Sydney Airport security seize shampoo

Travellers taking advantage of budget "seat only" fares across the Tasman beware - Sydney Airport security officers are taking a hard line over what's allowed in your carry-on.

An Auckland man returning from a short trip was stunned when security officers confiscated a set of small, plastic travel bottles containing shampoo, conditioner and hair gel.

Even though the bottles were under the regulation 100ml and presented in a resealable, transparent plastic bag, they were deemed "unidentified" and had to be binned.

Security at Auckland had no problem with the containers, said the 46-year-old. "I just thought it was particularly pedantic and very authoritarian.

"You're doing what they want you to do and you're presenting it and they treat you as if you're a smuggler."

The Australian Department of Infrastructure and Transport's website makes no mention of a ban on "unidentified" containers in carry-on luggage.

A departmental spokesman said there had been no change in the regulations.

New Zealand Aviation Security Service chief executive Chris Tosswill said his officials did not go to the extreme of seizing plastic travel bottles.

Security officers should consider who the passenger was and ask further questions if they had a query. "There's obviously got to be some common sense put in place here."