devices with a lithium battery installed, such as a laptop, camera or phone, are generally permitted in checked baggage provided the device is switched fully off, not in sleep mode, and protected from accidental activation and damage. Several airlines have tightened this and now ask for such devices to travel in the cabin where possible; some ban specific categories outright. The practical advice is simple: if it has a lithium battery, take it in the cabin. If you must check a device, power it down completely, remove the battery if it is removable and carry that battery with you.
Smart luggage with a built-in battery is only accepted if the battery can be removed and carried in the cabin. A suitcase with a non-removable lithium battery will be refused at check-in.
4. Drones 🚁
Checked: the airframe yes, the batteries no. This follows directly from the battery rule. A drone body with the battery removed can be checked, and given how fragile gimbals and propeller arms are, it should be checked in a hard case with foam cut to shape rather than in a soft bag between your clothes. Every battery, including the one that would normally be installed, goes in the cabin with the terminals protected, ideally in a fireproof battery pouch. The full procedure, including how to handle airport questions, is in how to transport a drone by plane.
5. Cameras, lenses and electronics 📷
Checked: allowed, and often a mistake. Nothing in the dangerous-goods rules prevents you from checking a camera, a lens or a hard drive, as long as the battery rule above is respected. Two things argue against it. The first is the hold environment described earlier: glass and precision mechanisms do not like being dropped from a belt onto concrete. The second is liability. Airline compensation for lost or damaged checked baggage is capped under the Montreal Convention at a figure that is currently a little over 1,500 special drawing rights, roughly the price of one good lens, and airlines routinely exclude fragile items and electronics from their own liability terms on top of that. If you must check camera equipment, use a case that is designed to be dropped, with foam or padded dividers so nothing moves, lock it with TSA-approved locks, and photograph the contents before you close the lid. That is the use case the Peli Air 1637 and 1626 below were designed for.
6. Knives, tools and sharp objects 🔪
Checked: yes, and this is where they belong. Anything with a blade or a point that is prohibited in the cabin, from kitchen knives and multitools to scissors with long blades, screwdrivers, drill bits, hammers and camping axes, is allowed in checked baggage. Wrap blades so they cannot cut through the bag or injure a handler, and be aware that some countries restrict certain knives at customs regardless of how they were flown. Power tools with lithium batteries follow the battery rule: tool in the hold, battery in the cabin. We wrote a separate guide to flying with tools for people who do this for a living.
7. Aerosols and pressurised cans 💨
Checked: yes for toiletry and medicinal aerosols, within limits. Deodorant sprays, hairspray, shaving foam, sunscreen sprays and medicinal inhalers are permitted in both checked and cabin baggage, with a limit of 0.5 kg or 0.5 litres per container and 2 kg or 2 litres in total per passenger, and the cap or valve must be protected against accidental release. Aerosols that are not toiletries or medicines, such as spray paint, WD-40 style lubricants, insecticide or cooking spray, are generally not permitted at all unless the airline explicitly allows them. When in doubt, buy it when you land.
8. Lighters, matches and e-cigarettes 🚬
Checked: no. This one surprises people because it runs the opposite way to knives. A single lighter or a small box of safety matches may be carried on your person, not in checked baggage and, on most carriers, not in a cabin bag either. Refills, lighter fluid, torch lighters and strike-anywhere matches are forbidden everywhere. E-cigarettes and vaping devices must go in the cabin, never in the hold, because they contain lithium batteries and a heating element, and they must not be charged on board.
9. Camping fuel, gas canisters and flammables ⛺
Checked: no. Gas cartridges for camping stoves, spare fuel of any kind, fuel-based stoves that have ever been used, flares, fireworks, paint, thinners and pool chemicals are forbidden in both cabin and hold. An empty, never-used stove is fine; a used one that still smells of fuel is not. If you are heading somewhere remote, buy fuel at your destination. The same applies to the propane cylinders that some portable heaters use.
10. Firearms and ammunition 🎯
Checked: yes, with declaration, permits and a locked hard case. Sporting firearms travel in the hold, unloaded, declared at check-in and locked in a rigid case, with the airline's advance approval. Ammunition is limited to 5 kg gross per passenger, in its original or equivalent packaging, and must be packed so that cartridges cannot move; it may not be packed with the firearm in some jurisdictions and must be with it in others, so check the specific carrier. Every country involved, including transit countries, has its own permit requirements, and the airline will expect to see them. Peli's gun cases exist for exactly this process, and the locked, sealed hard case is not optional; it is the rule.
