It’s the season of love — or to the cynics, Hallmark’s version of love — and even the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing travelers for Valentine’s Day.
“Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate this week’s travel tips to Valentine’s Day related items. Here are some common items we see around this time of year,” TSA social media analyst Bob Burns wrote at the TSA’s blog last week.
The official TSA Twitter account has been tweeting out the tips, along with the post, this week.
According to TSA travelers all clear to fly with chocolates and perfume — so long as the bottles are the right size.
“Regular and cream/liquid filled chocolates are good to go,” TSA advises.
“Bottles 3.4 ounces and smaller are permitted in your carry-on bag as long as they are placed in the baggie per the 3-1-1 liquid guidelines,” it continues. “Larger bottles may be packed in your checked baggage.”
Flowers? Well yes they are permissible, one just cannot take them through with water.
“We suggest wrapping the stems in damp paper towels and plastic wrap or foil to keep them hydrated while you travel,” TSA offers.
Gift baskets are also, according to TSA, so long as any liquid inside of them adhere to the so-called 3-1-1 guidelines — or “3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume); 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin.”
The agency also notes that wrapped packages could be unwrapped if it requires “extra screening” and for brides be traveling with their wedding dresses, the TSA says brides can take their dresses through security but advises being in touch with the airline about storage on the plane.
“Ideally, the dress can lay flat in its garment bag or other packaging and fit through the X-ray machine. If it can’t, our officers can screen the dress manually, but this will require opening the garment bag,” The TSA explains in another blog post linked to the Valentines Day tips. “Rest assured that our officers will use gloves for the alternate screening to avoid damaging the dress.”