Airport Dos and Don’ts for Labor Day Travelers

As the summer travel season 2023 approaches the Labor Day holiday, U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are eager to share their top "dos and don'ts" for air travelers.

Since airline travelers have resumed activity levels last seen in 2019, TSA officers have an insider's view of what results in a smooth screening process and what doesn't.

Additionally, the TSA has identified six tips and six things they never do when flying.

Travel tips:

When purchasing a ticket online, please enter your full name as it appears on your ID. Do not enter your nickname, even if your besties use it. 

Enroll in TSA PreCheck® as it's the best way to travel through a security checkpoint.

Wear shoes that are easy to remove. Slip-on shoes are best. And do yourself a favor, wear socks!

And place your mobile phone inside your carry-on bag at the checkpoint. Please don't put it in a bin where other people have placed their shoes. You don't want to put your phone in a container and hold it to your face.

Six things TSA officers never do when they are flying:

Do not joke in the security area. The next thing you know, you'll have a serious conversation with a TSA officer.

Never put your pet or child through the checkpoint X-ray unit.

If you want to travel with your gun, declare it at your airline counter.

Never use your mouth as an extra hand. Others handle your ID and go into a credential reader with thousands of other IDs.

Never place small items directly onto the X-ray belt.

Never bring a bottle of water to a security checkpoint. However, you can bring an empty water bottle or reusable insulated container with you and then fill it up on the secure side of the checkpoint. 

From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC recommends vaccination if influenza outbreaks threaten trips.

The CDC has recommended annual flu shots for everyone six months and older since 2010. And September and October are the best times for most people to get vaccinated in the U.S.

Various flu vaccines for the 2023-2024 season are generally available at health clinics and pharmacies as of August 14, 2023. So far this season, about 100 million influenza vaccines have been distributed.