Skip to navigation Skip to content
Click here to find out how TSA's Secure Flight helps Alex Johnson

Helpful Hints for Holiday Travelers

Travelers

Helpful hints for holiday travelers.

Every holiday travel season, TSA prepares its workforce of 50,000 Transportation Security Officers to ensure we provide a smooth holiday travel experience for travelers. Since this is during the busiest travel time of the year, TSA wants to remind passengers of the security procedures in place and help travelers be prepared for security, before they leave home.

Improvements for Holiday Travel

Advanced Imaging Technology

Photo of advanced imaging technology unitsTSA has deployed hundreds of advanced imaging technology units to airports across the country to keep the traveling public safe. To learn more about their safety, privacy, and how the technologies work, Click Here.

The 3-1-1 Policy for Liquids, Gels, and Aerosols

Liquid explosives still pose a threat and for that reason TSA limits the amount of liquids passengers can safely carry through the security checkpoint. This limitation applies only to carry-on bags. Larger quantities of liquids, gels, and aerosols can be safely packed in checked baggage.
Here are the rules:

Larger quantities of breast milk/baby formula and medically necessary liquids are permitted but must be presented to an officer for further inspection. For more information on traveling with medically necessary liquids, click here.

Traveling With Kids or Your Parents? Use Family Lanes

Families or individuals traveling with medically necessary liquids this holiday season can use TSA's Family Lanes to have a more pleasant travel experience. There are Family Lanes at every security checkpoint allowing families and travelers with special needs to go through security at their own pace. Individuals carrying medically necessary liquids, gels and aerosols in excess of three ounces will also be directed to these popular lanes. Individuals traveling with liquids, gels and aerosols within 3-1-1 limits will not experience any change to their screening procedures. These lanes are marked by signage at each security checkpoint. Visit Screening Pilot for Passengers 12 and Under.

Traveling with Food

Everyone has favorite foods from home that they want to bring to holiday dinners, or items from their destination that they want to bring back home. Travelers should know that while pies are permitted through the security checkpoint, here is a list of liquids, gels and aerosol items that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home.

Items that are purchased after the security checkpoint have been pre-screened and can be taken on the plane.

Traveling with Gifts

While wrapped gifts are not prohibited, if a bag alarms our security officers may have to unwrap a gift to take a closer look inside. We recommend passengers wrap gifts after their flight or ship them ahead of time, to avoid the possibility of having to open them during the screening process. This applies to both carry-ons at the security checkpoint and to checked baggage.

Traveling with Snow Globes

TSA does not permit snow globes through the security checkpoint because they contain an undetermined amount of liquid. Snow globes are permitted in checked baggage.

The MyTSA App

Photo of the MyTSA applicationTo provide passengers with 24/7 access to the most commonly requested TSA information on their mobile device, TSA has developed the MyTSA mobile application. No matter where you are, you’ll have easy access to information you need to get through security and onto the plane safely and smoothly. To learn more, Click Here.

TSA Travel Checklist

Before Packing

When Packing

Before Leaving for Airport

Before Entering Checkpoint

After Entering Checkpoint

Helpful Travel Information

Download Plug-in
Some of the links on this page require a plug-in to view them, which are available below.

Click Here to Download Adobe Acrobat Reader Adobe Acrobat (PDF)

Click Here to Download Flash Player Flash Player