As lonng as you don't leave the terminal in Charlotte you won't go through security again. You do clear customs at the airport in STT. There is no gaurantee that you won't have to check the box plane side when re boarding in Charlotte.
Jay

My suggestion - buy the rum at the airport at STT. They box it and security tag it. You can then continue through to the states as an extra carry-on. No additional charge.
We made a first timers mistake of buying the cheaper rum at KMart and packing it in our checked luggage (you can't carry-on liguids - unless purchased at airport venue) - anyway we went over by 5 lbs and was hit with a $50 surcharge for "heavy" luggage - we did not know that for $2 a bottle more we could have purchased the rum at the airport and then carried it on.
STT allows for 5 rums and 1 lessor alcohol content bottle such as Kaluha or something similar.

talintx: You got the duty free liquor a bit mixed up. US residents over the age of 21 can take back to the mainland five bottles of liquor duty-free or six if one of the bottles is produced locally (i.e. one of the Cruzan distillery products.) So the OP can take six bottles of Cruzan rum if that's his druthers!

Buy the cheap rum at K-Mart then buy a box there for $2 and check it in STT with no extra luggage charge. And take 6 bottles of Cruzan, we appreciate the business.

Thanks for everyones response. Ill be sure to hold off any liquer purchases until we are on our way back home....

STT - you are correct - except... at the STT airport duty-free shop - "their" policy is (as told to us 2 weeks ago) buy 5 bottles of rum or other spirits of choice and the 6th bottle had to be a bottle off the back shelf with a lessor amount of alcohol per volume content such as Kaluha. That's not the duty-free rule - that's their rule for whatever reasons.
Just remember if you are bringing the liquor back home via checked luggage (you cannot bring it through as a carry-on - unless purchased and tagged from the duty-free shop at STT airport) bubble wrap it well and the weight adds up FAST!
Now - IF we could have presented the box of liquor separately and incurred no additional charges, the airline clerk never mentioned anything about that. We were 5 lbs over weight on our luggage and was charged a $50 additional fee. I plainly stated that the extra weight was the box of rum and the woman looked at me as if I were disturbed and demanded I swipe my credit card for the overweight fee.
My husband asked if I wanted to unpack the liquor and leave it behind - I think the sun must have gotten to him...I promptly swiped my card.
I even called American Eagle the night before asking for their policy - I was told it had to be packed inside my check-in luggage or purchased from the airport duty-free shop as a carry-on.
All in all - who cares as I sip on my Dark Cherry Rum and Diet Coke! 🙂
Curious though - how have others brought liquor back?

That's interesting that you were told such a tale at the duty free shop at the airport and I'm interested and curious enough to follow up! Cheers!

STT - please do follow up, because our daughter and her boyfriend had to pay the extra $50 also. If we were taken, I would sure like to know my rights for the next trip! I will be anxiously awaiting your reply...

Actually my curiosity was based more on what the duty-free shop told you you could bring back duty-free than the excess baggage fee charged by the airline.

If you buy your liquor anywhere on STT and outside the duty-free store at the airport you can't take it on as carry-on and it has to be checked baggage. If you buy it at the duty-free store which is within the security area, you can take it on as carry-on. Excess baggage charges are purely at the discretion of the individual airlines. When the issue first came up, our Delegate to Congress made a deal with American Airlines who said they would NOT charge excess baggage fees on liquor boxes but although it was hoped that other airlines servicing the USVI would follow suit, they apparently didn't. $50 does seem excessive!

We just returned in June and we flew Delta and this is their policy and I think other airlines as well:
Bringing home rum? I didn't know the rules, but now I do:

If purchased at the airport, past security, you can purchase a limit of 6 bottles (per person) but one has to be from the VI. We brought home Rum and Kahlua. They package in a heavy duty box and you can carry on as a carry on, but it doesn't count as a carry on, you still are allowed one carry on, one personal item, in addition to the box of liquor. I am from Michigan and we did have a stop in Atlanta, and the box was not questioned at all.

If purchased outside of the airport: It cannot be carried on. Delta charges for luggage, so you will have to pay the additional luggage fee and the box will be counted as a separate piece of luggage. Or you can pack it in your luggage and hope it doesn't go over the limit. My daughter flew home the week after us. They were shopping in town and they were told that they could purchase liquor there, they will pack in box and they could check as luggage and there would be no fee because they can check one box at no charge- that is not true, if you check a box of liquor, you have to pay the luggage fee, if your airlines charge one. Now if you are flying international, there is no luggage fee, but since STT is US, and not international we had to pay $15.00 for first bag and I think $25 for the second (we didn't check a second bag). My daughter ended up packing her bottles in her checked luggage and it was over at first, but then she had to take out a lot of stuff at the airport and stick in her carry on, so they wouldn't be over the 50 lbs.- it was a mess.

