As the cold, bleak winter drags on, many Brits are counting down the days until they canjet off on their summer holidays.But a major new airport rule change is catching some travellers off guard - and starting their trips withunnecessary stress when they realise they’ve got it wrong.

As of January, passengers flying from certain UK airports can now carry up to two litres of liquids in their hand luggage, replacing the long-standing 100ml limit, thanks to new CT scanners. In a statement, Heathrow Airport said: "Passengers travelling through all terminals at Heathrow no longer need to remove liquids or electronics from their hand luggage, or juggle plastic bags at security.

"The UK’s hub has become the largest airport in the world to fully roll out next-generation CT (computed tomography) security scanners - a move that promises faster queues, less stress and a smoother start to journeys for millions of travellers."

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UK airports that have ditched the 100ml rule

• Belfast International


• Belfast City


• Birmingham


• Bristol


• Edinburgh


• London Gatwick


• London Heathrow

However, the change has not been rolled out across every airport - with many still sticking to the 100ml rule and requiring liquids to be removed and placed in clear plastic bags.

UK airports still enforcing the 100ml rule

• Aberdeen


• Bournemouth


• Cardiff


• East Midlands


• Glasgow International


• Glasgow Prestwick


• Inverness


• Isle of Man


• Leeds Bradford


• Liverpool


• Luton


• London City Airport


• Manchester


• Newcastle


• Newquay


• Norwich


• Southampton


• Southend


• Stansted


• Teesside

Exemptions still apply for essential medicines, baby food, and milk, as well as special dietary requirements.

Travellers are being urged to check their departure airport’s rules before flying - especially ahead of the busy Easter holidays - to avoid delays or having items confiscated at security.

Reacting to the change, one traveller flying from Gatwick Airport wrote on Reddit: "Makes the journey just that little bit less stressful. Leave everything in your bag - laptop too."

Another added: "Edinburgh is the same, which is really handy."

A third explained: "This is because a new generation of scanners is being rolled out that allows more liquids and means you don’t have to remove laptops - but only a few airports have them so far."

However, not everyone is convinced.

One user said: "This change is useless until all major airports follow suit. It’s fine on the way out, but if your return airport still has the old rules, you end up throwing things away. It also causes confusion, especially when different London airports have different rules. It should be all or nothing."

Another added: "I’ve been travelling with just carry-on for years now and wouldn’t go back. There’s something freeing about not carrying full-size toiletries when you only need a small amount."