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Why You Shouldn’t Wrap Gifts Before You Fly, More TSA Rules for Thanksgiving and the Holidays
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Why You Shouldn’t Wrap Gifts Before You Fly, More TSA Rules for Thanksgiving and the Holidays

For all travelers planning to bring food or presents through the airport this Thanksgiving, the Transportation Security Administration offers tips to make sure your holiday meal and gifts go through safely and easily.

Frequent travelers already know the best packing tricks to get through airport security quickly, but whether you have PreCheck, Clear, or just good timing, nothing gets in the way of an efficient process like having an important item confiscated by agents of security.

Vacation trips pass "Phoebe" Flamingo at Tampa International Airport on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.

Holiday travelers walk past ‘Phoebe’ the Flamingo at Tampa International Airport, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.

AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, File

Whether it’s a wine opener or liquid over the 3.4 fluid ounce limit, the TSA has some helpful pointers below for anyone taking to the air this holiday season.

Why TSA Says Don’t Wrap Gifts If You’re Flying for the Holidays

A representative for the agency confirmed to ABC News that gifts do not need to be wrapped.

Instead, they suggest using gift bags as an alternative because if the uniformed TSA officer needs to physically inspect the contents of the gift, it’s easier to do so when it’s unwrapped.

Tips for flying with food, liquids in your carry-on this holiday season

“When traveling with food for Thanksgiving, remember that while solid foods are allowed through checkpoints, foods that include liquids are no larger than 3.4 ounces,” air travel expert Julian Kheel told “GMA”. ” “That includes canned goods that have liquid in them or Thanksgiving staples like cranberry sauce. So make sure you put anything that can’t go through security in your checked bags.”

Travelers check in at a Southwest Airlines ticket counter at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Travelers check in at a Southwest Airlines ticket counter at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Kheel also said that any other liquids or gels — whether it’s mini bottles of foam for frying or a small jar of homemade jam — should be easily accessible to “get through security faster.”

“Have all liquids already packed in a separate small clear plastic bag in (a) carry-on,” suggested Kheel. That way, someone can easily remove all items if needed at the checkpoint. “You can even find TSA-approved bags for liquids—that come with zippers to quickly secure their contents.”

If you really don’t want to check a bag but plan to bring liquids larger than the allotted size, the Points Path founder told “GMA” travelers should plan to “buy a set of TSA-sized travel bottles — and to pour in return, the sum you need for your journey into them.”

While 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 apply for TSA PreCheck, which provides fast lane access of security (dedicated) at the airport”.

“With TSA PreCheck, you usually don’t have to take liquids or electronics out of your carry-on or take off your shoes,” he said. According to the agency, TSA PreCheck applicants often receive an approval notification in 3 to 5 days, “so apply now for access during Thanksgiving travel,” Kheel said.

TSA Thanksgiving Food Rules and Checklist

According to the security agency, this is a list of all Thanksgiving foods that can be carried through a TSA checkpoint.

– Pastry products. Homemade or store-bought pies, cookies, cakes, brownies and other sweets.
– Meat. Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked or uncooked.
– The filling. Cooked, uncooked, boxed or bagged.
– Casserole. Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic.
– Mac ‘n Cheese. Cooked in a pan or traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination.
– Fresh vegetables. Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, pumpkin, greens.
– Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, pineapples, lemons, limes, blueberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, kiwis.
– Candy.
– Condiments.

The rest of the festive holiday foods below are those that the TSA says “should be carefully packed with your checked bags.”

– Blueberry sauce. Homemade or canned are spreads, so check them out.
– Sauce. Homemade or in a jar/box.
– Wine, champagne, sparkling apple cider.
– Canned fruit or vegetables. It has liquid in the box, so check them out.
– Preserves, jams and jellies. They are spreadable, so you better check them out.
– Maple syrup.

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