My advice- buy your bottles at the airport after you go thru security. The STT airport has a big store inside and the prices were still great!

There was 2 of us and we only bought one box with 6 bottles. After we got home, we wished we would have both bought a box, but with our carry- ons and personal items to carry, adding another box was more than I could carry. So pack light and allow another hand to carry your box of 6 bottles. You will be happy when you get home.

🙂 Nancy

talkintx wrote:

We made a first timers mistake of buying the cheaper rum at KMart and packing it in our checked luggage (you can't carry-on liguids - unless purchased at airport venue) - anyway we went over by 5 lbs and was hit with a $50 surcharge for "heavy" luggage.

talkintx was charged the $50 because the bottles were packed in theluggage. That made for some very heavy suitcases. There would have been no additional charge for a box of liquor checked in on its own.

Gerie-
Good to know - too bad the airline clerk did not acknowledge that. I had the bottles securely bubble wrapped in it's own box because "I thought" that was the policy. But when I called the night before - they said it had to be packed in my luggage or purchased at the STT airport. and yes, indeed - they were some very heavy suitcases!! LOL 🙂

(talkintx was charged the $50 because the bottles were packed in the luggage. That made for some very heavy suitcases. There would have been no additional charge for a box of liquor checked in on its own.)

This depends on the individual airlines- We flew on Delta and there IS a charge for a box of liquor checked- it is the same fee as a checked bag of luggage. And unfortunately all of the airlines have started charging for baggage now, unless you are traveling international or first class. I called the airlines direct and discussed this in great detail. For some reason stores in the VI tell you that you will be able to check the box and not have to pay the luggage fee, but don't believe it. YOU DO have to pay, if your airlines charge for baggage!

🙂 Nancy

Larry5747 wrote:
For some reason stores in the VI tell you that you will be able to check the box and not have to pay the luggage fee, but don't believe it. YOU DO have to pay, if your airlines charge for baggage!
🙂 Nancy

And therein lies the confusion. It was widely touted by the Delegate to Congress's office that she had made a deal with the airlines about accepting the liquor boxes at no charge but there was no follow up and I do believe that many of the shop owners simply aren't aware that airlines other than American DO charge excess baggage for them. I'll put in my two cents or so to the right channels!

Thanks STT resident! That would be great! And it is good to know that American airlines doesn't charge. I will have to keep that in mind if I am lucky enough to visit STT again- and I truly hope so!

🙂 Nancy

Got it - drink ALL we can from Kmart while on the island - but buy take home at the airport! 🙂

STT - the recorded messages at the airport does state that you may bring a box of liquor on board with you without additional charges - BUT - it must be purchased AT the airport. We too, bought our 6 bottles from a store owner who provided a box and assured us we could carry on without additional charges. And as we know now - that information is incorrect.

OK, I admit I did not read all of this thread, but at the point I stopped reading there seemed to be some confusion as to the duty free liquor store at the airport - so here goes.............there are 2 of them !!

The first one is next to baggage claim outside of the terminal and you can purchase upon arrival or departure. If you purchase from here on your return to the US you have to either check it as luggage (they will box it for you and you will ship it in the box ) or you can put it in your luggage. You have to do this because it is liquid and we all know about the 3oz rule. Remember it changes the weight of your suitcase and they won't care over 50lbs is over 50lbs and you will pay the fee to check it.

The second one is past security actually in the gate departure area. If you purchase it here you can carry it on the plane with you - they will box it and secure it with a "lock" to prevent you from drinking/opening it and for airline personel to know it was purchased within the secure area, and as long as you do not have to clear security in any other connecting airport on the way to your final destination you are fine.

Hope this helps

Pia

We were in STT for a week and returned this past Wed. We decided not to buy any liquor to either check with the luggage or buy once past security. The price of the Cruzan rum in the airport was $1 less than the regular price at our liquor store at home. The cheapest we found on the island was in a grocery store for (I think) 7.99 and we can get it on sale for 10.95 at home.

We had a non-stop to Charlotte and drove home from there. There were some other folks that had bought liquor and checked the boxes with - there were 3 couples that we saw on the parking lot shuttle bus that had broken bottles. We could see the baggage handlers from our window on the plane kind of tossing the boxes, so either be sure that the bottles are VERY well packed and padded or don't be surprised if there is some breakage. It just wasn't worth it to us to bring it home as checked luggage for the extra $15 or so fee and then have something break.