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Man checks in can of beer as luggage, becomes toast of Twitter

Raise a glass to the semi-anonymous Aussie hero who clearly had his packing priorities in order.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
2 min read

It doesn't take much to become the toast of Twitter . Sometimes, you just have to decide that it's not worth flying without a can of your favorite beer.

That's one can. One single can, and no other luggage. Who needs underwear and a toothbrush when you've got a tasty beverage? When customs asks you what you have to declare, simply say, "I declare I'll have my beer now, thanks."

Naturally, the story comes from Australia, where Qantas Airways confirms that the hoppy hero, known only as Dean, skipped the hassle of packing life's little necessities and simply brought one can of Emu Export beer with him on a flight from Melbourne to Perth on Saturday.

The traveler told Unilad that he and his mates considered trying the stunt with a single can of deodorant instead, but decided the beer was "more iconic."

"Honestly the thought of a single can of export making its way down the baggage carousel was too good to pass up so I thought I'd give it a whirl," he said.

The can was properly marked with a luggage sticker indicating its destination, made the trip, and in an entertaining video opportunity, was the first item sent down the baggage carousel, where it circled proudly until Dean got off the plane and came to claim it.

"There was no luggage out yet but everyone was milling around and had their phones out so I was pretty sure I knew what was going on," he said. "Sure enough there she was, alone on the carousel proudly making her way around."

Thankfully, no one between Melbourne and Perth spotted the can and got thirsty. "I half expected to find it empty, but if it didn't turn up I'd have filed a lost luggage report," the owner told Unilad.

Qantas didn't respond to a CNET request for comment, but a spokesperson for the airline did confirm the news to the New York Times, telling the newspaper, "It did happen ... To be honest, we don't want to encourage people to do this."

Twitter users raised a toast to the traveler's ingenuity.

Don't get any ideas for the next time you fly Qantas, though. 

"This guy's done it, and he's won the internet for the day," the airline spokesperson told the Times. "We're quite happy to move on."

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