I flew out of Birmingham airport after the rule change and realized my mistake too late

After months of construction and millions of pounds spent upgrading Birmingham Airport’s security hall, it was a bit of an anti-climax when June rolled around and that 100ml liquid rule was still in place.

BHX was poised to relax its liquid restrictions ahead of the government’s original June 1 deadline, but never got the chance to do so as the Department for Transport temporarily reinstated the 100ml limit to “allow for further improvements the new systems of control points”.

Personally, I was happy that I no longer had to cram all my liquids into a tiny plastic bag to get through security. The worst part of packing, in my opinion, is trying to fit all of my makeup and mini toiletries into a 20cm by 20cm bag like a not-so-fun game of Tetris.

Read more: Birmingham Airport is more than doubling the price of Fast Track tickets for ‘faster’ queue times.

Passengers are still restricted to 100ml containers for now, but there’s no limit to how many you’re allowed and you no longer have to take them out of your hand luggage for screening. When I went to Italy last week, I was glad I wasn’t forced to choose between moisturizer or face wash, foundation or concealer due to lack of space. I packed all my makeup and skincare into my toiletry bag without thinking.

Unlike some of the horror stories from BHX passengers of late, I got through security in less than 15 minutes. Airport staff walked the length of the line, reminding travelers to keep liquids in their suitcases.

The whole process could not have been simpler. It wasn’t until two weeks later that I realized my mistake.

After two glorious weeks in Tuscany, I returned to Pisa airport for my return flight, only to see those dreaded plastic bags sitting by the security line and signs telling travelers that all liquids must fit in a bag per passenger.

I should have checked the rules for my destination airport before flying, but in all the holiday excitement, it just didn’t occur to me. I ended up having to throw out a few pieces of makeup because it wouldn’t all fit – not the end of the world, but still annoying.

It’s all well and good to lower the liquid limits in the UK, but many passengers may find they have to stick to the old rules on their return journeys. Some airports in other parts of Europe are planning to drop the 100ml liquid rule this year, but it’s worth checking before you fly so you don’t make the same mistake I did.