Traveling With Presents? Follow This Tip and Don’t Let the TSA Be the Grinch This Year

“TSA not only opened all my gifts,” Wood says on arrival at my home on Sunday, “but they did a Grinch job of trying to re-wrap them.”

She needed a few new rolls of paper and sticky tape. Luckily, I had a holiday box at the ready that she could raid.

This has never happened to me before. I’ve never had my luggage expected, but that said, I’ve never flown with wrapped gifts. The TSA clearly states they do not recommend packing sealed presents in either carry-on or checked baggage.

While it may seem like a good idea to wrap ahead of time to save the hassle on arrival, doing so could lead to unnecessary delays and stress.

The TSA is clear: wrapped gifts are a no-no. If your present triggers an alarm during the screening process, agents will need to unwrap it to ensure it’s safe. This means your carefully curated wrapping job could be undone, potentially damaging the gift. Instead, they recommend waiting until you reach your destination, mailing your gifts, or using gift bags, which are easier to inspect.

It’s also worth reminding yourself what you can bring through security if you pack presents in your carry-on. Just because it’s the holidays, don’t think items like snow globes will get a pass (unless they are under 3.4 ounces and fit in a quart-sized bag.) Some unexpected items are not allowed, so brush up on what you can take to stay on the Nice List. TSA has a neat tool enabling you to search for specific objects. Interestingly, you can take a chocolate advent calendar through security without TSA needing to open all the doors.

If you’re anything like me, you might want to bring wine home to your family this Christmas. You can pack it in your checked luggage. When I lived in Chile, I’d make the long journey with at least a couple of bottles of red. While I was nervous about the wine exploding all over my holiday sweaters, careful packing with bubble wrap or wrapping in soft clothing meant I never had an issue.

TSA has further information regarding food items in carry-ons. Solid foods like cookies, cakes, and pretzels are generally a go. However, liquids, gels, and aerosols, including jams, jellies, and soft cheeses, must be 3.4 ounces or smaller and fit in a quart-sized bag. Larger containers should be checked. I was recently stopped at security for trying to carry butter back from Norway. It was over the liquid limit, but I never considered it an issue. As that regional butter is particularly special, the agent did apologize and genuinely seemed sorry for my loss.

So, if you’re flying this holiday season, pack carefully and considering wrapping on arrival to avoid the TSA Grinch.