Air travel has changed over the last few months, hitting record lows, but this hasn’t stopped crowds at the airport or unruly passengers on planes.
TSA is trying to curtail the number of naughty passengers who are traveling this holiday weekend by sharing tips in hopes most passengers remember the old rules – along with new COVID-19 procedures.
Most importantly guns are still not allowed through TSA. Charlotte had a passenger try to bring a loaded Smith and Wesson through the checkpoint as recently as this past Monday and TSA officers in Florida apprehended 12 guns within a nine-day span.
It’s important for passengers to double-check their belongings to ensure no prohibited items make their way to the airport.
In an effort to create as little as contact between TSA agents and passengers as possible, many TSA agents are asking those flying to hold on to their boarding pass and scan it themselves on the boarding pass readers. TSA officers will still need to inspect each ticket, but this can be done with travelers still holding on to their tickets.
With the dramatic drop in passengers, many restaurants and quick-grab food locations in airports have yet to reopen. Therefore if you are wanting to bring your own food through TSA, make sure this is taken out of your bag and placed slightly apart from your other belongings, so it can be scanned separately. Removing your food from your bag greatly decreases the likelihood of your bag needing to be taken for closer inspection.
Liquids, gels and aerosols over 3.4 ounces are still prohibited. However at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, each passenger is allowed one bottle – up to 12 ounces – of liquid hand sanitizer in response to COVID-19. It’s important to check these regulations at each airport you plan to visit in your travels, as some airports may not be allowing this.
In response to COVID-19, social distancing and the wearing of face coverings is strongly encouraged. Some airports are even mandating that face masks are required in accordance with state and city regulations. Regular cleaning of checkpoints, plastic shielding at some locations and even the practice of TSA officers wearing clear plastic face shields may also be new sights for passengers who have not traveled recently.
Passengers should give themselves ample time to make it through TSA checkpoints as the number of officers working has been reduced in accordance with the decreased number of travelers.
