Sorry I missed you all last week. Moving stinks! And cross country moves can literally put you flat on your back. Luckily, if your moving requires you to get on an airplane, TSA has your back – at least figuratively! Here are some travel tips to help you stay on the move!
TSA doesn’t set any weight restrictions on your bags, but your airline may. Check your airline’s website to learn more about their baggage restrictions. If you have any questions on how to pack your belongings, use our What Can I Bring? tool for a quick answer. Don’t see your item listed? Take a photo and send it to our AskTSA team on Twitter or Facebook.
Between June 3 and 16, TSA screened 35.2 million passengers and found 185 firearms in carry-on bags. Of the 185 firearms discovered, 170 were loaded and 66 had a round chambered.
Don’t pack your firearm in your carry-on bag. Bringing a firearm to the security checkpoint may lead to a civil penalty of up to $13,333 or an arrest. And if you’re a TSA Pre✓® member, you could lose your status. Check out our transporting firearms and ammunition page to learn how to pack it properly.
See all firearm discoveries from June 3 to 16 in this chart.
There isn’t enough bubble wrap in the world that will allow you to keep these items during your flight. Leave them behind! When our officers discover a suspected explosive device they call an explosives specialist to wrap up the situation. This all takes time and can lead to missed flights and long delays, which can also lead to 20 more “Are we there yet?” questions from the kiddos.
Pictured above, from the left:
- TSA Officers discovered a replica grenade at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on June 13.
- Live smoke grenades were found during X-ray screening at Newark Liberty International Airport on June 16.
- An inert grenade was located in a checked bag at O’Hare International Airport on June 8.
- During checked baggage screening at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport an inert grenade was discovered on June 15.
Using ammunition as a battery can lead to a civil penalty when packed in your carry-on bag. This is a calculator that the passenger will now need to use to figure out how they’re going to pay for that penalty. If TSA officers discover ammunition instead of batteries inside your electronics, you will NOT keep going, and going, and going. If you want to keep movin’ and groovin’, you should pack your ammunition in your checked bags. This was discovered at Chicago’s Midway International Airport on June 15. Sorry for the shaky photo.
Independence Day is just around the corner. To ensure your independence, we declare that fireworks are not allowed, at all! However, watermelon, flags and hotdogs are good to go in either your checked or carry-on bags! These fireworks were discovered in a carry-on bag at Chicago Midway International Airport on June 16.
Our mission at TSA is to make sure you get to your destination safely by keeping dangerous items off planes. The most common explanation we hear from travelers for prohibited items is “I forgot it was in my bag.” Don’t be that person. Save yourself some money and embarrassment and thoroughly check your bags for prohibited items before heading to the airport.
So come prepared! For a list of prohibited items, be sure to use the What Can I Bring? tool. If you have questions about the security process, reach out to AskTSA on Twitter or Facebook Messenger. Our AskTSA team will happily answer even the most outlandish travel-related questions.
Want to know how many firearms we found last year? Check out our 2018 blog post.
Also, don’t forget to check out our top 10 most unusual finds video for 2018.
Want to learn more or see the other wacky finds? Follow us @TSA on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Jay Wagner
