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The Naughty Or Nice List for Airport Security

December 3, 2017 Kerrie @ Family Food and Travel 9 Comments

It’s Holiday Travel season and that means longer than usual lines at airport security. While this can be a challenging there are so many ways you can make your travel through airport security, faster, easier and more streamlined. We’ve got some fantastic tips from our friends at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority’s (CATSA. Still have more questions? Check out our post on How To Get Your Family Through Security Faster.

Airport Security Tips

CATSA’s naughty-or-nice list for airport security

If you think Santa’s list is long, you should check out the CATSA What Can I Bring list. It’s basically a naughty-or-nice list for airport security – a searchable database saying what can and cannot pass through airport security in your carry-on or checked luggage. It has hundreds of items, so here’s a seasonal selection of what’s ho-ho-ho and what’s no-no-no.

From wrapped presents to electronics, all of your questions are answered in these great tips and useful videos.

Get all of your questions answered before you leave home and make your trip through airport security a breeze.

airport security

Naughty

  • Replica weapons: This shouldn’t be too surprising, but if you’re helping Santa to bring toy guns, replica knives or anything similar this holiday season, you’ll have to mail it to your destination or pack it in your checked baggage.
  • Liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) in containers of more than 100 ml: Pack your egg nog in your checked bag if the container is larger than 100 ml. Passengers are allowed to bring only as many smaller containers as can fit inside a 1L bag (which is available at the checkpoint). Check CATSA’s website for more info.
  • Wrapped gifts: Leave your gifts unwrapped when bringing them through the security checkpoint, in case their contents need to be inspected. In some airports, gift wrapping services are available after security during the holiday season.
  • Some items with blades: Knives with a blade longer than 6 cm, box cutters, utility knives and safety razor blades are not permitted in carry-on baggage. Small knives with blades 6cm or less are permitted on domestic and international flights, except for flights to the U.S. Holiday hint: Buy those Swiss Army knife stocking stuffers state side if you have no checked bags.

Airport Security

Nice

  • Electronics: Portable electronic devices are allowed in your carry-on, so feel free to load up your tablet with holiday movies to watch on the plane. However, you may be asked to remove your device’s protective case, and to power it up at the checkpoint – including new-in-box items. CATSA’s security-screening page has everything you need to know about screening procedures.
  • Medications: Does it feel like your immune system is already on holiday? Medications, even non-prescription ones like cough syrup, are permitted in your carry-on, and they’re exempt from the 100-ml naughty-list rule. For more info, check out CATSA’s medications page.
  • Inorganic powders (350 ml or less): If Santa brought you bath salts, mineral-powder makeup or gourmet salts (including salty seasoning blends), you can only bring a combined total of 350 ml in your carry-on. That’s an amount about the size of a soda can. Any more than that and you’ll have to put some in your checked bag.
  • Baby food/drinks: We all know the holidays can be hard on parents, but air travel doesn’t have to be. Things like baby food, juice, formula and breast milk for children under two years old are also exempt from the 100-ml rule, and so are ice packs used to keep them cold.

Airport Security Tips

We’ve checked our list more than twice (take that, Santa), but if you still don’t find the item you’re looking for on our What Can I Bring list, you can send a picture or a question to us on Facebook or Twitter. Happy holiday travels!

Disclosure: This is a paid post by CATSA. As always, all opinions are my own. 

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Travel Airport, Family Travel, Travel Tips

Comments

  1. Margaritas Ibbott says

    December 4, 2017 at 12:41 am

    The amount of times that I’ve travelled this year and I still learn something new each time. With my mom going to South America there was a whole family discussion about how she should bring down her mess. In blister packs that help her track her meds or in original bottles. We went with original bottles.

    Reply
  2. Christy says

    December 4, 2017 at 12:57 am

    These are great tips. We are traveling at Christmas 🎄 time. Not wrapping gifts is a good tip.

    Reply
  3. Sandy says

    December 4, 2017 at 7:14 am

    This is a very handy list. After a few recent trips on various airlines, I was surprised to witness how many people still don’t “get it” when it comes to flying, and what you can and cannot take on board (checked-in or carry-on). Then again, there was the time I was “caught” at the Ottawa airport with fake plastic handcuffs I had won in a movie contest, and had forgotten were in a zippered pocket in my bag. Embarrassing! lol

    Reply
  4. Paula Schuck says

    December 4, 2017 at 8:32 am

    This is excellent. Pinning for later reference. I travel often – it’s been once a month this year other than November and there are so many things that are easy to forget. I still sometimes forget I have a small water bottle or something like that in a carry on and that trips me up. Once I was stopped and held up for a coin purse that was too full!!! I learned after that never carry that much coin. It reads as a big hunk of metal and they check you. Almost missed a connecting flight when returning home from my fellowship in Zambia in 2016. Now I remove my coin purse every single time and leave most of the coins at home. OR I make sure it is out and visible and flattened so it doesn’t slow me down. This tip about the presents is extremely important at this time of the year. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Heather Lynne says

    December 4, 2017 at 9:13 am

    That’s really good to know about wrapped gifts, particularly for this time of year! Something Imight not think of!
    Heather Lynne recently posted..Gingerbread Cookie Recipe Printable with Tags & Gingerbread House BoxMy Profile

    Reply
  6. jan says

    December 4, 2017 at 12:45 pm

    I sure do wish that more people would read what is and isn’t allowed before they hit the airport.

    Reply
  7. Carole D says

    January 1, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    I also learn that Calgary is more lenient then Montreal about the size of your liquid bag.

    Reply
  8. Debbie White Beattie says

    January 2, 2018 at 9:16 pm

    I traveled a bit when I was younger but I haven’t had to worry about these things for over 10 years and it’s such a shame that it’s all gotten so complicated but your tips and advice can really help.

    Reply
  9. Rhonda MacLeod says

    January 2, 2018 at 10:43 pm

    Very helpful information for a frequent flyer. Thank you

    Reply

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