PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — With the heavy holiday travel season approaching, the Transportation Security Administration has released advice on the best ways to pack your carry-on bags so that you don't cause delays in airport security lines.
The TSA says “know before you go.” A well-packed carry-on can help you to breeze through security. But having a prohibited item like a knife or beverage in a carry-on can slow down the line.
TSA officer Jamiella Everett says to start with an empty bag when packing a carry-on, because many flyers may have forgotten a prohibited item like a Swiss Army knife was in their bag. Everett says to pack shoes and clothes at the bottom and leave toiletries at the top. That makes it easier if officers need to inspect any that violate the 3.4-ounce limit.
“If somebody has to dig in your bag, they open it, it's right on top. We don't have to move all of your clothes out or your property out to find what we're looking for,” she said.
“If you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it and it's over 3.4 ounces, it needs to go into your checked bag,” added TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.
Beverages are the most common thing that people try to pass through security, according to Everett. There’s one detail, however, of which many aren’t aware.
“A lot of people don't know that frozen drinks are fine,” Everett said. “Freeze your drinks, bring ‘em through.”
Don’t forget to look in your wallet. Everett says credit card knives are not allowed on flights. "They're very common,” she said. “We'll catch a lot, like maybe five, six credit card knives a day.”
Guns, of course, have to be in checked baggage. The TSA seized a record 44 guns at Philadelphia International Airport last year. Officers have already caught 40 at PHL checkpoints this year.
Gerardo Spero, the TSA federal security director at Philly International, says having a little knowledge before traveling can prevent you from being “that guy.”
“Imagine being the person that isn’t packed properly that holds up the line,” he said, “and now you have 500, 700, 1,000 people standing behind you.”