For any travelers planning to walk through the airport with food or gifts this Thanksgiving, the Transportation Security Administration shares tips to ensure your Christmas meal and gifts get through security easily.
Frequent travelers already know the best packing tips to get through airport security quickly, but whether you have PreCheck, Clear, or just good timing, nothing derails an efficient process like having an important item confiscated by security officers.
A Christmas wreath hangs from the ceiling as travelers line up to enter the Logan Airport Terminal A security checkpoint while others wait at the ticket counter, Dec. 14, 2023.
John Tumacki/Boston Globe via Getty Images
Whether it's a bottle opener or liquid over the 3.4 fluid ounce limit, the TSA has some helpful tips below for anyone taking off this holiday season.
Why the TSA says don't wrap gifts if you're traveling for the holidays
An agency representative confirmed to ABC News that gifts do not need to be wrapped.
Instead, they suggest using gift bags as an alternative, because while the uniformed TSA agent must physically inspect the contents of the gift, it is easier to do so when it is unwrapped.
Tips for traveling with food and liquids in luggage during the holiday season
“When traveling with food for your Thanksgiving feast, remember that while solid foods are allowed through security checkpoints, foods containing liquids are not if they are larger than 3.4 ounces,” airline expert Julian Kheel told “GMA.” ” “This includes canned products with liquid or Thanksgiving staples like cranberry sauce. So make sure you put anything that can't pass through security in your checked bag.”
Kheel also said that any other liquids or gels — whether mini bottles of champagne for toasting or a small jar of homemade jam — should be easily accessible to “get through security faster.”
Travelers go through a security check at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 28, 2024 in Atlanta.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images, FILE
“Have already packed all your liquids in a separate small clear plastic bag inside a carry-on bag,” Kheel suggested. This way someone can easily remove any items if necessary at the checkpoint. “You can even find TSA-approved liquid bags that have zippers to quickly secure their contents.”
If you really don't want to check a bag, but plan to bring liquids larger than the allowed size, the Points Path founder told “GMA” that travelers should plan to “purchase a set of travel bottles in TSA size – and pay the amount you need for your trip.
Although wait times can vary by location and day, especially during the peak holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's, Kheel said “it's not too late to request TSA PreCheck, which provides expedited access via the airport's (dedicated) security corridors.
“With TSA PreCheck, you generally don't need to remove liquids or electronic devices from your carry-on bags or remove your shoes,” he said. According to the agency, TSA PreCheck applicants often receive notification of approval within 3 to 5 days, “so apply now so you have access during your Thanksgiving travels,” Kheel said.
Food Rules and TSA Thanksgiving Checklist
TSA-approved take-out food items for Thanksgiving and the holiday season.
CST
According to the security agencyHere is a list of all Thanksgiving foods that can be transported through a TSA checkpoint.
Bakery products. Pies, cakes, cookies, brownies and other homemade or store-bought treats.
Meats. Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked or raw.
Padding. Cooked, raw, canned or bagged.
Pans. Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic.
Mac 'n Cheese. Cooked in a pan or while traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination.
Fresh vegetables. Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, squash, green vegetables.
Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, pineapples, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, kiwi.
Candy.
Spices.
The rest of the festive food items below are ones that the TSA says “must be carefully packaged with your checked baggage.”
Cranberry sauce. Homemade or canned meals are spreadable, so check them.
Sauce. Homemade or in a jar/can.
Wine, champagne, sparkling apple cider.
Canned fruits or vegetables. There is liquid in the container, so check them.
Preserves, jams and jellies. They are spreadable, so it's best to check them.
Maple syrup.
