How to transport everything from turkey to cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving (2024)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants to ensure that travellers enjoy their Thanksgivings, by sharing clear guidelines for which holiday foods can be brought on planes and which need to be packed in a checked bag.

According to the airport security, which is expecting more than 26.8m people to travel between 22 November to 2 December for Thanksgiving, travellers can transport certain solid food items for the holiday in their carry-ons - including “pies, cakes, stuffing mix and casseroles”.

This also means that popular Thanksgiving foods such as marshmallows and sweet potatoes can be transported in a carry-on - as can your turkey.

“Who are we kidding, we know you always travel with extra room in your carry-on just in case you need to transport the Thanksgiving piece-de-resistance. So fear not, the cooked avian creature can tag along in your carry-on at the airport,” TSA explained elsewhere on its website, adding that any "stuffing concoctions" you've created can as well.

However, Thanksgiving dinner accompaniments such as cranberry sauce, gravy, and wine all need to be packed in a checked bag, according to TSA, as they are “not solids”.

“Basically, if you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, (say that three times fast) then it’s not a solid and should be packed in a checked bag,” the security agency explains.

In addition to outlining which foods can and cannot be brought by a passenger onto the plane, TSA also reminded people travelling for Thanksgiving not to try packing their electric carving knife, or regular knife, in a carry-on.

“Should be a no-brainer, wouldn’t you think?” TSA writes.

The same rule applies to corkscrews only if they have a blade, as some corkscrews are carry-on approved.

As for ice, TSA advises following the 3-1-1 rule, which limits the amount of liquid that can be brought on a plane. According to TSA, to abide by the guideline, the ice needs to remain frozen.

For those looking for a way to pass the time because of flight delays, or “if you get bored during the holiday”, the airport security agency recommends downloading the MyTSA app, which includes a “Can I bring” feature that lets you type in any item with the app letting you know if it should be checked or carried in a carry-on.

“You can use it to play a game with your relatives by asking them to guess if an item should be packed in a checked or carry-on bag and using the app to provide the correct answer,” TSA jokes.

Food aside, TSA wants all travellers to remember the necessity of getting to the airport “early,” which means two hours prior for a domestic flight and three hours prior to an international flight.

“Only a turkey gets to the airport in the last minute during the Thanksgiving travel period,” TSA explains. “Don’t be a turkey!”