11. Food 🍫
Checked: yes, subject to customs at the far end. The aviation rules do not care much about food. Chocolate, cheese, cured meats, spices, coffee and tinned goods can all be checked. What matters is the border you are crossing: the EU restricts most meat and dairy from outside the Union, and countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United States are strict about fresh produce, seeds and animal products in both directions. Pack food in sealed containers, because a checked bag is inspected more often than people think and a burst jar of jam is a miserable thing to find on arrival.
12. Medication and medical equipment 💊
Checked: allowed, but keep the essentials with you. Prescription medicines can be checked, but the sensible rule is to carry at least the doses you would need for several days in the cabin, together with the prescription, because a delayed suitcase should not become a medical problem. Medication that must stay cold needs planning; our guide to travelling with refrigerated medication covers cooling options. Note that some common medicines are restricted or illegal in certain countries even with a prescription, which we cover in medicines banned abroad. Mobility aids, CPAP machines and similar devices are generally carried free and outside your allowance, but their lithium batteries follow the battery rules and larger batteries need airline approval.
13. Sports and outdoor equipment 🏄
Checked: yes, usually as a separate item. Bicycles, skis, surfboards, golf clubs, diving gear and hockey sticks are allowed in the hold but almost always as a declared sports item with its own fee and packing requirements. Diving cylinders must be empty with the valve open; regulators are fine. Compressed CO2 cartridges for bike tyres and life jackets are limited in number and need declaration. Speargun tips and arrows go in the hold, never the cabin. The step-by-step, including fees, is in how to check in sports equipment.
14. Cash, documents, jewellery and anything you cannot replace 💍
Checked: legal, and almost always a bad idea. There is no rule against putting cash, passports, house keys, jewellery or your only copy of a contract in the hold. There is also no meaningful compensation if the bag disappears, because airlines exclude valuables from liability and the Montreal cap would not cover them anyway. Around 99 percent of delayed bags are eventually returned, but a bag that is delayed for three days with your medication, your keys and your spare glasses inside can wreck a trip. The rule of thumb from frequent flyers is this: if losing it would ruin the trip, it stays with you. If you do end up on the wrong side of that, how to file a claim for lost luggage explains the process and the deadlines.
Peli travel cases built for the hold
The quick reference table
The table condenses the fourteen categories. Airline-specific rules can be stricter; the third column tells you when to check.
| Item | Checked baggage | Cabin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquids over 100 ml | Yes | No | Seal and pad against breakage |
| Alcohol up to 24% | Yes | Duty-free only | Weight allowance is the only limit |
| Alcohol 24 to 70% | Yes, 5 L per person | Duty-free only | Retail packaging |
| Alcohol over 70% | No | No | Forbidden |
| Power banks, spare batteries | No | Yes | Watt-hour limits apply |
| Devices with installed battery | Usually, switched off | Yes | Many airlines prefer cabin |
| Drone body | Yes | Yes | Batteries in cabin only |
| Knives, tools | Yes | No | Wrap blades; tool batteries in cabin |
| Toiletry aerosols | Yes, 0.5 L each, 2 L total | Yes, under 100 ml | Cap protected |
| Lighters, matches | No | One, on your person | No fluid or refills |
| E-cigarettes | No | Yes | Never charge on board |
| Gas canisters, fuel, fireworks | No | No | Buy at destination |
| Firearms, ammunition | Yes, declared, locked case | No | Permits; 5 kg ammunition max |
| Food | Yes | Mostly | Customs rules at destination |
| Medication | Yes | Yes, recommended | Keep several days' supply with you |
| Sports equipment | Yes, as sports item | Rarely | Fees, empty cylinders |
| Cash, documents, jewellery | Allowed, not advised | Yes | Excluded from liability |
How to pack a checked bag so the contents survive
Knowing what is allowed is half the job. The other half is getting it to the other end intact, and the hold is unforgiving. A few rules that professional travellers follow:
- Heavy items low and central. A suitcase is loaded on its wheels and tipped on its back; weight near the wheels keeps it stable and keeps the shell from flexing around a heavy object at the edge.
