Tips On What You Can Bring In Carry-On Bags When Going Through TSA

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It could have been mistaken for a yard sale, but tables set up for the media Monday at Pittsburgh International Airport showed items confiscated at checkpoints over the past three days.

It included body sprays, drinks, and other containers with liquids, gels, and aerosols too big to go through security.

With travel picking back up and expected to get busier during the summer, the TSA wanted to remind travelers of what they can and can't bring in their carry-on bags. The TSA said travel is not quite to pre-pandemic levels, but the agency is seeing an increased volume of travelers compared to last spring.

"Know what's in your bag, now before you go, know what you can or can't bring," Pittsburgh International TSA Federal Security Director Karen Keys-Turner. "A lot of novice travelers or travelers who have not traveled since the pandemic."

She said vacationers may not be as experienced with checkpoints, and that can slow down the process if they have banned items.

"It's another two to three minutes per passenger when we have to pull somebody over, do that bag check to clear that item," Keys-Turner said.

"You don't want to get the stink eye from the people behind you in line. We encourage you to pack these oversized items in your checked bag," TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said.

To avoid those looks, here are some tips. To be in your carry-on, liquids, gels, and aerosols must be 3.4 ounces or smaller. All the containers must be in a clear plastic zipped bag, and you can only have one of those bags per traveler.

"There is one exception right now. Through the pandemic, the TSA is allowing people to bring up to one 12-ounce container of hand sanitizer," Farbstein said.

To make sure you catch that flight on time, the TSA recommends getting to Pittsburgh International about two hours early during peak times, which is between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Otherwise, about 90 minutes should be just fine.

The federal mask mandate runs through April 18.

If you are bringing a gun on your travels, make sure it's checked. So far this year, five guns have been found at checkpoints at Pittsburgh International.

Here is a helpful link to know what you can take on a plane: