Lost something at Airport or in a flight? Click here to report online

Dedicated investigation manager for every successful lost report. We work with more than 15000+ Airports & Airlines lost and found offices worldwide. Increase chance of locating your lost property TODAY.


7 Things TSA Wants You to Know About Airport Security

tsa lost and found
tsa lost and found

The Transportation Security Agency was created in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in an effort to strengthen airport security and prevent similar events in the future. Flash forward to present day: Security checkpoint lines can be endless, inexperienced travelers can slow things down and screaming children can turn the process into a nightmare. But while some travelers view it as an inconvenience or just another obstacle in the way of their next vacation, airport security is a serious matter.

To get the scoop on what a job in airport security entails and everything travelers should know to keep their security screenings quick and painless, U.S. News spoke with TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein, Anthony Hutchinson, a Transportation Security Officer at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and William Covieo, a TSO at Washington Dulles International Airport lost and found.

TSA agents’ skills are tested regularly

In addition to undergoing several weeks of training prior to starting their jobs, plus another month or so of on-the-job training with an officer, TSA agents are tested on a daily basis, according to Hutchinson. He said advanced technology forces them to keep their skills sharp and their eyes peeled for threats.

“On the X-ray machine, there’s a program that’s built in to the system that allows us to be tested … to make sure we’re looking at the screens,” said Hutchinson, who’s worked as a TSA agent at Reagan National Airport for nearly 11 years. “We never know when [the alert] is coming through, which is a great thing because it keeps us on our toes.”

TSA offers tools to help you breeze through security

The TSA provides seasonal checklists travelers can consult to prepare themselves before arriving at the airport. For example, the summer checklist implores fliers to make sure any luggage locks are TSA compatible, to not pack fireworks in checked or carry-on luggage as they are not permitted, and to have an ID and boarding pass ready for inspection before entering the TSA checkpoint, among other tips.

The free My TSA app for smartphones also offers numerous features to aid in a smoother security screening process. Fellow travelers can input security line wait times and you can check to see if there are general airport delays ahead of time. Plus, the “Can I Bring …” search function allows you to type in an item and “right away you can figure out if you can put it in your checked bag, your carry-on bag, either or neither,” Farbstein said.

Knowing and following the 3-1-1 rule will make your life easier

The 3-1-1 rule refers to the amount of liquid, gel, aerosol, cream or paste (most often travelers’ toiletries) allowed in a carry-on bag: it’s 3.4 ounces or less per container, placed in one quart-sized clear plastic zipped baggie. Remember: this rule applies to various items of the same consistency, not just toiletries. One of the most common items people don’t realize they can’t bring through airport security? Peanut butter.

“When we’re talking about liquids and gels, if you can spread it, smear it, spray it, spill it, pump it or pour it, then you should put it in your checked bag,” Farbstein said.

They don’t want to slow you down

“We really don’t want to have you there sitting at the checkpoint with us, we want to see you for that two to five minutes … and we want you to be done,” said Hutchinson.

Travelers who typically don’t prepare before coming to the airport are often culprits for slowing down security lines, according to Hutchinson. Making sure you’re a prepared flier, including wearing easily removable shoes, arriving at the airport early, using the TSA checklists and following the airport advisements, will help you speed through security and on to your final destination.

You can decide what to do with your prohibited item

In the event that you have a prohibited item like a pocket knife in your carry-on bag, the TSA officers don’t take it from you or throw it away. According to Farbstein, fliers have a few options.

Travelers can put prohibited items back in their cars, in their checked bags or give them to a nontraveling companion. An issue many passengers face, though, is whether they have enough time to do so and make their flights. “Your final choice is to voluntarily surrender it to TSA,” Farbstein said. (Note: Some prohibited items are illegal in certain states, and can be confiscated by police.) Consult the TSA’s website for more information on prohibited items.

The TSA runs an extensive lost and found operation

TSA officers across the country interact with about 2 million travelers on a daily basis, some of whom are rushing to catch a plane or a bite to eat before their flight takes off. Stressed fliers often leave belongings behind at security checkpoints and some may not realize the TSA collects and catalogues all of those abandoned items. Sunglasses, belts, loose change, jackets and hats are some of the more common things people forget to grab after going through security screenings. But Farbstein and Covieo said they’ve seen some pretty incredible items, such as a guitar, laptops and tablets, a blueprint of casino plans and even a diamond encrusted watch, get left behind or lost in the travel shuffle.

