TSA 3-1-1 quart bag size question
February 23, 2019 11:45 AM   Subscribe

What is the actual TSA rule regarding the size of the 3-1-1 carry-on bag for liquids? It seems like the size would be straightforward--1 quart--but I'm seeing several "TSA compliant" bags on Amazon that are well over 1 quart in size.

1 US Gallon is defined to be 231 cubic inches, therefore 1 quart is 57.75 cubic inches.

Some example "TSA compliant" bags from Amazon:
Lilliput bag: 8"x6"x3" = 144 in3 ≈ 2.5 qt
CableintheBay hanging bag: 8.5"x6.5"x3.2" = 176.8 in3 ≈ 3.1 qt
Lermende bag: 7.7"x5.9"x2.5" = 113.575 in3 ≈ 2.0 qt
LVLY bag: 0.2"(corrected in Q/A section as 2")x5.8"x7.2" = 83.52 in3 ≈ 1.4 qt
Wanderwind bag: 6.3"x5.1"x1.9" = 61.047 in3 ≈ 1.1 qt

As you can see, most of them are well above 1 quart in size. Is there a secret rule that the liquids bag can actually be somewhat larger? I skimmed some of the Q&A sections on Amazon and as far as I can tell, nobody is raising a question about the fact that most of these bags are well over the 1 quart size limit.

I fly about 70 times a year, so I'm no stranger to the fact that TSA's application of the rules can be very inconsistent. I almost always check my bag with clothes+liquids because I travel with a toolcase that must be checked anyway, due to the restrictions on the size of allowable tools and sharp objects. My liquids are already in a bag that's about 6.5"x6.3"x2.8", which is (of course) over the 1 quart limit, but I've never had any trouble going through TSA. Note that my question isn't "will TSA give me a hard time or disallow my liquids bag if it's somewhat larger than a quart?" But rather, how can these companies get away with selling larger "compliant" bags, or is the size limit actually larger than a quart?

Just for bonus curiosity, I took a Ziploc brand quart size bag and filled it up with as much water as I could and sealed it. After draining the bag to measure the volume, it appears to hold about 4.8 cups, or 1.2 quarts.
posted by Quiscale to Travel & Transportation around United States (10 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
You may put as many 100ml or smaller containers of liquids into what is technically supposed to the size of a quart sized bag. The important thing is the size of the container more than the total volume as long as you aren't clearly abusing it. The rule specifies the bag is more for convenience than a technical measure. I have Precheck (which allows you to leave liquids in your bag - if you fly that much and don't have it, I highly recommend getting it) and don't bother putting my liquids into a bag and have never been asked about it nor have I ever seen someone questioned about the precise size of their bag. I you showed up with an entire backpack full of 100ml containers, I imagine that would get you stopped but I wouldn't worry about a small variance from a quart.
posted by Candleman at 12:13 PM on February 23, 2019 [3 favorites]


I've seen people use gallon size bags, and TSA--at least at the airports I fly from regularly--mostly doesn't seem to care (none of them were stuffed full or anything, and the containers inside didn't seem to be bigger than normal).

I have TSA Precheck, which is worth every damn penny that it costs. It's infuriating that they are basically charging us to remove the stupid security theater, but it makes flying significantly less hateful. If you have Precheck you don't need to remove your liquids from your bag, so as long as you have your containers all in one place (so that they could plausibly be contained in a bag) and don't have any containers that are oversize (which would show up on the X-ray), you're pretty likely to get through unmolested.

Of course, everything to do with airport security is YMMV, particularly if you are someone that TSA might find... "interesting". (The de facto rules for white people are different than if you're brown and especially if you're Middle Eastern and have a beard. I have friends in this category and they have to be pretty careful, lest they get "randomly" selected to play squeeze-the-salami in a back room every time.)
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:29 PM on February 23, 2019


Best answer: I think the answer is that TSA Compliant is not well-regulated by the TSA: no one's job is to trawl Amazon and demand takedown of non-compliant bags. And since TSA doesn't hassle (white) people for taking more than a quart-sized bag of travel-size liquids, reviews on these bags aren't harmed by the false claim, the product still sells, and stays up.
posted by batter_my_heart at 2:15 PM on February 23, 2019 [5 favorites]


Response by poster: Heck yes, I have Precheck. With my level of travel, I would be crazy not to. Sorry I didn't mention that in the original question.
posted by Quiscale at 2:33 PM on February 23, 2019


Best answer: Or to think of it another way, from reading the TSA documentation, you can use whatever bag you like but if they think that you're over the limit, they would probably put it into their regulation sized bag and say you have to throw something out that doesn't fit.
posted by Candleman at 2:41 PM on February 23, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: If you ever transit through the UK, they are sticklers and will be giant dicks about the quart bag size. Just as a warning. (Honestly UK airport workers make the TSA look like teddy bears.)
posted by dame at 6:10 PM on February 23, 2019 [2 favorites]


YMMV, of course, but my experience is they're more worried about the 3 oz rule than anything else. Most of the time I forget to repack liquids in a ziploc bag, so they're just kinda packed together in one of the pockets of my hygiene kit, and no one has ever looked twice at it, while they catch my SO every time he forgets to portion out his prescription toothpaste into a smaller container.
posted by Aleyn at 7:11 PM on February 23, 2019


Best answer: The range of bags advertised as compliant seems to say more about advertising and less about the rules. 2nding the point about security at UK airports - I’ve seen them enforce hand luggage rules a lot more rigorous than in the US including number and size of bag, size of liquids bag and they made me toss tooth paste the TSA was quite happy for me to have a 10 hrs earlier because the almost empty tube was too big.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:36 AM on February 24, 2019


Best answer: I think the answer is that TSA Compliant is not well-regulated by the TSA: no one's job is to trawl Amazon and demand takedown of non-compliant bags

This is really the answer to your second question. Unlike let us say the FDA, the TSA doesn’t require claims to be verified. You know those Away carryons with the built-in batteries to charge your phone? Not one is in compliance to be used as carryon luggage. Carryon luggage can’t have batteries. Doesn’t stop Away from selling them as compliant carryon luggage though.
posted by sideshow at 12:13 PM on February 24, 2019 [1 favorite]


If you have Pre, why are you even worrying about the one quart? I can't recall them ever remotely looking at them and I long since gave up on the quart sized bag. I use my regular toiletry case and the only time it was even a ten second issue was when the toothpaste (? i think) had escaped the bag. They just reminded me to check the zipper but didn't mention anything else.
posted by TravellingCari at 10:42 AM on February 25, 2019


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