GOING to the airport can be a nightmare for some as security checkpoints can prove to be a hassle.
Transportation Security Administration workers across the country screen anywhere from 1.5 million to 3 million people a day, which can lead to long lines if travelers are held up.
The Transportation Security Administration has tips to keep travelers moving through security[/caption]
Common things can hold up the line, causing delays[/caption]
Luckily, the agency’s workers notice the same common mistakes every day, and know what can simplify the process for everyone.
“Travelers sometimes ignore the advice that we give them,” one TSA worker, TeaNeisha Barker, said.
“We are providing guidance so that they get through the checkpoint as simply and conveniently as possible. Not every airport has the same technology, so listen to the guidance we are offering.”
Empty your drinks
Although it’s one of the most common things to know when going into a security checkpoint, forgetting about the drink in your bag can hold the line up.
Any bottle of water, juice, coffee, etc. can not be brought, and filled reusable bottles will have to be emptied.
Emptied bottles can be brought, so keep those if needed.
Take everything out of your pockets
And not just your keys and phone.
According to workers, travelers tend to forget that everything needs to come out of your pockets – not just metal items.
So take out the chapstick, gum and wallet.
Buy a TSA-approved lock
If you plan on locking up your items, make sure it’s TSA approved.
Otherwise, if they need to check your bag further, they will cut off the lock, making it unusable.
Follow the 3-1-1 rule
The toiletries rule is one of the most disliked rules when it comes to traveling – although it may be changing soon after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has hinted at a change of heart for the agency.
“That may be the next big announcement is what size your liquids need to be,” Noem said at the Hill Nation Summit this week.
Foods that are banned and allowed on flights
THERE are strict rules travelers have to follow when going through airport security checkpoints when it comes to food and drink.
Food and drinks that can be carried in both carry-on and checked in luggage:
- Baby food
- Bread
- Candy
- Cereal
- Cheese
- Chocolate (solid)
- Coffee
- Cooked meats
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Dried fruits
- Fresh eggs
- Gum
- Nuts
- Pies and cakes
- Pizza
- Protein powders
- Salt
- Sandwiches
- Snack bars
- Snacks
- Solid Foods
- Dry Spices
- Tea
Some foods and drinks must follow special instructions
- Travelers can carry baby formula products that weigh more than 3.4 ounces.
- Travelers cannot carry more than 3.4 ounces or 100ml of water in their carry-on luggage. This rule applies to other drinks and liquid products such as coffee and gravy.
- Canned foods must follow the 3-1-1 rule.
- Liquid chocolate products cannot weigh more than 3.4 ounces.
- Travelers might be asked to store cream cheese items in different bags ahead of being scanned.
- Travelers heading to the US from Hawaii cannot carry fresh fruit in their hand luggage.
Banned food and drink
- Alcoholic beverages over 140 proof
Source: TSA
“We’re looking at, you know, our scanners.”
When it comes to toiletries currently, travelers are asked to follow the 3-1-1 rule for carry on bags.
All toiletries must be 3.4 ounces or less, fit in a 1-quart bag, and one bag is allowed per person.
“TSA needs to do away with this ridiculous rule already,” one user wrote on a TSA Facebook post.
“Inefficient as always,” another commented.
Read the rules for weapons
In 2024, TSA intercepted over 6,600 firearms at security.
The agency has created a slogan to remember what to do: “Prepare, Pack, Declare.”
“Firearms present a safety risk for our employees and everyone else at the checkpoint. It’s also costly and slows down operations,” David Pekoske, a TSA administrator, said in a release.
“If individuals who carry a firearm intend to travel, we remind them that the firearm must be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided case, declared to the airline at the check-in counter and transported in checked baggage.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hinted at another rule that could be axed after announcing passengers no longer had to remove their shoes in TSA lines[/caption]
