The TSA is back with news and they have updated the list of things prohibited in your checked baggage. Together with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), they have decided to review all processes that are currently active, so if you are flying soon, better take a look so you are not caught off guard.
What is prohibited now?
Among the newly banned items are hairdressing tools with gas or butane, such as some curlers, vaporizers, flammable liquids, pets outside the regulations… Basically, anything that could catch fire or cause problems inside the plane, even if it seems harmless. The TSA and the FAA are clear: if there is the slightest possibility that an object could cause a fire or an explosion, better keep it off the plane and buy it at your destination.
Why this change, TSA?
Because there have already been more than a few scares. The number of incidents caused by improperly packed or improperly placed objects in baggage compartments has increased. They are not serious accidents, but serious enough that the alarm has been raised, and alarms at 7,000 feet are not fun to say the least… They want to avoid putting the whole cabin at risk, they call it prevention.
And what if you decide to bring something like that?
Well, you might lose the item. Or it could be confiscated without warning. If you don’t want them to open your suitcase just to remove a hairspray, you know where you should leave it. And if you are unlucky, you might also get a financial penalty. That is why they insist so much that you check the official list before each trip. Because these rules keep changing and what was allowed six months ago may now be prohibited.
The passenger experience
Obviously, nobody likes having to leave half their toiletry bag at home or give up bringing your pet the way you want. But the TSA says all this is for a good reason. In fact, there are airports like Nashville that are starting to try new things, like the Family on the Fly program, so that families with children do not have to suffer so much with security checks. They are moving little by little, but you can tell they are trying to balance safety with some common sense.
Air safety: more and more control, and it won’t stop
All this is part of a clear trend: more control, more surveillance and more rules. Airport security is in full transformation, adapting to current risks, which are not the same as ten years ago. And although it is hard to get used to, the truth is that many of these measures have prevented scares more than once.
Animals on board
The TSA clarifies that pets must always travel in carriers and comply with the regulations of each airline. Loose animals are completely prohibited, as they put the safety and comfort of other passengers at risk. Even emotional support animals have stricter restrictions than before, so you will have to check what your airline requires before traveling.
The new shoe regulation
Yes, until now you had to take them off because someone once thought it was a good idea to put explosives in shoes, and even today you still have to take them off, but the TSA has exceptions: children under 12, people over 75 and people with reduced mobility.
Check everything before flying.
It’s very easy, before packing, go to the TSA website and check what you can bring and what you cannot. You save yourself problems, avoid arguments at the counter and do your part to make the flight peaceful. Remember that on a plane, any mistake can end in disaster.