Things you CAN and CANNOT bring on a plane :-0 (cycle, liquids)

[HDL]

I haven't flown for awhile, so I'm a wee bit forgetful as to what IS and IS NOT allowed any more on a plane ??? I checked TSA's website for info and it was somewhat helpful , but I'm also looking for advice from RECENT travelers and any problems that you encountered ?

Can I bring wrapped presents in my carryon luggage on the plane? Can I bring my own food (apple, sandwich, etc.), just NOT any liquids? How bad is SFO's TSA?

TIA for any and all good advice !

[allforcats]

From one who flies a lot, you MUST follow TSA's specific instructions.
Study the "Things You Should Know" section and do things exactly as they say. This is a matter of national security -- whether you agree with that or not, the TSA personnel are employed to figure out if you will bomb the plane or not. So it's very serious.
TSA | Transportation Security Administration | For Travelers (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm - broken link)
That website covers specifically tons of items. It's a good idea to just make time, sit and read everything that might apply to you, and memorize what you must remember, or write it down, or print out the charts. Whatever you do, get it right before you get to the airport; that way you'll save all kinds of time and hassle and have a relaxed flight.

Yes, you can take your own food. No drinks go through the TSA security check; however, you can buy drinks after the TSA security check before you board your plane. I always take my own lunch and/or snack (sandwich and grapes or slices of kiwi fruit is my thing) so that I don't have to buy on the plane food that I don't want for a price it's not worth.

No, you cannot take wrapped presents. Pack the unwrapped presents and the paper, ribbon, etc. and wrap at your destination.

My best advice:
-- follow without deviation the rules as you see them on the TSA website.
-- smile but not too much when you encounter TSA persons
-- say "Thank you" to TSA persons; they are rarely thanked and I've noticed it really cheers them up
-- wear shoes that are easy and quick to remove and put back on
-- before you get to the airport (so that no one will see you do this and perhaps try to rob you), put your coins and other metal objects including keys, watch but not rings or earrings or thin chains or thin bracelets, into a small ziplock bag and carry that in your pants pocket or handbag (the straps of which you have arranged so that the bag can't be grabbed from you and run away with). You will have to put that ziplock bag onto the conveyor belt with your other items including luggage, shoes, jacket and/or coat, laptop, handbag, and let it go through the Xray machine. On the other side of the TSA security check, you can put the items back on.
-- in the security check at the conveyor belt, make your items keep pace with you. If you are told to wait before you can walk through the metal detector, hold your items and don't let them get ahead of you. (The object is to prevent the passenger in front of you from walking away with your items.)

Have a fun trip!

[cb at sea]

If you wrap presents, put them in you LOCKED, checked luggage!

And the advice about not letting your belongings go through the x-ray before you pass through the metal detector is dead-on!!!!! One of the TSA folks got mad at me for not hurrying through the detector, but they were still busy with the person ahead of me, and I wasn't about to go through without my purse going at the same time!!!!
Do NOT let the cow you into doing something you know isn't right!

[HDL]

Thank you both for posting ! I'm NOT checking any bags this time, that is why I asked about carryon luggage .

Rep pts given for both your posts !

[Élan vital]

Please limit your carry-on and/or follow the guidelines for carry-on's. The other passengers will thank you.
You can send wrapped gifts ahead via USPS, Fed-X or UPS.

Originally Posted by HDL

Thank you both for posting ! I'm NOT checking any bags this time, that is why I asked about carryon luggage .

Rep pts given for both your posts !

[Sleddog905]

I'm pretty sure that even if you put wrapped presents in your checked luggage they will still unwrap them if your bag gets selected for further investigation. As a side note, they will also cut off the locks. I know the OP is not checking any bags, but I just thought I'd mention that.

Yes, you can take food on the plane as a pp mentioned, just not drinks. Some TSA agents are more strict than others. I've gotten through Denver with a tube of toothpaste that was bigger than 3 oz, but had less than 3 oz left, only to be stopped at JFK.

Keep your boarding pass in your pants pocket when you walk through the metal detector, since most TSA agents will want to check it. I usually have my license/passport handy as well, just in case.

