A box mod goes wherever its owner goes, in a pocket or a bag, and most of the time that causes no trouble beyond the places that restrict vaping or send you to a designated area: restaurants, subways, public beaches, amusement parks. Flying is different. A metal mod with lithium ion batteries, a fragile glass tank and a bottle of e-liquid in glass or plastic raises questions at an airport that a pack of cigarettes never does. This guide walks through the trip in the order you will meet each problem, from packing to landing in another country.
Packing: what goes in which bag
Mods, pens and batteries
Putting the whole kit in a checked suitcase looks like the easy answer, but the TSA website says vape pens, mods and batteries all belong in carry-on luggage. The reasoning made sense to me once somebody explained it. A battery that overheats in the cabin gets noticed straight away, because you see the smoke or smell burning. The same battery in the cargo hold could do serious damage before anyone finds out, and nobody would know whose bag started it. Before you walk into the terminal, either take the batteries out of the mod or make sure the device is fully switched off.
Taking the batteries out is the option I would strongly recommend, both for the security line and for boarding. Most batteries are sold with a hard plastic case, and that case is the right place for them, particularly if you carry more than one set.
E-liquid
The TSA limit of 100mL per container for liquids in carry-on bags is strictly enforced, and it applies to vape juice just as it does to shampoo, cologne and bottled water. Check your bottle sizes, because e-liquid comes in glass and in plastic and some plastic bottles hold as much as 120mL. If you are flying with a checked bag as well, the bigger bottles go there. Screw every cap down firmly or seal the bottles inside a plastic bag, or you may open your suitcase to find everything coated in sweet, sticky juice.
I have been pulled aside twice, both times for the same mistake: I had bottles over the limit, in the 120mL range, in my bag when I should have packed only 100mL ones.
Tools for coil builders
If you build your own coils, put the pliers, the wire and anything else that is sharp and made of metal in checked luggage.
At the security checkpoint
Because the hardware has to travel in your carry-on, it will pass through the scanner, and you should be prepared for a stop. Vape gear comes in a huge range of shapes and sizes and many TSA officers are still getting familiar with it. The Smok Mag has a grip shaped like a handgun’s, and loose vape batteries on a scanner screen have been taken for bullets. None of this is a reason to worry. Screeners see vapes hundreds or even thousands of times a day, so if you know what to expect, the check is routine.
Inside the terminal
Last year I flew to California for my brother’s wedding. At 6 hours it was the longest flight I had taken, and I wanted one more puff before boarding. Concert halls, amusement parks and public parks normally signpost a smoking area, so I went looking for one and found nothing. An airport employee told me the only option was to leave the building, vape outside and then go through security all over again. With my flight leaving in a few minutes, that was not going to happen.
Airports once allowed vaping in the same areas set aside for smokers. My guess is that complaints about large clouds led to the indoor ban. A small number of airports do still permit vaping inside, so it is worth checking the one you are flying from.
On board
No vaping in the cabin or the bathroom
The no-smoking signs throughout an aircraft cover e-cigarettes and vape kits too. On that California flight I was badly tempted to sneak a puff in the bathroom, and I am glad I held off until we landed in LA. I learned afterwards that aircraft toilets are fitted with fire alarms that react to the first trace of smoke. People do not get caught often, but when they do the outcome is unpleasant.
Airlines differ in how they handle it:
- Qatar Airways shows no leniency toward passengers found using e-cigarettes. Cases have ended in arrest and even jail time.
- British Airways used to sell e-cigs on board, then stopped selling them on flights to Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar after regulations changed.
- RyanAir sells what it calls a “smokeless cigarette” for passengers who want nicotine during the flight. Most people who have tried one say it tastes poor and is not worth buying.
No charging either
A long flight and a USB socket at your seat make it tempting to top up your batteries. Flight regulations forbid it on safety grounds: a fault in the device could produce a spark, and a spark could set the vape alight and make the battery explode. A conversation with the sky marshal is not how you want to spend the flight. Leave drained batteries alone until you arrive.
Cabin pressure and leaking tanks
Our previous article covered leaks while traveling. Air pressure shifts sharply during a flight, so think about emptying your tank in an airport bathroom before you board. You lose a little good e-liquid, but that is a small cost for a tank that is dry and working when you walk out of the arrivals door.
Flying to another country
Within the United States the routine is short: empty the tank, take out the batteries, bag the juice. Abroad, the rules can be very different. Several countries, Dubai, Hong Kong and Indonesia among them, ban possessing a vape, using one or bringing one in. Look up the e-cigarette and e-liquid rules for every country on your route before you pack. Vape setups can be expensive and heavily customized, and having one confiscated is a bad start to a holiday or a business trip. Lists that separate countries with outright bans from those that only restrict use are available online.
Attitudes matter as well as laws. Cigarettes are easy to buy and broadly accepted in most places, while much of the world is still not used to vapes and big clouds. You may meet hostility, harsh comments or even threats. That is not a reason to leave the device at home, only something to be aware of.
Quick checklist
- Mods, pens and batteries in carry-on, with the batteries removed and stored in a hard case.
- E-liquid bottles of 100mL or less in carry-on, larger ones in checked luggage, all sealed.
- Coil-building tools in checked luggage.
- Tank emptied before boarding.
- No vaping and no charging on the plane.
- Local rules checked for every country you will enter.
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