TSA provides tips, reminders for holiday travelers
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If you’ll be traveling this holiday season, Transportation Security Administration officials want to be sure you know which items you can bring to an airport checkpoint and which should travel in a checked bag instead.
The TSA recommends that you don’t wrap gifts that you’ll be bringing with you. If a wrapped item alarms the security screening technology, it will need to be unwrapped to determine if it is a security threat. Instead, consider traveling with unwrapped items and placing them in a gift bag or gift box.
Travelers who are unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on or checked bag can check the TSA homepage, which has a “What can I bring?” feature. Type in the name of the item and find out if you can carry it through a checkpoint or if it should be checked. Another option is for passengers to tweet @AskTSA to ask how best to travel with a specific food or other type of item.
Other tips:
• All electronics larger than a cell phone should be placed in a bin with nothing above or below it so that TSA can get a good X-ray image to ensure that it has not been tampered with. That way, if you have a tablet, laptop or the latest gaming console, you can carry it onto the airplane.
• TSA allows drones through the checkpoint, but check with your airline for drone-specific travel policies.
• “Dry” batteries, such as AA, AAA, 9-volt, C and D batteries, all may be carried through a checkpoint. Lithium batteries with 100 watt hours or less installed in in a device are permitted, but loose lithium batteries are prohibited in checked bags. The Federal Aviation Administration has very specific regulations on lithium batteries, so if you’re planning to travel with them, visit the FAA website.
• Baked goods – cookies, pies and cakes – may be carried through security checkpoints. Tins of cookies, pretzels and popcorn are all permitted, too.
• Homemade and store-bought preserves, jams, jellies and syrups fall in the category of a liquid. Solid foods may be carried through a checkpoint, but if you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, then it should be packed in a checked bag if the container is larger than 3.4 ounces.
• Traveling with cheese? If it’s in a solid block, you may bring it through a checkpoint. However, if it is a soft, spreadable cheese, it should be packed in a checked bag.
• Beverages such as egg nog, wine and champagne should be packed in checked baggage. However, beverages with more than 24% alcohol by volume but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to five liters per passenger. Alcoholic beverages with 24% alcohol or less are not subject to any limits in checked bags. Mini bottles of alcohol are allowed in carry-on luggage but must fit comfortably in a single, quart-sized bag. There is a limit of a one-quart bag per passenger.
• Chocolates may be carried on.
• Perfume may be carried through a checkpoint if it is less than 3.4 ounces/100 ml and fits into a one quart-sized bag. If it’s in a bottle that doesn’t fit in your one quart-size resealable plastic bag, it should be packed it in a checked bag.
• Snow globes that appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces of liquid (approximately the size of a tennis ball) may be packed in a carry-on bag only if the entire snow globe, including the base, is able to fit into a one quart-sized, resealable plastic bag. Larger snow globes should be packed in a checked bag.
• Jewelry may be carried through the checkpoint. However, TSA does not recommend wearing bulky jewelry or large belt buckles because that may trigger an alarm resulting in the need for a pat-down.
• Candles that are solid traditional designs may be placed in a carry-on bag. Gel-type candles should be packed in a checked bag.
• Snowboards, snowshoes and ice skates may be carried through a checkpoint, but check with the airline about overhead bin space. Skis and ski poles should travel as checked baggage.
• Advent calendars also may be carried onto a plane.