As is noted on the TSA website, put all of your liquids and medicines in a one quart ziploc bag and remove it from your carry on bag. I have forgotten to do this and have never been questioned, but try not to forget! If you are carrying a laptop, it must be removed from it's bag/carrying case and placed in a separate bin. Take off your jacket as well! Since you are only taking a carry on bag, make sure you aren't carrying anything sharp like nail files or tweezers. I'm not sure if they are sill on the banned list, but just keep in mind what you are bringing with you. Since you don't travel much it may not be as much of a habit to bring certain items with you, but I know I've had to catch myself while I'm packing if I only have a carry on.

Don't take your rings off either if they ask you to. There was a problem at Denver airport a few years back where the TSA agents were requiring women to take their wedding/engagement rings off and then the rings would disappear. Those agents were obviously fired and arrested, but it's something I keep in the back of my mind anyway.

Depending on what airline you're flying, you may want to bring headphones with you. I fly jetBlue and they have individual tv's for each seat, so I always have my headphones with me.

[Dd714]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

If you wrap presents, put them in you LOCKED, checked luggage!

No don't do that. TSA has a right to search bags, and often do, and they will bust that lock right open if they need to.

edit - but there are special TSA locks on the market that allow them access.

...and, please, don't be one of those bufoons that try to carry everything but the kitchen sink onto a plane. You will quickly become a very unpopular person onboard.

[MomNlovNit]

I recently flew on United (domestic flight) and it was really quite easy (considering I was traveling with my three little kids and DH had to stay home!) Our good friend is a TSA agent and I sent him a list of questions before we flew. Basically, all the info can be found on the TSA website and if you do a little research before you fly, you shouldn't have too much problem. I did avoid a lot of hassle though right off the bat by simply shipping our luggage to our final destination. It did a couple of things for me: made the trip so easy it was unbelievable, and it also made the security check at the airport, both there and back so easy it was almost like the old days!
I did bring a carry-on diaper backpack - baby sherpa - baby sherpa diaper backpack: Family Travel Gear (http://www.familytravelgear.com/page/FTG/PROD/backpack-baby-sherpa-diaper - broken link) (that carried everything I needed for the 4 of us!) that fit within the carry-on requirements for United, and I had everything I needed including snacks, (no drinks, and don't fill your baby sippy cup with water from the airplane sink - eek, it's all the recycled nasty water), diapers in the diaper compartment, games for the kids to play Kids TRAYblecloth activity center-airplane tray table cover: Family Travel Gear (http://www.familytravelgear.com/page/FTG/PROD/TRAYblecloth-kids - broken link) and gifts for our relatives that were not wrapped, although I thought about putting them in those gift 'bags' but they would have taken up too much room. We didn't have any problem at all and I will definately travel this way on our next trip. I love having both hands free!

[South Range Family]

[quote=, and don't fill your baby sippy cup with water from the airplane sink - eek, it's all the recycled nasty water[/QUOTE]


Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Don't be starting nasty rumors that aren't true.

Aircraft water IS NOT recycled. It comes from the clean potable water tank, and is drained into the lav holding tank. That tank gets emptied at the airport. Some aircraft drain the water straight overboard in flight.

We disinfect the potable water tank with concentrated citrus acid crystals on a regular basis. We also send samples out to an independant lab on a regular basis. Where do you think the coffee water comes from?

[SuSuSushi]

Originally Posted by South Range Family

Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Don't be starting nasty rumors that aren't true.

Aircraft water IS NOT recycled. It comes from the clean potable water tank, and is drained into the lav holding tank. That tank gets emptied at the airport. Some aircraft drain the water straight overboard in flight.

We disinfect the potable water tank with concentrated citrus acid crystals on a regular basis. We also send samples out to an independant lab on a regular basis. Where do you think the coffee water comes from?

Uh...I just flew halfway around the world last week, and ALL the lavatory sinks most definitely had a sign on them saying it was NOT drinking water.

Now, as far as some of the other posts go, standards are different if you're flying in the USA than if you're flying internationally. Things you can take on board here are not allowed a lot of places. I had a layover in Fiji and they took my fingernail scissors (all of 1" long blades!), my embroidery needles, a small unopened packet of beef jerky, my small bamboo embroidery hoop, three packets of cheese crackers, and a pair of fingernail clippers. All of these items are allowed in the USA.