Chips makes the perfect plane snack, so you might be wondering if you are allowed to bring a bag of chips on your next flight.
According to TSA regulations, you can bring chips on a plane in both your carry on and checked bags.
This includes Doritos, Pringles, Lays, Ruffles, Takis, and any other brand of chips you can think of.
But does it matter the bag of chips is opened or unopened?
Is there a limit to how many bags of chips you can bring on a plane?
Will a bag of chips burst on a plane?
What about dips – are they allowed too?
Table of Contents
Can You Bring Chips on a Plane?
Domestic Flights
Regardless of where you are flying to and what airline you are flying with, you are allowed to pack chips in both your carry on and checked bags.
International Flights
You would be hard-pressed to find a country that wouldn’t allow you to bring chips into the country.
But some countries may require the chips to be in their original packaging and unopened.
Chips Can Be Opened or Unopened
It makes no difference if the bag of chips is opened or unopened – you will be able to bring them through airport security.
You can also put the chips in a container of your choosing.
The Size of the Bag Doesn’t Matter
The TSA does not specify a limit to how many individual bags of chips you want to bring on a plane, nor the size of the bag of chips.
This applies to packing chips in both your carry on and checked bags.
How to Prevent Chips From Bursting on a Plane
It’s possible that a bag of chips will explode on a plane if the air pressure inside the bag is greater than air pressure inside the plane’s cabin.
However, due to a plane’s cabin being pressurized at between 6,000- 8,000 feet, what is more likely to happen is that the bag of chips will expand but not actually burst.
You can guarantee that chips won’t burst on a plane by either taking the chips out of the bag and placing them in a container before you board the plane, or by piercing a hole in the bag of chips to let air escape.
Sometimes a bag of chips will expand so much that it makes it almost impossible to grab any fold of the bag to pull it open, so keep this in mind.
You Can Also Bring Dips
Dips are considered a liquid by the TSA, so this means that any dip you want to bring must be in a container no larger than 3.4oz/100ml if packed in your carry on.
This is because of the 3-1-1 rule that prohibits passengers bringing any liquid, gel, or aerosol in their carry on through airport security due to safety concerns.
There is no quantity limit if dip is packed in your checked bag.
But Some Snacks Aren’t Allowed
Snacks that aren’t allowed on a plane are those made of liquids, gels and aerosols.
Products like honey and peanut butter, even though we might consider them liquids, aren’t seen that way by the TSA, so they are not allowed.
You will not be allowed to bring the following snacks on a plane in your carry on if the container exceeds 3.4oz/100ml:
- Peanut Butter
- Guacamole
- Hummus
- Canned food
- Honey
- Syrup
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Yogurt
- Jam, jelly and preserves
- Condiments
- Dressings
Bring an Empty Water Bottle to Hydrate
Due to the 3-1-1 rule, you are not allowed to bring a bottle of water on a plane in your carry on, as water bottles are larger than 3.4oz/100ml
It makes no difference if the amount of water in the bottle is less than 3.4oz/100ml, it is the bottle itself and not the quantity of liquid inside the bottle that matters.
However, you are allowed to bring an empty water bottle on a plane in your carry on, though, and then fill it up once you have gone through airport security.
Ella Dunham, a Freelance Travel Journalist and Marketing Manager, boasts an impressive career spanning eight years in the travel and tourism sectors.
Honored as one of "30 Under 30" by TTG Media (the world’s very first weekly travel trade newspaper), a "Tour Operator Travel Guru" and "Legend Award" winner, Ella is also a Fellow of the Institute of Travel, a Member of the Association of Women Travel Executives, has completed over 250 travel modules, and hosts travel-focused segments on national radio shows where she provides insights on travel regulations and destinations.
Ella has visited over 40 countries (with 10 more planned this year).