TSA agents collect the abandoned items, tag them by the checkpoint they were left at and the date, and organize them by item type and by month in hopes of making them easy to locate when a traveler inquires about a lost object. Items are held for 30 days, after which the state picks them up and either takes the items to general surplus facilities or sells them online. The only thing the TSA gets to keep is the loose change, which adds up. In 2014, TSA collected more than $670,000 in unclaimed money, which goes directly back to TSA to use for aviation security operations.

If there’s a chance you may have left something in an airport at a TSA checkpoint, visit the TSA’s contact list to find the best way to get in touch with that airport’s TSA lost and found. Covieo asks about travel dates and has travelers provide a detailed description of lost items and where they were left to determine if TSA would have them, before checking the stockpile. If it’s not something left at security but rather in the airport or at the gate, he directs people to the airport or airline’s lost and found.

TSA officers encounter challenges … and deal with them

Some of the challenges TSA officers face include everything from handling an influx of travelers around the holidays to dealing with kids frightening passengers by continuously yelling “that’s the bomb,” all while staying focused on screening for potential threats.

“We’ve got to be right all the time. And that’s one big thing about our job people probably don’t understand … there’s not one time we can be wrong,” Hutchinson said.

One of the most difficult parts of the job is helping people who don’t travel frequently, Hutchinson said, adding that officers have to figure out a way to move these travelers through security quickly and efficiently without slowing down other passengers.

“It adds frustration on the frequent fliers to get through the checkpoint, so it’s hard to try to keep that calm,” he said. “Because the one thing we love is to have a calm environment … it helps us to see bad people when they are coming through.”

Hutchinson’s best overall advice for travelers? “Relax. The one thing that happens a lot is people get agitated when they travel. Relax and understand we’re there to help you, we’re not there to be in your way.”


Lost something at Airport or in a flight? Click here to report online

Dedicated investigation manager for every successful lost report. We work with more than 15000+ Airports & Airlines lost and found offices worldwide. Increase chance of locating your lost property TODAY.

