I Tried a TikTok Travel Hack… And It Didn’t Work
Every time I scroll through social media, someone’s raving about a new travel hack that supposedly changes everything. Some of these tips are genuinely helpful—like skipping the ice bucket in your hotel room—while others are outright dangerous (please don’t wrap your seatbelt around your ankles.)
So when I kept seeing influencers posting about avoiding bad airplane food and overpriced airport meals by bringing an acai bowl through security, I was intrigued and decided to try it on my next trip.
According to TSA regulations, smoothies and smoothie bowls are considered liquids and must follow the 3-1-1 rule. However, there's a workaround: liquids are allowed through security in any quantity, as long as they’re completely frozen solid. The TSA makes it clear that any liquid at the bottom of the container means it won’t be allowed through.
To test out the travel hack, I bought an acai bowl the morning of my flight and put it in the freezer to freeze it solid before my evening flight. But despite a quick 15-minute Uber ride and a short wait in the TSA PreCheck line, my bowl had already started to melt by the time it was screened.
Sure enough, my bag was flagged for secondary screening. A TSA agent squeezed the container, felt the softened contents, and pointed out the liquid pooling at the bottom. I got a firm reminder that the item must be completely frozen solid to make it through.
I still think this travel hack has potential; however, you’ll need to carefully plan ahead on how to keep your food or drink frozen solid until you make it through security. Getting a semi-frozen item through also depends quite a bit on the TSA agent who screens your item and how lenient they are feeling that day.
If you want to try this hack, I’d recommend using a cooler bag and some ice to make sure your item stays frozen solid until you’ve passed through airport security.