Air Travel with Cigars and Accessories Tips

Traveling with cigars by air presents a few small challenges

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There are a few questions that were asked frequently here at CigarPlace.com or that get asked repeatedly on the social cigar forums, so I figured that I would write about them today. These questions are especially timely as I am preparing to travel by plane this week for my annual birthday vacation. Traveling with cigars by air presents a few small challenges, and we will talk about them briefly below. In this post-9/11 era, torch lighters are banned on planes, even in checked luggage, by the TSA, even if empty, so make sure to leave them home. Butane soft flame lighters are, however, allowed in both checked luggage and as carry-ons, but the cans of butane themselves are not. So, be sure to leave those home and pick them up at your destination. It is no secret around these parts that my soft flame lighter of choice is the Xikar EX Single Flame Windproof Lighter. I have been carrying mine for over four years now, and it has never failed me, and TSA has not confiscated it yet. Alternatively, very popular with cigar smokers are the Djeep brand of soft flame lighters due to their large fuel reservoirs and cheap cost. In a pinch, a good old fashioned Bic lighter will also get the job done; it will just take longer. Cedar strips also come in handy here if you want to pack some in your humidor. You can light the cedar strip with your Bic and then light your cigar if it is not too windy. I keep a box or two of matches in my carry-on as well as a last resort.

Cigars Cutters and Punches, however, are allowed both in your checked luggage and as carry-ons, so feel free to bring them with you. I do, err on the side of caution and don’t bring my favorite cutter with me, but instead, a lesser expensive cutter that I do not mind losing in case TSA decides to become overzealous. While my favorite cutter is a long since discontinued Xikar Xi3 Exotic Cocobolo Wood Cutter, I tend to carry a few Cigar Savor Double Bladed Guillotine Cutters and a Xikar 007 Twist Punch Cigar Cutter when flying these days.

I also keep a copy of the TSA regulations in my carry-on that shows both cigar cutters and soft flame lighters are allowed. Additionally, I make sure to leave myself a little bit of extra time just in case a situation does occur. It has yet to be an issue, but I would rather be prepared than not.

Now, there is one thing that those of you with the smaller Xikar travel humidors are going to want to know about, and that is cabin and baggage pressurization. When you check, or carry-on your cigars and the cabin is pressurized, the backpressure created will cause a seal so tight that you will likely need a butter knife or screwdriver to break it. The solution to this is to leave one of your latches undone while flying. The larger Xikar and Cigar Caddy humidors have a small release valve built in for this purpose.

If you do not have a travel humidor yet, might I recommend using a wide-mouth Nalgene water bottle with a Boveda pack tossed in to keep your cigars fresh? I did this for years before I had a travel humidor and it was an excellent way to keep my cigars humidified with 10 or fewer sticks on short trips. The water bottle fits perfectly in the water bottle pocket of my backpack, but did take up a significant amount of space in my bag, sits funny, creates a bulge, and required me to carry it separately. A wide-mouth Nalgene water bottle works wonderfully, will cost you less than $10, and can be found at most any sporting goods store or Target in your area.

Should you not have one of those or want to spend even less, you can use any plastic resealable food container, such as Gladware or other such brands also with a Boveda pack. Although, then you are back to taking up space in your bag again, sometimes that is the trade-off.

When I check a bag, like I am going to do this weekend, I usually put my toiletry bag in my checked bag, so that leaves me an allowance for the infamous TSA 3-1-1 bag of liquids. In that infamous 1-quart Ziploc bag is where I put more than a few airplane-sized bottles of my favorite spirits for making mixed drinks on the plane, for a layover between my flights, or in case my flight becomes delayed. It sure beats paying $10/drink in the airport or the air. The in-flight staff are not usually too friendly to this, so you might want to keep this on the down-low and by all means, don’t get sloppy; no one likes drunk plane passengers.

So, to recap, no torch lighters at all. Soft flame lighters are okay in checked or carry-on luggage. Your cigar cutter, punch or even small cigar scissors (under 4”) are also acceptable in your carry-on or checked bags. I still wouldn’t recommend taking your favorite items just in case the TSA agent decides to confiscate them anyhow and always bring a box or two of non-strike anywhere matches with you as a back-up. If you have any awesome travel tips to share with us, please be sure to do so in the comments below.

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