Will my checked luggage freeze in the airplane?

7/7/2022 9:49:37 PM

By mistake, my carry-on bag containing 100 insulin cartridges (Actrapid and Lanus) was handed over as checked-in luggage when I traveled from Mumbai to Toronto via Frankfurt, but I got them safe in the end.

Insulin is generally damaged by freezing, but that did not happen, so I believe that the temperature in the cargo hold was maintained and did not reach 0°C; it may have reached 7°.

If the temperature is allowed to reach freezing point, humidity inside passengers’ bags may become ice and cause damage to clothes also.

9/6/2016 10:35:48 AM

Running a datalogger inside a checked suitcase between Paris and Sydney via Dubai showed the minimum temperature to be 13 degrees Celsius. That occurred in the last 3 hours of flight. A change of aircraft at Dubai showed the temperature rise to 28.5 degrees Celsius, when it changed aircraft, and then slowly drop as the Sydney bound aircraft proceeded on its flight. Temperature and humidity were logged every 15 seconds. The datalogger was a recorder and not a transmitter. Transmitter equipment aboard aircraft is illegal. I am yet to marry data from the recorder against actual flight data available online, but aircraft typically travel at around 38000 feet, with an outside temperature of around minus 44.6 degrees Celsius. The datalogger was placed against the side of the suitcase in a side pocket. The suitcases position within both cargo holds was unknown.

1/30/2015 4:31:46 AM

I’ve checked numerous freeze-sensitive things over the years. Once, back in the 80s I had damage (and that from a 1-hr flight.) Since then everything has been fine, even on very long flights.

1/29/2015 11:11:28 PM

Hi I’m a flight attendant and have checked in freeze sensitive items like the above (wines , cheese… even champagne and a whole clingwrapped roasted duck) to bring home throughout my 2-year career. Yes, it’s only 2 years but I do check in such stuff frequently (between monthly and quarterly basis). I would stow them quickly in the fridge when I get home. Everything ended up fine and unspoiled. So far (Thank God) none of the wines/sparkling wines which I packed home exploded or ended up like 7-11 Slurpee slush or separated into different layers of liquid. In fact, my greatest concerns and the greatest risk taken would be physical damages to the bag during the check-in-out process which may in turn damage my stuff. Ground staff handling baggage may damage your bags accidentally. If you’re lucky, it’s a harmless scratch. A wheel missing? OK, still repairable. But have you ever seen bags badly cracked or dented lying sadly on the conveyor belt? A bad dent in the wrong place may cause a bottle to crack and soak all my stuff inside. Hope this helps. 🙂

12/19/2013 1:26:14 AM

On an aircraft like one you’re on, it’s interesting to realise that the cargo hold is actually pressurised, just like the cabin. (The floor between the two is not a pressure bulkhead, so needs to be roughly the same or it could collapse from the pressure.

However, as you’ve observed, the temperature is often cold as while the cabin is warmed, the cargo hold usually is not.

From a similar plane (767) and written by a A320 pilot:

Conditioned air is directed from the cabin, so the air tends to be a
little cooler by the time it reaches the cargo areas, which are also
less insulated than the cabin. Cargo temperatures vary in our fleet.
The Boeing 767 maintains its baggage hold above 7˚C, but the bulk area
(where animals are carried) can be heated above 18˚C. Controlled
temperature cargo bins are also available when temperature-sensitive
goods are being shipped.

So your wine is unlikely to freeze if it only gets down to 7 degrees, but it’s worth noting that in some exceptional cases (close to the outside, no insulation, extreme temperatures outside) it may cause some freezing. Your best bet is to insulate it with some jackets or similar, like you’ve suggested you will do. Odds are, it’ll be fine.

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About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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