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Good cheer? Check. Presents for everyone? Check. Holiday travel angst? Check.
As hectic as it is to fly during the holidays, you can minimize travel stress if you're well prepared. This vacation checklist for holiday travel will help you remember what to pack and what to leave home.
Holiday Vacation Checklist: What to Pack
Going to visit family or friends for the holidays? Here are a few things you need to add to your vacation packing list.
Holiday Vacation Checklist: What Not to Pack
Don't expect the TSA to get into the holiday spirit. The usual travel restrictions apply to everything you bring on board, including gifts.
- Canned or jarred food gifts in your carry-on: Unless they're less than 3.4 ounces (which would make a measly gift), you need to place cans or jars of food in your checked luggage. The TSA provides a list of items you shouldn't bring on board:1
- Cranberry sauce
- Creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)
- Gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings)
- Gravy
- Jams
- Jellies
- Maple syrup
- Oils and vinegars
- Salad dressing
- Salsa
- Sauces
- Soups
- Wine, liquor and beer
- Perfume or lotion gifts in your carry-on: Again, these are forbidden unless they're smaller than 3.4 ounces.
- Snow globes in your carry-on: The TSA has a specific policy for bringing snow globes on board (believe it or not). Snow globes are subject to the same restrictions on liquids and gels. They're only allowed if they appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces (approximately tennis ball size) and if the entire snow globe, including the base, is able to fit in the same single quart-sized bag as your other liquid containers. We say skip the hassle and leave the snow globes.
- Pets in checked luggage: The Humane Society urges pet owners not to travel with their pets during the holidays, because they're more likely to be handled roughly.2 Alaska Air even bans pets in the cargo hold on certain flights during the peak holiday season.3
Print Checklist
Be sure to print our checklist and take it with you. Simply click the print link below and make sure to have your browser set to print background images so that you can see the checkboxes.
Print Checklist
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