The past 15 years have been a tumultuous time for frequent flyers who rely upon airports and airlines to get around the country and around the world. Within the United States in particular, post 9/11 regulations have made it difficult to know which items are OK to bring on a plane and which items are not allowed.

Anything that sparks, combusts or comes in a bottle has been often highly regulated and regarded with suspicion by TSA agents. As such, the ability to transport, use or otherwise possess e-cigarette and vaping devices on planes has often been a subject of discussion. We’ll discuss below how the TSA guidelines for flying with e-cigarettes might affect you on your next flight.

Carrying E-cigarettes in Your Carry-on Luggage

With millions of people in the United States and beyond now using e-cigarettes, the TSA has come to the conclusion that they are too common of an item to ban from airlines entirely. As such, it is perfectly acceptable to bring your e-cigarette on board the plane in your carry-on luggage. The TSA did not set specific usage regulations for e-cigarettes while on board the plane, but a recent rule change in October states that no one may use or charge their e-cigarette devices while on the plane. Suffice it to say, most airlines had already banned the use of e-cigarettes while inside the plane. Some airports have even restricted use within their facilities.

Carrying E-cigarettes in Your Checked Luggage

Whether you possess a premium vaping solution like those listed on Tasty Vapor or a basic Ego e-cigarette, the rules regarding checked luggage for e-cigarettes just got a whole lot stricter. Because of increasing concerns and a growing track record of e-cigarette explosions in luggage, the TSA has banned any e-cigarettes from being stored in checked luggage on flights. While the rules have changed back and forth regarding this type of e-cigarette storage while on planes, it is unlikely that a reversal of the current rules will occur at any point in the near future.

Using E-cigarettes in Airports

With so many different airports around the country, keeping up with e-cigarettes regulations in each is more difficult. The TSA does not specify any uniform regulation on e-cigarettes when in general, public areas within airports. As such, each individual airport is free to regulate e-cigarette usage as it sees fit. For instance, airports in Washington D.C., Charlotte, Minneapolis and Las Vegas all allow full and unrestricted use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices within their premises, while Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco airports require that e-cigarettes be used only in areas where smoking is already allowed.

Carrying E-liquids onto Planes

TSA rules regarding liquids have been subject to change over the past 15 years. Currently, the rules are as follows: you may carry up to a quart-sized bag of liquids, gels, aerosols or creams in your carry-on bag, with no individual bottle being larger than 100mL. Anything larger than this can be brought onto the plane, but it must be stowed in checked luggage. If the liquids are in transparent containers, if you’re traveling into the United States with a connecting flight or if the item was bought at a duty-free shop, then you may carry them in your carry-on even if they are larger than 100mL. For most e-cigarette users, however, there will be no issues carrying e-liquids either in checked luggage or in your carry-on luggage.