Airports are reportedly set to scrap the 100ml liquid allowance for hand luggage.
If you've ever been abroad in the past 15 years or so, you'll know all too well the struggle to fit a week's worth of sun lotion, shower gel, and deodorant into a tiny plastic pouch.
Well, that fresh hell could all be about to end, because plans are apparently underway to bin the limit on the amount of liquids passengers can take with them on flights.
According to a report in The Times, the advent of new high-tech scanners means the need for small, clear plastic bags containing limited sized liquids will be gone.
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This is because the special CT scanners will be able to inspect bags through a 3D image, rather than the 2D most airports currently use.
The newfangled technology has already been trialled at Heathrow and is expected to be rolled out more widely across the UK by the middle of 2024.
John Holland-Kay, the head of Heathrow airport, told the outlet: “We have just started the expansion of the security area in Terminal 3 which will have more CT scanners and have a deadline of mid-2024 from the Department for Transport.
“By then the normal passenger experience will be that liquids stay in bags."
The change, however, has some people within the industry concerned that passengers could be confused by it all.
An aviation source told the publication that the 100ml limit on liquids would remain until the process is completely finished.
They said: "As the scanners become more commonplace it will be the case that in some lanes passengers are told not to take stuff out of their bags while in other lanes they will still need to.
"The 100ml rule will stay in place until the rollout of the new technology is complete and is a decision for the DfT.”
But it's not just the limit of liquids that many of us have found pretty tiresome over the years.
Airlines are constantly changing their hand luggage rules, restricting the amount of stuff we can take with us when we're going on a trip.
But one couple recently shared their hack for getting more items onboard a flight.
In a video posted online, a woman can be seen holding what looks like a pillow as they go through airport security.
However, they're looking sheepish, and this is emphasised by the overlaid audio, which says: "Nobody's gonna know. How would they know?"
The video then shows the pair using the pillow for its intended purpose on their flight, but it becomes clear what's really going on when they arrive.
The pillowcase is actually being used as a way to sneak on extra clothes as hand luggage without paying.
Topics: Technology, Travel
Dominic Smithers