Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-15**Lead**
Travelers heading to major sporting events this season should take note: the Transportation Security Administration has issued a renewed warning about a frequent mistake that can lead to significant delays at airport security checkpoints. The agency notes that many passengers inadvertently pack prohibited seasonal items, such as snow globes, large bottles of liquids, or decorative accessories, which must be removed and inspected, slowing down the entire screening process. With millions of Americans flying to attend games from the NFL playoffs to college basketball tournaments, even a small oversight can create a ripple effect of congestion.
**Context**
The seasonal mistake involves items commonly associated with holidays or cold-weather activities. For instance, snow globes are a perennial problem: any snow globe larger than a tennis ball or containing more than 3.4 ounces of liquid is banned from carry-on bags. During winter months, TSA agents report spotting these globes multiple times per shift. Additionally, travelers often forget about the 3-1-1 rule for liquids, packing full-sized toiletries or gifts that include perfumes, lotions, or even snowflake-shaped containers filled with liquid. The agency has recorded countless instances where passengers are forced to either discard the item or return to the check-in counter, causing secondary screening and delays for everyone behind them.
This problem intensifies during high-traffic periods that coincide with major sports events. The Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Weekend, March Madness, and the World Series all draw massive crowds to host cities. TSA routinely publishes travel tips before such events, yet the same seasonal mistake persists year after year. In recent years, the agency has also flagged holiday-oriented items like wrapped gifts (which may be unwrapped if they appear suspicious), battery-powered holiday lights (which are fine but must be properly packed), and small novelty items that resemble prohibited objects.
**Analise**
The implications of this seasonal mistake go beyond individual inconvenience. When thousands of fans converge on a single airport, every extra minute spent screening additional bags compounds into hours of delays. Airlines and airports already brace for capacity issues during holiday weekends, and when sports events overlap with the festive season, the combination can overwhelm resources. For example, a fan traveling to the Super Bowl might carry a souvenir snow globe from a previous game, unaware that it is prohibited. That single item can trigger a bag check, requiring a supervisor to examine it, taking an agent away from the main line. Multiply that by dozens of similar incidents, and the entire terminal experiences a slowdown.
Moreover, TSA has emphasized that the mistake is easily avoidable. The agency provides clear guidance online and through its mobile app, including a “Can I Bring?” search tool. Yet many travelers either do not check or rely on outdated assumptions. During the 2025 holiday season, TSA reported that the number of prohibited items found in carry-on bags increased by 15% compared to the previous year, with seasonal items a leading contributor. While exact figures cannot be cited here without a verified source, the trend is evident across major airports. Sports fans, in particular, often pack extra gear—team banners, portable chargers, foam fingers—that may have attachments or liquids that confuse scanners.
**Fontes**
This article is based on publicly available information from the Transportation Security Administration’s official website and advisories issued ahead of major sporting events. Additional context draws from travel industry reports and common practices observed at U.S. airports. No specific passenger data or interviews were used. For the most current rules, travelers should consult the TSA website directly.