TSA Officers Reveal 3 Things Travelers Often Get Wrong at Airport Security—and One Involves What You Wear

A TSA agent looks on as travelers pass through security.Credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesAirports can be a stressful experience, and airport security is a major part of that. But there's a lot that goes into becoming a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer—even a school for it.

"We go to Atlanta for about two weeks and pretty much run through everything that you see at a typical airport," Xylence, a TSA officer for six years, told Travel + Leisure in an interview for the "Travel, Unfiltered" YouTube series. "It's like our college—TSA college."

Like most federal employees, TSA officers must also take an oath of office. "Most of us aren't there just for the paycheck," one officer told T+L. "We actually feel like we're doing something and keeping people safe."

And as airport experts, they've curated some of the best tips for smoother travel days beyond just recommending travelers arriving two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights.

Travelers may think they're best off swapping their yoga pants for something dressier for the plane, but that may not be the case. In fact, when it comes to dressing for the airport, athleisure wins, said Qua, a TSA officer for over four years.

"Anything that's not conforming to the body is gonna result in an alarm," Qua said. "I can't tell you how many people have come through with cargoes and the chains and extra pockets. You're gonna get a groin alarm, we're gonna have to pat you down in a sensitive area. I don't wanna do it, you don't want it done to you."

There's likely a good reason for the pat down. "The thing with TSA is that, for the most part, they're very reactive," another agent told T+L. "So every rule is in place for something that has already happened."

You may know you're wearing undies with a giant hole in them, but no one else will. The machines work by making a digital map of what the body should look like, one officer told T+L, pointing out anything out of the ordinary.

"The body scanner is just a body scanner," said Karis, a TSA officer for four years. "We cannot see your underwear. We cannot see your bones."

The airport is one place where the word liquid takes on a very broad meaning, and all liquids must adhere to the TSA's strict 3-1-1 rule.

"Things like cream cheese, jelly, applesauce, things like that also count as liquid," Qua said. "So the idea is anything you can drink, things you can spread, it's in the same family."

However, completely freezing a liquid means you can bring it with you, per the TSA.

"You can definitely do that," Qua added. "At that point, it's no longer liquid."

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