Can I take poppers on a plane?

You’re going on holiday! You’re planning on being a big slut! You’ve packed all your toys, your lube, your PrEP, but then the thought enters your mind. ‘Can I take my favourite bottle of Amyl poppers with me, or will airport security confiscate them?’

It’s a very good question and we’ve heard mixed things ourselves before writing this guide - so we did some investigating! 

We spoke to a number of airlines to directly ask them ‘can I take poppers on your plane’. We’ll walk through what was said below, and what can be done to make sure you get your poppers fix on holiday. 

Poppers on Planes

So the first thing to check when travelling with poppers is if your airline will actually allow you to take poppers on a plane. In virtually all cases, airlines won’t allow you to bring poppers into your carry-on luggage. This is for the simple fact that poppers are a flammable substance and there are blanket bans on any flammable liquids. 

Where you may find a bit more leeway is on your hold luggage. While it’s still likely that your airline will have banned poppers from your hold luggage for similar reasons as carry-on, we have anecdotally heard from people who have flown on airlines where it wasn’t an issue. So, let's move onto our investigation. 

For this blog, we had a look at the websites of British Airways, Jet2 and the Federal Aviation Administration (US). For full transparency, we did try to speak to a few other airlines, but found it impossible to get through to customer service. 

In general, the prohibited articles linked above don’t appear to mention a blanket ban on inflammatory items. In some cases, like with Jet2, they actually link to a page that states you’re allowed to take a small packet of safety matches on your person. While a long list of items are mentioned by name, poppers were not. So we went through the gruelling process of trying to speak to someone for the three airlines above to set the record straight. 

British Airways:

British Airways were to the point.

“I’m afraid poppers or Amyl Nitrite are not allowed in BA flights.” 

Pretty up-front and direct. We can appreciate that. 

Jet2:

Next up was Jet2 and they seemed pretty confused as to what poppers were. I explained that they were sometimes classed as Amyl Nitrite or leather cleaners, and of course labelled as flammable. 

They asked for some photos of the product, so they got some lovely turnaround photos of Gape Boy.

Initially I thought we might have a bit more leeway with Jet2, given their initial confusion. The fact that me saying they were labelled as flammable wasn’t an instant ‘no’ instilled some hope in me. But alas, I was ultimately wrong. 

“They would be forbidden to travel with us as they are flammable and would be classed as a dangerous good.” 

Sad.

The Federal Aviation Administration (US):

These guys were one of the hardest to talk to. I had to try them on multiple different platforms to actually get an answer out of them. 

There was a lot of back and forth, and a lot of clearly copy/paste messages that didn’t make sense. For the purposes of keeping this guide easy to read, just know that the end that we eventually got to was that ‘any cleaning products that are classed as hazardous are prohibited.’ 

How do I take poppers abroad? 

So, despite hearing anecdotally that people have had success taking poppers on an airline, we weren’t able to find one that would allow it. This doesn’t mean they don’t exist, it simply means that you should check beforehand. 

However, if you find yourself on one of the above airlines or another that also won’t allow poppers, there are still some options available to you! 

If you’re staying in a hotel it’s pretty common to be able to speak to the front desk in advance and ask them to sign for a parcel for you. At Twisted Beast, we pack our poppers in non-descript brown boxes, so the concierge will have no clue what you’re planning. 

Alternatively, it may be possible for you to find a local post office who will hold onto the package for an extra fee. Again, just make sure to speak to them in advance and confirm things beforehand in this case. 

Check if poppers are legal in your destination country

Most countries are perfectly fine with poppers.Others, like Australia, are a bit more complex. We’ve written a blog which asks the question are poppers legal, which lists a few countries. If your holiday destination isn’t listed there, have a quick check on Google just to be safe!

Travelling with poppers can be tricky. We haven’t been able to find an airline that will allow it, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. It still may be worth checking in advance, but if not, Twisted Beast will still have you converted!