SYDNEY (AFP, NYTIMES) - A beer-loving Australian man has managed to check-in one can of lager as his only luggage on a domestic flight, with the brew arriving safely thanks to courteous baggage handlers.

To the amusement of ground staff at Melbourne airport, the can of Emu Export Lager was tagged and made its way along the conveyor belt to the plane as the only check-in item for passenger Dean Stinson on Saturday (July 8).

The high-flyer said he concocted the plan with a friend who worked at the airport "just for a laugh", adding that he was pleasantly surprised his precious cargo survived the four-hour journey to Perth.



Dean Stinson took a photo of the can of beer on the baggage conveyor belt at Perth Airport. PHOTO: AFP



"I thought it was bloody great," he told Agence France-Presse about the safe arrival of the beer.

"And it was in perfect condition."

When contacted by The New York Times's Australia bureau, a spokesman for Qantas sounded less than cheerful but confirmed the story.

“It did happen,” he said. “Someone’s checked something in. To be honest, we don’t want to encourage people to do this.”

On how that aligns with the check-in policy of Australia’s national airline, the spokesman said: “This guy’s done it, and he’s won the internet for the day. We’re quite happy to move on."