The Transportation Security Administration is reminding travelers to know the rules as they pack for that upcoming trip.
The reason: TSA agents at BWI Marshall Airport have found several prohibited items at checkpoints lately. And in a statement, TSA said it all results in “more bag checks and slower checkpoint lines.”
“We are seeing a lot of people who perhaps haven’t traveled in a long time, and they are either unfamiliar with or forgetful about what can and cannot go into a carry-on bag,” said Andrea Mishoe, TSA’s federal security director for Maryland.
All those bag checks, she said, are not optimal during a pandemic.
“The idea is to reduce touchpoints, and a bag check does the opposite,” Mishoe said.
The most frequently found items, according to the TSA, are bottles of liquids, gels and aerosols that are bigger than the 3.4-ounce limit. Travelers should know the “3-1-1 rule” when it comes to carry-on liquids, and larger containers should be inside a checked bag instead.
An exception to this rule, TSA said, is hand sanitizer. One 12-ounce container of sanitizer per passenger is allowed inside carry-on bags, but they should expect that it will need to be screened separately. Larger water bottles are fine, too, if they are empty.
Ammunition is also being brought to checkpoints, the TSA said, and the agency reminds travelers to review the rules for traveling with a firearm and ammo.
Find more information about packing, visit the TSA’s website and the TSA app, which is available both for iOS and Android.
