Can I pack it? Text TSA and ask

Planning fly during the holidays But not sure what’s allowed in your carry-on bag? Wondering if you can pack all your gifts in your checked luggage? Curious if you can bring Christmas food and treats on board?

Never fear; AskTSA is here. The Transportation Security Administration has a text-based option for mobile phones so travelers can find answers to their pressing questions about packing for trips.

This text option is in addition to TSA social media accounts and their “What can I bring?” Web page.

So how does it work? And, more importantly, how do we like it? Read on for all the details.

How to use AskTSA

First, a quick and important point. When we talk about TSA, we focus specifically on domestic flights. If you have questions about what you can bring internationally, please check with US Customs and Border Protection instead.

For domestic travel, the recent addition of AskTSA saves multiple steps like searching the TSA website or visiting your social media accounts.

To get started, simply text “Travel” to AskTSA (275872). The service provides automated responses 24 hours a day and TSA experts are available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

Please note that in a recent test, we found responses to be scarce late at night and have noticed more responses during daylight hours when the line is busy.

The interface requires users to choose one of the following themes to get started:

• TSA Precheck
• What can I bring?
• ID
• medical questions
• Damages/claims
• Hiring
• Other

We decided to try the “What can I bring?” section for help with packing for the holidays.

Related: TSA Liquids Rule: What to Know About 3-1-1 Before Heading to the Airport

After choosing this category, the next question was whether we preferred to interact in English or Spanish. We then had to choose between “carry-on baggage or personal baggage” or “checked baggage”, and were then presented with the following categories of items:

• CBD products
• Electronic cigarettes
• Electronics
• firearms
• Flammable aerosols
• Food
• Toiletries
• Knives
• Lighters
• Liquids
• lithium batteries
• Powdered Baby Formula

Here’s how it went as we looked for tips on packing some popular items.

sports equipment

First to arrive was TPG contributor Ashley Kosciolek, who embarked on a multi-stop trip with ice skates and fishing lures in her carry-on bag.

When you contacted AskTSA, it took several minutes for you to hear back about the skates, which is a delay I also experienced. While two or three minutes certainly isn’t much, it can definitely feel like the message hasn’t been received while you’re looking at your phone.

This answer for ice skates offered the same information Ashley had found on the TSA website when she searched online.

For his hook query, it took him 13 hours (overnight) to get a response. However, when he responded, it seemed to have been sent by a person rather than a robot.

Gifts

Next, I asked one of the questions I hear most often from my friends: Can I take wrapped gifts through security?

This is always complicated. I personally watched an agent at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) unwrap a set of tightly secured Tiffany’s chandeliers, watching as layer after layer of bubble wrap was removed as the passenger in front of me became increasingly distressed.

I’ve never wrapped a gift since (instead I bring gift bags and tissue paper for quick gift giving). However, I have since witnessed this again.

The official word is that the TSA “recommends” waiting. It’s easy to see why travelers may be confused by this directive.

Food

Readers frequently ask which TSA-approved foods can be passed through security. Clint Henderson, TPG’s chief spokesperson, sent a question to the TSA that I hadn’t considered yet: Can I bring frozen turkey on a plane?

Luckily for Clint, he can bring his frozen turkey on board. This also applies to other frozen foods, including butter, which I recently asked about, and even water. But keep in mind that any frozen item must remain solid and not soft or liquid to pass security screening.

Related: These are the Thanksgiving foods you can pack in your carry-on and the ones you should check out

With more food questions, TPG Newsletter Editor-in-Chief Becky Blaine contacted AskTSA.

Becky had pumpkin pie on her mind when she asked about “creamy” foods, one of two categories (along with “solid”) offered for food questions.

When he answered “No” to the question of whether he had received a satisfactory answer to his question from the automated system, he was informed that a “social care specialist” would be in touch between 8am and 6pm.

While this answer was helpful, we were able to type “pie” on the TSA “What can I bring?” website and received a response immediately.

In a nutshell

If you’re not in a hurry and want to know what you can pack, the AskTSA text message option is a useful tool, especially if you want a personalized response on an item you’re not sure how to classify.

However, we were able to find information a little faster by simply googling most items.

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