Flying With Thanksgiving Food: Pies and Turkey Can Ride in the Cabin, While Gravy and Cranberry Sauce Over 3.4 Ounces Go Checked
Thanksgiving falls on November 26, and many travelers fly home carrying a favorite dish. The Transportation Security Administration's Thanksgiving food guidance states the rule plainly: solid foods can go through a checkpoint in a carry-on, while anything you can spill, spread, spray, pump or pour, in a container larger than 3.4 ounces, belongs in checked baggage.
Foods that can ride in the cabin include baked goods such as homemade or store-bought pies, cakes, cookies and brownies; meats including turkey, chicken, ham and steak, frozen, cooked or uncooked; stuffing, cooked or uncooked, in a box or a bag; casseroles, as long as they are solid; and macaroni and cheese that is already cooked and set, or carried as ingredients to cook at the destination. Fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, candy and spices are also on the carry-on list.
The checked-baggage list is mostly sauces and jars: cranberry sauce, homemade or canned, counts as spreadable and must be checked, and so must gravy, canned fruits or vegetables packed in liquid, preserves, jams and jellies, maple syrup, and wine, champagne and sparkling apple cider. If a casserole contains liquid or semi-liquid parts such as soup, sauce or gravy, those parts must follow the 3-1-1 rule, in containers of 3.4 ounces or less inside one quart-sized clear resealable bag.
The agency also notes that food in a carry-on often needs additional screening, so travelers should pack it somewhere easy to reach and take it out into a bin at the checkpoint. Ice packs are allowed for keeping food cold, but they must be frozen solid at screening. Travelers unsure about an item can use the "What can I bring?" tool in the myTSA app or text "Travel" to AskTSA at 275-872. (Source: Transportation Security Administration)
Source: Transportation Security Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：John Glenn Columbus 国际机场的运输安全管理局安检通道。Michael Ball 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Photo by Michael Ball, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
