The Turkey Yes, The Gravy No – What You Can Bring On The Plane
According to the TSA, the number of passengers expected to fly this Thanksgiving holiday is predicted to be record-breaking with more than 26.8 million passengers and crew members traveling through security screening checkpoints nationwide from Nov. 22 through Dec. 2. And they expect to screen 4% more passengers this holiday travel season than last year. (TSA.gov)
Want to avoid the hassle of the shake down, pat down, and holding up the lines cause "I didn't know"? Here's some tips from the folks with the security wands themselves.
In a nutshell: get there early, solids are ok, liquids should be put in your bags and checked with your luggage under the plane. Here's a couple of quick tips.
- Get to the airport early—two hours prior to a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Only a turkey gets to the airport in the last minute during the Thanksgiving travel period. Don’t be a turkey!
- Know which foods can travel in your carry-on bag. Pies, cakes, stuffing mix, casseroles, are all good in a carry-on bag because they are solid food items.
- Know which foods should go into a checked bag. Gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam, preserves, should all go into a checked bag. Why? They are not solids. Basically if you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, (say that three times fast) then it’s not a solid and should be packed in a checked bag.
- Place your electronic carving knife (or your non-electric knife) in your checked bag. Should be a no-brainer, wouldn’t you think? (TSA.gov)
For the full list HEAD HERE.
The TSA has an app you can download for free. If you are not sure if an item should go in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither, tweet your question to @AskTSA or ask via Facebook Messenger.
Be kind to the agents. Be patient. Be courteous. Follow instructions. Get there early. Don't wait until the last minute. Use some common sense. And we don't say this to be insulting but, try not to be under the influence. You're gonna have a bad time and might miss your flight all together. Just saying.
Happy flying. Happy Turkey Day.