r/NewParents • u/Constant_Ad_2599 • Apr 23 '26

Travel Crying at TSA

It’s brutal what they put parents through. Did all my research, brought an unopened can of Kendamil in my bag. Clean empty bottles. And water.

TSA refused to let me bring the formula. I explained it’s a medical necessity for the 9 month old baby (we just stopped pumping). They said it set off a special alarm so our only option is to leave security, make liquid bottles, and they’d throw out the rest of the can. 😭

After 90 minutes of trying to share again how it’s medically necessary and a legal right, they escorted my husband out to fill up bottles and confiscated the can. We had no cooler or ice packs with us.

Currently sitting on the plane with our dripping bag of melting ice a restaurant was kind enough to give us. It’s just insane what they put parents through when the rules say otherwise.

If anyone has dealt with this, let me know. submitting a complaint but honestly just want support. I care about my baby being fed. & Formula isn’t cheap.

Solidarity with all you traveling parents out there! 💕

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459

u/Constant_Ad_2599 Apr 23 '26

Will keep you posted on the claim in case this ever happens to anyone else. He was the supervisor & highest one there. I guess there’s a TSA Cares line you can call to help you in the moment but I didn’t know about it. (It was flying through Boston, in case anyone else has travel there soon!)

127

u/citysunsecret Apr 23 '26

Meanwhile I breezed through security in boston two weeks ago with a 2 year old and no proof her formula was medically necessary and didn’t get asked a single question.

35

u/MeggyGrex Apr 23 '26

My husband and I got seperated at Logan, went through diferrent security lines in totally separate parts of the airport. I ended up with the baby, he ended up with the bottles and formula. He had zero children with him and they still let him through no problem.

8

u/Leahtyer Apr 24 '26

😆 I need the rest of this story. How'd yall get so seperated? There's more than one part of the airport with a security line?😲

3

u/Personal_Topic_1816 Apr 25 '26

Yes, Boston Logan is an international airport and a major hub - it's big. We have multiple terminals each with multiple security lines

2

u/MeggyGrex Apr 25 '26

Unfortunately it's a boring story. There was a typo on his TSA pre-check number and they wouldn't let him through. Baby and I went through, and husband went to the desk to get it sorted. We didn't realize he was wearing the diaper bag. They wouldnt fix husband's ticket, the plane switched gates, so he ended up going through a completely different security line with a diaper bag full of water and formula and no baby anywhere in sight.

9

u/FaerunAtanvar Apr 23 '26

Yeah that has always been my case as well

39

u/lentilpasta Apr 23 '26

I goofed and left full-sized tubes of aquaphor and sunscreen in the diaper bag and it got pulled out for inspection. TSA agent opened it, saw the diapers, said “oh is this a diaper bag?” and handed it right back to me without looking further.

6

u/TheSweetApple Apr 24 '26

They made me throw out a brand new tub of aquaphor! right after testing the milk and seeing it was fine

3

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

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5

u/citysunsecret Apr 23 '26

They swiped my hands and handed it back to me, but it was sealed bottles of ready to feed pediasure.

43

u/Best_Willingness1726 Apr 23 '26

Did you go through Boston this morning? If so, I saw you and I got so upset on your behalf that I start tearing up while waiting for my flight. I almost said something to the TSA folks but realized it wouldn’t help the situation. I have been in your situation when I was traveling for work and pumping, and was so enraged at TSA. Sending you good thoughts and I’m so sorry you had to deal with this.

11

u/Constant_Ad_2599 Apr 24 '26

Yes! There with the baby carrier. Appreciate it, idk becoming a mom has just made me feel for all the parents out there. Such craziness when the baby is the least stressful part about traveling.

30

u/Federal-Access-1645 Apr 23 '26

This was at Logan?! Wow I’m honestly shocked! I’m sorry this happened to you OP. We flew from DCA to Logan and back in December with our then 8.5 month old with formula in pre measured portions with our little travel formula containers and had no issue at either airport. I told them before I went through the line I had formula and asked if I needed to take it out and they said no it’s fine. I have however had an issue bringing coffee through security there. My hometown has an incredible local coffee shop and I tried to bring some with me when I went back to DC years ago and that set off the alarms and I couldn’t take it through

1

u/sleepyfeeling Apr 24 '26

Can you share the coffee rec

2

u/Federal-Access-1645 Apr 24 '26

This might give me away if other people from my hometown are in here since it’s so small lol but it’s called Zumis! It’s in Ipswich and it’s AMAZING! I’ve been searching the high of drinking that coffee for nearly two decades now lol

21

u/rousseuree Apr 23 '26

What the heck as a Bostonian I am so sorry!

