A new study by one of the UK’s leading online independent travel agents has revealed that some Britons are still confused about liquid restrictions on flights, as the majority admit to having had to discard liquid-based items in hand luggage before going through security at the airport.

www.sunshine.co.uk carried out the study as part of ongoing research into the holiday habits of people around the UK. 2,091 men and women, aged 18 and over, took part in the study and were asked questions surrounding their last flight abroad. All respondents had flown from the UK in the past year.

When asked, ‘Did you have to discard any liquid-based items from your hand luggage before going through security ahead of any flights in the past year?’ more than half, 51%, said they did. These respondents were then asked what items they had been forced to throw away or dispose of, due to flight regulations that limit the carrying of liquids onboard a flight.

According to the poll, the most common items discarded before security at an airport by people around the UK were as follows:

1.    Drink(s)        88%                   

2.    Sun cream     71%

3.    Perfume       46%

4.    Hair products 32%

5.    Shower gel     27%

The respondents who had been forced to discard liquid-based items before going through security in the past year were asked to estimate how much, including all occasions they had been forced to do so, these items had been worth in total. According to the poll, the average worth of liquid-based items discarded by each passenger before entering security in the past 12 months was £6.50.

When taking account that there were 43,239,000 visits abroad made by UK residents, by air, in 2010* and that 51% of passengers had to discard of liquid based items before boarding (to the value of £6.50 on average) that would amount to a total of £143,337,285 worth of liquid-based products thrown away.

Despite this, when asked whether or not they were glad of the safety measures put in place regarding liquid-based items on flights, 81% said ‘yes’.

Chris Brown, co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, commented on the findings:

“I was surprised to find that so many people had to get rid of liquid-based items before getting on flights in the past year. The new restrictions mean you really need to be careful when packing; don’t put any toiletries over 100ml in your hand luggage, because it’ll just have to be binned before you go through security.

“Sun lotion and items like perfume and aftershave can be really expensive to buy and the amount that all these discarded items are worth just brings to light how much can be wasted by packing incorrectly. Make sure you know all the different airport policies before heading off on holiday, as you could find yourself out of pocket!”

City.Mobi

Also in Europe today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to London.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

London.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.