If you don’t have TSA Pre, then one of the most annoying parts of going through airport security is having to take out all your liquids. Despite my frequent-flyer status, I used to consistently manage to forget to put makeup or some other small thing in my ziplock bag going through the line, which ended in me having to have my bag rechecked and a solid shaming from the TSA agent.
Thankfully, by the end of the year, the TSA is eliminating the practice at a few airports thanks to a new type of bag scanner. The scanner uses computed tomography to create a 3D image of your luggage. That means no more taking out liquids or laptops.
The technology is currently being tested at a number of federal facilities and is deploying it to 15 airports. If you’re traveling through security at those locations, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to keep your things in your bag. Here’s the current list:
•Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)
•Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
•Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
•Houston Hobby Airport (HOU)
•Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
•John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
•Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
•Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
•McCarran International Airport (LAS)
•Oakland International Airport (OAK)
•Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
•Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
•San Diego International Airport (SAN)
•St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
•Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)
And the TSA hopes to bring the tech to 40 airports by the end of the year (so 25 more than the ones on this list) and 145 airports by the end of 2019.
And if you’re a frequent traveler (even just a few times a year) spring for TSA Pre (or Global Entry if you anticipate traveling out of the country in the next few years — it comes with TSA Pre). You never have to remove your liquids, laptop, or your shoes when you fly and it’s infinitely worth the $75 price tag ($100 for Global Entry).