Latest Post

How Delta is trying to fix the problem of lost and delayed luggage
American Airlines is ‘reimbursing passenger for lost luggage after she spotted her clothes being sold on Facebook’
Bracelet appearing to hold loved one’s ashes found at Hobby Airport lost and found. Can you help find its owner?
Better late than never: Missing since Christmas, lost cat rescued at New York’s by LaGuardia airport lost and found authorities
A Delta flight attendant is seeking a lost stuffed animal’s owner for a ‘Christmas miracle’ reunion
Leave your phone on the plane? Here’s how lost and found works at Miami, Broward airports
Swae Lee Is Offering $20,000 For Lost Hard Drive That Contains All Of His Songs
Heathrow Airport wins court backing for third runway
Precious painting, lost at German airport, found at dumpster
Auckland Airport lost property sparks hunt for toy’s missing owner
Sydney Airport auctioning hundreds of lost property items for charity
Valuable painting lost at Duesseldorf airport found in dumpster
DFW Airport lost and found department reunites a lost dog with his family after canine wanders 30 miles from home
Philadelphia Airport; a complete tour guide for travelers
Hopkins Airport lost and found and Local woman finds locket with ashes in a parking lot, looking for owner
American airlines lost and found contact details
McCarran Airport Lost and Found surplus auctions to be hosted online
Virgin Atlantic lost and found names passenger hand luggage item most frequently lost in cabin
CBS News reporter helps owner find $40,000 in lost jewelry at Dallas airport lost and found
LUGGAGE CHAOS MMA fighter Curtis Dodge relieved after lost luggage located after American Airlines lost and found from Dublin ahead of pro debut
Lufthansa lost and found launches solution for contactless lost baggage claims
Visitors to the annual Pittsburgh Airport lost and found auction Saturday pore over jewelry and other items.
A unicycle, a Nasa camera and SHRUNKEN HEADS: The wackiest of unclaimed airline luggage over the last 50 years
Traffic down 62.9% in Aug. at Puerto Rico’s LMM; Luis Muñoz Marín Airport lost and found service unveiled
Taiwan’s EVA Air lost and found Reshuffles Boeing 787 Order
TSA Agent Saves The Day After Wedding Dress Was Lost At Newark liberty Airport lost and found
Adorable pup ‘Ginger,’ lost for 2 days at john f kennedy airport lost and found, gets emotional reunion with owner
Travellers left behind nearly one million dollars at US airport checkpoints last year Pittsburgh Airport lost and found
Lost toy dog returns home with help of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport lost and found
6-year-old reunited with lost stuffed-animal at St. Pete-Clearwater Airport lost and found
Dubai Airport lost and found police return lost items to tourists from UK, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to their countries
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport lost and found wants to return this stuff animal
Air New Zealand lost and found flight attendant loses ERA case against airline
TSA LOST AND FOUND CONTACT NUMBERS
What happens to unclaimed items found at DFW Dallas Airport lost and found?
Hong Kong Airport lost and found
Airline Lost Your Luggage? Here’s What You Should & Shouldn’t Do
Lost something at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport lost and found?
Tons of Valuable Items are Left Behind at London Heathrow Airport Lost and Found
Reclaiming lost items at los angeles international airport lost and found
Chicago O’Hare Airport Lost and Found
Hartsfield–Jackson Airport Lost and Found attracts $75,000 at auction
HARTSFIELD-JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LOST AND FOUND
JFK AIRPORT LOST AND FOUND
JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LOST AND FOUND
Air Canada CEO sees ‘darkest period’ in aviation history
McCarran airport lost and found reduces operation hours at security checkpoints
TSA Staff Open Pantry at Reagan Washington for Airport Colleagues
There’s Actually A Store In Alabama That Sells Unclaimed Airport Baggage
Lost your luggage: What to do when you lose bags on airline
Changi Airport’s virtual assistant seeks to make air travel stress-free
Corona: Germany Lost 6 million ordered masks in Kenya Airport lost and found
The weirdest and most wonderful things left behind in Uber cars last year
Dubai Police return Dh50k to man just minutes before he was due to board flight
Popular Clark County surplus auction to take place this month
Unbearably cute: A boy lost his teddy bear on a US flight – so the Southwest Airlines lost and found sent him a new one
How to avoid airport security delays during the holidays
Cyprus complains after EasyJet lost luggage ends up at airport in north
Clark County to host largest surplus auction of the year
Stansted Airport lost property lands on list of worst in the UK for lost luggage
Flyers bemoan AirPods lost on an airplanes- Delta Air Lines lost and found
First day in America, visitor loses $3,000 in Peoria lost and found— and gets it all back
Thousand of items go under the hammer at Perth Airport lost and found auction
Pittsburgh International Airport To Auction Off Thousands Of Unclaimed ‘Lost And Found’ Items
What happens to cars abandoned at Pittsburgh airport lost and found? Sold at auction
St. George airport’s runway reopens after reconstruction
What Happens To Passengers’ Lost Luggage?
Gatwick Airport chaos: Baggage belt failure forces planes to depart without luggage
Where does all the abandoned luggage at DIA lost and found go?
Where does all the abandoned luggage at DIA lost and found go?
Custodian accused of stealing guitar left at Jacksonville Airport lost and found Christmas Day
Rejjee Modernizes Lost and Found at US Airports Coast to Coast
Brisbane Airport’s Lost Property Auction to help kids through The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund
Lost Luggage? Here’s How to Handle It- British Airways lost property
Annual public auction at Pittsburgh International Airport lost and found scheduled
A day in the life of Cork Airport Lost Property units
Remember that lost memory stick from Heathrow Airport lost property? The terrorist’s wet dream? So does the ICO
What’s lost at Palm Beach International Airport and not found, gets sold or donated
Belfast International Airport lost and found is full of surprises
Forgotten Gold Coast airport lost and found belongings go to good cause
Passenger accuses Air Canada lost and found of dangerously poor lost-baggage security
How long are TSA lines at Sea-Tac ? Check the airport’s new app- Seattle-Tacoma Airport lost and found
Airport cops, security officers recognized after returning P1.5 M to passenger-Puerto Princesa International Airport lost and found
Should airline reimburse couple who waited for lost luggage? Norwegian Air lost and found
Kansai airport lost and found to give souvenirs for unwanted suitcases
AirPods are lost easily and, in some cases, miraculously found
Cash, wedding rings and live animals: Inside Dublin Airport lost and found
Airport staff return girl’s lost soft toy after taking it on ‘awesome’ adventure – Norfolk International Airport lost and found
Tweet Over Stuffed Animal Lost in Boston’s Logan Airport Goes Viral
Graeme McDowell explains lost clubs fiasco- Charles de Gaulle Airport lost and found
Cat Mysteriously Escapes Crate on BWI Airport Tarmac, Is Later Found Dead — and Owner Blames TSA
Lost phone found inside bag
At the Airport Already? Make Some Extra Cash Delivering Lost Luggage for Delta lost and found
Norfolk Airport auctioning off lost & found items, abandoned vehicles
Lost your luggage while flying? Here’s what to do
The Museum of ‘Please Find Me’ – JFK Airport lost and found
United Airlines pilot flies lost wedding ring over 2,500 miles to owner
Girl’s lost teddy flown 200 miles home to Orkney from Edinburgh lost property
Kitten adopted after being found at Orlando International Airport lost and found
Karaoke stand, walking sticks up for grabs in Brisbane airport lost property auction