TSA Travel Tips Tuesday - Summer 2013 Travel Tips

Summer is almost here! People all over the country are getting their pools and patio furniture ready for the warmer days to come. Many are preparing for travel too! Whether you’re going on a family vacation or a business trip, there is sure to be some helpful information for you in this post. Have a great summer!

TSA Pre✓™ and other Risk Based Expedited Screening: TSA has implemented TSAPre✓™, an expedited prescreening initiative for known travelers, active duty service members and airline crewmembers at select airports, and modified procedures for screening passengers 12 and under and 75 and older to reduce, although not eliminate, the need for a pat-down. TSA Pre✓™ is currently available in 40 airports. As of today, 10,000,000 passengers have been screened through TSA Pre✓™ lanes!

The MyTSA App: Want TSA information anywhere, anytime?  Use the MyTSA app. Among the great features, there’s a “Can I Bring My…” tool. Want to know if you can pack a certain item? This is the tool for you. Type in the name of the item you’re curious about and it tells you if the item is permitted or not, along with packing tips. This isn’t a Magic 8 Ball, so please don’t expect it to prophetically answer yes and no questions. A wait time feature is also available. It relies on crowd sourcing, which means the more people who use it, the better. 

TSA Cares Helpline: Travelers or families of passengers with disabilities and medical conditions may call the TSA Cares helpline toll free 855-787-2227, 72 hours prior to traveling with any questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. A TSA Cares helpline representative is available during all TSA Contact Center hours.

TSA Contact Center: The Contact Center hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m., Eastern time; weekends and federal holidays, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Eastern time. The TCC can be reached at 866-289-9673. Passengers can also reach out to the TSA Contact Center (TCC) with questions about TSA procedures, upcoming travel or to provide feedback or voice concerns.

Passenger Support Specialists: PSS’s are Transportation Security Officers, Lead TSOs and Supervisors who have volunteered to take on the responsibility of assisting passengers who may need a little help at the checkpoint. If you need assistance, or you’re concerned about your screening, you can request a PSS and they’ll help you with whatever issue it is you might be having. Read this post for more information.

Jewelry: So what’s the scoop? Should you remove jewelry or keep it on to go through security? The answer, in most cases is that you can keep it on, but there are a few different choices that you can make based on what kind of jewelry it is. Read this post for more information. 

How to Avoid Additional Screening:  The most important tip to help you avoid a pat-down is to take everything out of your pockets before screening and put items in your carry-on bag. Don't wear clothes with a high metal content, and put heavy jewelry on after you go through security.  If you have a hidden medical device (insulin pump, ostomy bag, brace, etc.), please let the officer know. 

Scuba Diving: Traveling with diving gear this summer? Read this post from our resident diving expert for tips and travel information.

Sporting Goods: Golf clubs, baseball bats (including the mini slugger bats), cricket bats, bows and arrows, hockey sticks, scuba knives, spear guns, etc. are all prohibited from being carried onto the plane. However, you can place them in your checked baggage.

Military Travel: If you’re traveling this summer as a member of the U.S. Armed forces, be sure to read the travel tips at this post.

Destination Weddings: Getting married soon? We’ve been asked about it a lot lately on our My TSA app, so we wrote a post on it. Be sure to check it out for some great tips.

Camping, Hunting, or Fishing: If you’re heading to the great outdoors, be sure to check out this post for tips on traveling with camping and fishing gear.

Traveling With a Pet: TSA does not prohibit travel with pets. However, it is very important that you contact your airline first so they can let you know about any requirements, fees, or restrictions they might have. Read here for more information.

Double Check Your Bag for Guns: Seriously!!! It sounds silly, but if you read our Week in Review posts, you’ll see that our officers find guns every day at checkpoints in the U.S.  A good percentage of those are loaded. Save yourself the hassle of a bag check, a police interview and a potential arrest by making sure you leave your gun at home. 

 

Traveling With Children: Did you know that children 12 and under can keep their shoes on? If you’re going on a family trip this summer, be sure to click here for more tips and information on traveling with the little crumb-snatchers.

Shaving Razors: You can get more info from our blog post on this subject where the pictures will answer all of your questions.

Forgotten or Lost IDs: If you have lost or forgotten your ID, you will still be permitted to fly as long as you help us verify you are who you say you are by answering a few questions. Read this post for more information.

Liquids, Gels & Aerosols: If you’re checking a bag, make things simple by packing liquids in your checked luggage. That way, you don’t have to worry about the liquids rules.  (If you’re concerned about them leaking, do what I do and put them in a zip-top bag.)  But I know that doesn’t work for everyone if you’re only bringing a carry-on bag. If you have to take liquids in your carry-on, please continue reading… You can read here for more details, but here is the gist: each passenger is allowed to take as many 3.4 ounce or less sized containers that will fit in one sealed clear quart-sized zip-top bag – and one bag per person.   Make sure you take the zip-top bag out of your carry-on prior to sending it through the X-ray.

