You Can Pack a Whole Turkey, & Other Thanksgiving Tips From the TSA

Thanksgiving Poultry Food Chestnuts Fall Turkey

Thanksgiving is days away and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has offered its top tips for those who are looking to take to the skies with their favorite festive foods. Stuffing, sides, and turkeys are fine, but cranberry sauce is always a liquid. Confused? Check out the MyTSA app.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a rundown of its advice for those looking to take their favorite festive foods to the skies later this week, The Independent reports.

In a statement, the TSA says that it expects to see a record-breaking 26.8 million air passengers and crew through its checkpoints during the Thanksgiving holiday. As such, the agency’s top piece of advice is, of course, to get to the airport early. “Only a turkey gets to the airport at the last minute during the Thanksgiving travel period. Don’t be a turkey!”.

It’s Fine to Bring Sides, Stuffings and Even Turkeys

But when it comes to those all-important Thanksgiving foods, it advises, “Know which foods can travel in your carry-on bag. Pies, cakes, stuffing mix, casseroles, are all good in a carry-on bag because they are solid food items.”

Further clarifying, the TSA says, “Know which foods should go into a checked bag. Gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam, preserves, should all go into a checked bag. Why? They are not solids.”

“Basically if you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, (say that three times fast) then it’s not a solid and should be packed in a checked bag,” it clarifies.

Should they wish, passengers can even travel with their Thanksgiving turkeys in their hand luggage. On its website, the TSA adds, “…we know you always travel with extra room in your carry-on just in case you need to transport the Thanksgiving piece-de-resistance. So fear not, the cooked avian creature can tag along in your carry-on at the airport.”

Stuffing placed in carry-on bags is also totally fine, as are sides, desserts, and cookies. Should any dish contain liquids, it should adhere to the 3-1-1 rule. As for cranberry sauce, it is considered a liquid and needs to be stowed in a checked bag if the amount carried is over 3.4 ounces.

When it comes to alcohol, “Go ahead and bring decadent holiday wine in your checked bag right along with your cornucopia. You can pack as many alcoholic beverages as you want as long as they contain less than 24 percent alcohol. However, passengers toting alcoholic beverages containing 24 percent to 70 percent alcohol can only bring a total of five liters of alcohol and they should be in their original unopened packaging,” says the TSA.

Struggling? Look at the MyTSA App…And Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Finally, for those passengers struggling with any food-related questions, the agency advises downloading its MyTSA app. This has a “Can I bring” feature that enables travelers to find out if a certain item can be taken within carry-on luggage or should be checked.

Commenting on its guidance, the TSA said, “Remember, TSA officers have one goal: get you to your destination safely. Happy Thanksgiving!”