Planning and packing properly can facilitate the screening process and ease your travel experience at the airport. Please be sure to know what you can pack in your carry-on and checked baggage before arriving at the airport by looking over the lists below. Even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through the checkpoint if it triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns. Could you read about civil penalties for prohibited items?
At the security line, put all your things (phone, wallet, watch, belt, etc) that will need to be removed in your carry-on. It makes it much more efficient rather than taking each item and placing it into the bin.
1. Liquids Over 3.4 Ounces Water Bottle/Reusable Water Bottle
Bring an empty water bottle and fill it at the fountains. Air travel dehydrates you and most of us don’t drink enough fluids anyway. TSA rule for liquids is that you are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. Placing these items in a small bag and separating them from your carry-on baggage facilitates the screening process. Pack items that are in containers larger than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters in checked baggage. Any liquid, aerosol, gel, cream, or paste that alarms during screening will require additional screening.
TSA classifies contact solutions as “medically necessary.” TSA allows larger amounts of medically necessary liquids, gels, and aerosols in reasonable quantities for your trip, but you must declare them to security officers at the checkpoint for inspection. Any oversized medically necessary liquids that alarm during screening, testing positive for certain chemicals, may not be allowed through the screening checkpoint. Some contact lens solutions contain chemicals that typically alarm and may not permitted through the checkpoint. We recommend placing contact lens solutions over 3.4 ounces in your checked baggage. For more prohibited items, please go to the ‘What Can I Bring?’ page.
Devices containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries should be carried in carry-on baggage. Most other consumer devices containing batteries are allowed in carry-on and checked baggage. For more information on portable electronic devices, see the FAA regulations.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the TSA temporarily allowed passengers to carry one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in carry-on bags. However, this exemption expired, and as of now, hand sanitizers must follow the 3-1-1 rule for liquids.
7. Full-size Pillows
While some travelers are packing full-size pillows, a travel hack trending on TikTok, it’s not recommended because some airlines might not consider it a personal item. They’ll either charge you for an additional carry-on or worse, make you pay to check it. You can pack a pillow that is not a full-size pillow. EverSnug Travel Blanket Pillow that flight attendants are obsessed with always counts as a personal item. It’s super soft and doubles as a travel blanket, too. Plus, it’s convenient to carry. With more than 5,000 five-star ratings, it’s one of Amazon’s best-selling travel products.
8. Not declaring More than $10,000
If you are traveling internationally and need to bring in more than $10,000 should you declare it? Perhaps you have been told that it is illegal to carry that much cash when you travel. In actuality, it is legal, although it may not be the safest decision. you are not restricted to traveling with sums of $10,000 or less. In fact, you could travel with a checked bag stuffed to the brim with cash — as long as you declare the amount beforehand. However, this doesn’t mean that you will not end up talking to officials about why you have the cash and answering questions about how you obtained the money in your possession. To reiterate: there are no customs duties, taxes, or other fees paid to U.S. Customs for the international transportation of the money; it is merely a reporting requirement to U.S. Customs. Still, on an average day in Fiscal Year 2015, CBP seized $356,396 in undeclared or illicit currency. It is important to note that reporting requirements are not limited to cash dollars. The same requirements apply to various monetary instruments, including foreign currency, traveler’s checks, domestic or foreign banknotes, securities, or stocks in bearer form.