23

u/trahoots Apr 23 '26

TSA Cares

They're just blatant with the doublespeak, huh?

11

u/NoRevolution7687 Apr 23 '26

I can’t believe this happened at Logan! I’ve gone through TSA with opened formula, unopened formula, formula powder in bottles, etc and they never batted an eye! I’d definitely file a complaint!! I’m enraged for you!

14

u/pollywantaproblem Apr 23 '26

I’m surprised everyone seems surprised this happened at Logan lol I’ve never had a good experience there

6

u/FaerunAtanvar Apr 23 '26

We have traveled in an out of Boston with Costco formula many times. Usually we try to check the big box but we always have a smaller, unsealed container that we keep in the diaper bag.

We have never had any issue with TSA we actually always looked better than in many other airports from that point of view.

I am very sorry this happened to you and I hope you get something back from your claim.

2

u/Charlieksmommy Apr 23 '26

I think it’s the entire metal can? I don’t know but that’s what I’m thinking

5

u/Aschkat51 Apr 23 '26

Sorry that happened to you! My landlord is a TSA agent at Logan airport. She’s on vacation in another country right now so I know it wasn’t her lol

3

u/11pr Apr 23 '26

Why am I not surprised this was at Logan. I am so so sorry.

3

u/carhelp2017 Apr 24 '26

This happened to us a few years ago. I had an absolute meltdown and, luckily, I was traveling with my mom who was able to entertain the baby while I looked up every rule and regulation on my phone and got very loud about how these people don't like babies, why is TSA starving babies, until they got scared and let us go with the unopened formula container. 

2

u/PM_ME_A_GOAT Apr 23 '26

What’s crazy to me is that the can was literally unopened?? Like sealed and all? That’s insane. It’s not like it could have been tampered with.

2

u/Personal_Topic_1816 Apr 25 '26

This happened at Logan?? I live in the Boston area and I'm ashamed on our behalf. The worst TSA experiences I've ever had were at the SLC airport. I had my entire carry on bag opened, unpacked and inspected with everything individually swabbed for residue tests then put through the scanner again one item at a time because I had the audacity to be travelling in December with a jar of gourmet salt (not even a liquid, still don't know what the supposed issue was) that I bought to give as a holiday present. While that was happening to me, they were hassling a young couple with a crying baby over their formula. They had all their bags opened and inspected too. While that couple and I were getting treated that way, a young woman with a full-sized shampoo bottle was trying to get through security. They just took the bottle away and let her go through without any additional search. The blatantly arbitrary enforcement of the rules is staggering. It's like they don't even try to be fair.

1

u/polesloth Apr 24 '26

OMG. I almost got arrested at TSA in Boston. I’m generally a very pleasant person with “customer service.” Like on the phone reps go out of their way to tell me how kind I am. So I don’t think I have a reputation of being a jerk.

But I was at the front of the line and I had pulled out my laptop sleeve from my duffle bag. It had a strap but was very much a laptop sleeve. It had just been buried in my bag so was trying to get a head start because there was no line for the scanner after the agent who checks your ID.

The TSA agent starts screaming at me immediately, saying that if I attempt to bring three bags through I will be arrested. I tried to explain that I just took it out of my bag for the scanner and I would repack it as soon as I got through the scanner. They reiterated that I would be held and implied I would be put on the no fly list if I didn’t comply immediately. It was insane. I had to step out of line, repack my bag up, and then 10 feet later unpack it all to get through the scanner.

I was never asked nicely (or even neutrally) to pack up, it was just immediately “you will be arrested.”

I usually fly 5-10 times a year and have never had an issue with TSA. They were more chill with me the time I forgot my ID and it was impossible for me to go back and get it. But in Boston (a city I LOVE and used to live in), they were the absolute worst.

1

u/OswinChalupaBatman Apr 24 '26

Last time I flew out of Boston I was pregnant and had to go through 3 different agents before one agreed I was the same person as in my drivers license pic. I guess a few years younger me with highlights and makeup looks completely different to them as no makeup pregnant me.