Discussing a recent experience at the airport security gate, Roxanne Proctor, a 33-year-old administrator based in Devon, said that she had to discard her two-year-old’s juice because it was in a sippy cup and over the limit. “If he had been a year and eleven months, they would have let him keep it,” she said.
Although she credits the staff at Gatwick airport and finds their family check-in area really helpful, ultimately, Roxanne chooses to pay extra for hold luggage to avoid the added stress of navigating airport security. “They need snacks and drinks on-board […]. Kids also get sick on holiday a lot, so you need to always have painkillers, allergy medicine, Vicks, nose prays, etc. Then there’s obviously suncream and aftersun… it basically just isn’t an option to travel with hand luggage [as a mother].”
Other mums are adamant they avoid hold luggage costs. Both Sarah Johnson* and Katie Hawkins said they’d rather go without or put their packing skills to the test than pay for extra allowance. “I try to squeeze as many liquids into that measly clear bag as possible,” Sarah commented.
All four women agreed that the responsibility for packing their children’s toiletries often fell on them and that it was accepted as the “standard” in their households. A 2021 ONS study found that – while, of course, many men are sole or primary caregivers – on average, women in the UK spend 50 per cent more time on ‘unpaid childcare’ and 59 per cent more time on ‘unpaid housework’ than men – so often this burden still falls to mothers.
Those with medical conditions are also disadvantaged. And while many men require medication, nearly all women go through menopause, causing a much higher percentage to be affected by liquid limits. Those going through hormone replacement therapy during menopause have to get proof from their GP before they travel – and even then, many struggle to get it through the gate.
“I know recently one of our customers tried to take her HRT with her in hand luggage,” Jason Waldron from Superescapes.co.uk told me, “and because she had decanted it into a smaller pot, they wouldn’t let her take it with her on holiday – which was a nightmare for her hormonally. Luckily a chemist abroad realised the detriment and helped her out.”
Kim Baxter*, a 37-year-old pharmacy worker who suffers from colitis, also expressed her frustration with the rule: “Many people with chronic conditions may not be happy to explain their meds. For example, I have a bowel condition and, for a while, used enemas once a day. They’re bulky, and I’ll admit that if I had to go through security and explain how and why I use them, I’d be embarrassed. Then there’s the risk of medication getting lost or damaged in the hold.”
Many also opt for click-and-collect services at pharmacies such as Boots inside the duty-free areas, as this enables them to avoid the hassle of getting it past security. Still, they face lengthy queues and inflated airport prices.
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