General Travel

Travel Tips for Flying with Gifts

Last updated 14th December 2017

You’ve promised the kids that Santa will find them at Grandma’s house or your holiday resort. This means “Santa” needs to understand airline and security rules for flying with holiday gifts. We’ve asked travel agent Sally Black, founder of VacationKids.com, for tips of gifting during the travel season.

Let Amazon Play Santa

The easiest way to navigate the holidays and travel is to order gifts online and have them shipped to your destination in advance. Be sure to use your own name as the recipient for any packages you don’t want opened in advance by relatives. Double check with your hotel regarding any fees they may charge for receiving and storing shipments.

Carry On

If you must travel with gifts, be sure to double check luggage size and weight restrictions with your airline in advance to avoid disappointments and expensive oversize luggage fees. Pack any valuable or expensive gifts in hand or carry-on luggage unwrapped. Treat these items the same as cash, medications, passports and other important valuables.

Do Not Gift Wrap

The TSA may need to inspect  items due to random searches or triggered alarms, and they will make you unwrap all packages you attempt to carry on or even check through baggage. Pack gift wrap and tape so that you can wrap gifts upon your arrival, and leave your gifts unwrapped during the flight. For electronic gifts and battery operated toys, be sure to familiarize yourself with FAA rules regarding batteries.

Allow Plenty Extra Time

With holiday travel, plan to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours early for domestic flights and 3 to 4 hours early for International flights. Why? Because there will be security delays thanks to all the un-savvy travelers who did not plan ahead.

Written by Sally Black, VacationKids.com