- Nothing hard touches the shell. Put clothes or foam between anything rigid and the outside of the case. A shell can survive an impact that would still transmit to a lens pressed against it.
- Fill the case or compress it. Loose contents move, and moving contents break. Packing cubes, compression straps, or a case with padded dividers keep everything in place.
- Liquids double-bagged, in the centre. Bottles crack when they are near the edge and something lands on the case.
- Latches over zips for anything valuable. A zipped case can be opened with a pen and closed again without a trace. A latched case cannot. If you check equipment, this matters more than the shell material.
- TSA-approved locks. Security in many countries has the right to open checked bags. A TSA-approved lock can be opened with a master key and relocked; any other lock will be cut.
- Photograph the packed case and the closed case. If something goes wrong, you have evidence of the contents and the condition at check-in.
- Removable batteries out, spares in the cabin. Do it at home, not at the desk, and put every battery in a pouch with the terminals covered.
For equipment that has to fly in the hold, this is the difference between a suitcase and a case. A suitcase is designed to hold clothes; a case is designed to hold something that cannot move and cannot get wet. The Peli Air 1615 and 1637 and the deeper 1626 and 1606 are built for the second job: a shell that passes drop tests, an IP67 seal against water and dust, latches instead of zips, and an interior of foam, padded dividers or a TrekPak grid that holds each item in its own slot. The ten packing mistakes that cost money article covers the rest.
Peli equipment cases for checked baggage
What not to pack in checked baggage, even though you can
A short list that experienced travellers keep in their heads, because the rules allow it and experience says otherwise:
- Anything you need on the day you land: medication, chargers, a change of clothes, contact lenses.
- Your camera body and your best lens. Check the tripod, the lighting and the second body if you must; the kit you would cry over stays with you.
- Laptop and hard drives with unbacked-up data.
- Cash above what you would be comfortable losing.
- Prescription glasses or a spare pair.
- House keys and car keys.
- Gifts that took effort to find.
None of this is a safety rule. It is the accumulated experience of people who have stood at a lost-baggage desk at midnight. If you fly with a checked bag regularly, how to avoid baggage fees is worth reading too, because the best-packed checked bag is sometimes the one you did not need to check.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a power bank in checked baggage?
No. Power banks are treated as spare lithium batteries and must be carried in the cabin. A power bank found in a checked bag will be removed, and on some carriers the bag will be pulled from the flight while they find it.
Can I check a laptop?
Usually yes, switched fully off and protected from damage, but most airlines now recommend carrying it in the cabin, and the liability rules mean you would not be compensated properly if it were lost or broken. Take it with you.
Is there a liquid limit for checked baggage?
No 100 ml rule. Liquids are limited only by weight, by the alcohol rules and by the aerosol limits. Pack them so they cannot leak.
How much alcohol can I pack in a checked bag?
Up to 5 litres of spirits between 24 and 70 percent in retail packaging; no aviation limit on drinks under 24 percent; nothing over 70 percent. Customs allowances at your destination are a separate limit.
Can I lock my checked suitcase?
Yes, and you should, with a TSA-approved lock that security can open with a master key. Any other lock may be cut open during inspection.
What happens if a banned item is found in my checked bag?
It depends on the item. Prohibited dangerous goods are removed and may lead to questioning or a fine; a lithium battery may result in the bag being offloaded and the passenger being paged. Items that are merely unwise, such as cash, are your own risk.
Can I check a drone with the battery installed?
No. The battery must be removed and carried in the cabin with the terminals protected. The drone body can be checked, ideally in a hard case with foam.
Does the hold get cold or unpressurised?
On passenger aircraft the hold is pressurised and heated, so liquids do not freeze and cases do not seal shut. Cargo-only aircraft are different, but your suitcase will not be on one.
The short version
Liquids, alcohol under 70 percent, knives, tools, toiletry aerosols, food, sports gear and, with permits, firearms all belong in the hold. Anything with a lithium battery not installed in a device, every lighter refill, every gas canister and every e-cigarette does not. Electronics, cash and anything irreplaceable may legally travel in the hold and should not. Get the categories right, pack the case so the contents cannot move, lock it with something security can open, and photograph it before it leaves your hands. The rest is up to the belt. 🌍