Here is some information on frequently asked liquid, aerosol and gel items:

• Deodorant: Stick deodorant is not limited to 3.4 oz or less, but gel or spray deodorant is.
• Suntan & Sun Block Lotion: Lotions – both pump and aerosol - fall under the procedures that I mentioned above. Sun block sticks do not fall under this rule.
• Makeup: Any liquid makeup cosmetics such as eyeliner, nail polish, liquid foundation, etc. should be placed in the baggie. That goes for perfume as well. Powder makeup is fine.
• Beverages: Wine, liquor, beer, and all of your favorite beverages are permitted in your checked baggage. You can also bring beverages packaged in 3.4 oz or less bottles in your carry-on bags in the baggie.
• Gel Inserts for shoes are now permitted.
• Foods: Cakes, pies, bread, donuts, turkeys, etc. are all permitted. Here is a list of items that should be placed in your checked bags or shipped: cranberry sauce, creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.), gift baskets with liquid or gel food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings), gravy, jams, jellies, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, sauces, soups, wine, liquor and beer.

Come back next Tuesday for more TSA travel tips! 

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team  

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Week in Review: 25 Loaded Firearms Discovered This Week - And Other Items of Note

Loaded Firearm and Ammunition (ABQ)

31 Firearms Discovered This Week – of the 31 firearms, 25 were loaded and 13 had rounds chambered. See a complete list and more photos at the bottom of this post. 

Camping Stove Fuel – A camping stove fuel bottle with fuel inside was discovered in a passenger’s carry-on bag at San Francisco (SFO).  The passenger was returning from a camping trip and forgot the fuel was in his bag. If you missed my post on travel tips for campers and fishers, you can check it out here.

Camping Stove Fuel Bottle (SFO)

Plethora of Pointy Things (OAK)

Plethora of Pointy Things – One passenger at Oakland (OAK) had the following in his carry-on bag: two swords, an 11-inch hunting knife, a six-inch throwing knife, two throwing stars, a grappling hook, a credit card knife, a straight razor, and two pocketknives.

PVC Pipe & Printer (ATL)

PVC Pipe – I’ve heard that people are using PVC pipes to help protect items from getting damaged while they travel.  While it is a great low-cost way to protect fragile items, it can cause problems at the checkpoint or in checked baggage screening areas and even delays.  PVC pipe (or any kind of pipe) with end caps can resemble a pipe bomb when viewed on the X-ray monitor, especially when there are electronic or other items stuffed inside of it. This is a picture of a PVC pipe with end caps used to protect a portable printer discovered in Atlanta (ATL). 

Inert Ordnance and Grenades etc. - We continue to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays in checkpoint screening. I know they are cool novelty items, but you cannot bring them on a plane. Read here and here on why inert items cause problems.

• Six inert/replica/novelty grenades were discovered across the nation this week. Four were found in checked baggage at Gulfport (GPT), Honolulu (HNL), and Syracuse (SYR), and two were discovered in carry-on bags at Tampa (TPA) and Salt Lake City (SLC).

Grenades Discovered at (L-R) GPT, HNL, SLC, SYR, TPA

Stun Guns – Eight stun guns were discovered this week in carry-on bags around the nation.  Two were discovered at Omaha (OMA), two more at Las Vegas (LAS) and the others at Baltimore (BWI), Atlanta (ATL), San Francisco (SFO), and Omaha (OMA).

Stun Guns Discvoered at (L-R) ATL, OMA, SFO

Items in the Strangest Places –It’s important to examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure no prohibited items are inside. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag, you could be cited and quite possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found in strange places.

• A double-edged 10-inch carving knife was detected under the lining and the handle of a  carry-on bag at Albuquerque (ABQ).
• A belt buckle knife was discovered at Los Angeles (LAX).
• A knife was discovered in a carry-on bag at Bradley (BDL) wrapped in paper and concealed in a thermos.

Knives Discovered at (L-R) MEM, STL, DEN, DTW, JFK, LAX, ABQ

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items - In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, Airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of sharp pointy things… 

                                      Firearms Discovered This Week in Carry-On Bags

Discovered at (L-R) DAL, FLL, CRW, ATL, RSW, TYS, ATL, PDX

Discovered at (L-R) CHS, FLO, GTF, DAB, MCO, VPS

Discovered at (Top to Bottom)  MSY, TPA

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.  

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. The passenger can face a penalty as high as $7,500.00. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

*In order to provide a timely weekly update, I compile my data from a preliminary report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly (increase) from what I report in the weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear, or end-of-year numbers TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will not be estimates. 

If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you check out our post highlighting the dangerous, scary, and downright unusual items our officers found in 2012. The 2011 list can be found here. 

Bob Burns 
TSA Blog Team 

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.