Air travel used to be a much more laid-back experience—no long security lines, no shoe removal, and definitely fewer raised eyebrows over what you tossed in your carry-on. Back in the day, passengers were practically encouraged to treat their flight like a floating hotel room with far fewer rules.
But as travel security ramped up, especially post-9/11, a lot of formerly acceptable in-flight items suddenly found themselves on the no-fly list. Some of these banned items might seem obvious in hindsight, while others will have you wondering how they were ever allowed in the first place.
13. Full-Size Bottles of Shampoo
Before TSA’s 3-1-1 rule, nobody blinked at tossing a full bottle of Pantene in their bag. Now, your shampoo has to be travel-sized or it’s getting confiscated.
12. Box Cutters
Once considered just another tool, box cutters were a normal part of a worker’s carry-on. That all changed in an instant, and now they’re firmly on the prohibited list.
11. Smoking Devices
Believe it or not, people used to bring cigarettes, cigars, and even pipes right onto the plane—because they could smoke them in-flight. Now they’re just a souvenir of a very smoky era in air travel.
10. Wrapped Gifts
Airports didn’t always treat every box like a suspicious package. Once upon a time, you could bring beautifully wrapped presents without expecting a TSA agent to rip them open.
9. Golf Clubs
For some reason, golf clubs were once fine to carry on, even though they’re essentially long, heavy sticks. These days, they’re deemed too risky and have to be checked.
8. Disposable Razors with Blades
Tossing a razor into your bag used to be standard packing procedure. Now it feels like a game of “Will TSA take this?”
7. Baseball Bats
Yes, people really brought baseball bats on planes without issue. It was no big deal—until it was a very big deal.
6. Knitting Needles
Even grandma’s peaceful pastime didn’t survive the modern security crackdown. Knitting needles were once perfectly acceptable, but now they can trigger a second screening.
5. Snow Globes
There was a time when you could bring home a snow globe from your trip without it causing drama. Now it’s considered too much liquid in too round a package.
4. Pocket Knives
Once seen as a handy tool, the humble pocket knife was a carry-on staple for many travelers. That changed dramatically, and now they’re strictly off-limits.
3. Large Bottles of Water
It’s wild to think there was a time when you could stroll through security with a giant water bottle. Now that move earns you a fast trip to the trash can.
Read more: Should Parents Get to Choose Their Seats on Flights for Free?
2. Unsealed Food
Bringing grandma’s homemade lasagna for your cross-country flight used to be totally acceptable. Today, TSA would give it the side-eye—or at least a good sniff.
Read more: 14 Airport Rules That Used to Be Totally Normal (and Are Now Banned)
1. Guns (Yes, Really)
In some cases, passengers were once allowed to bring firearms on board if they followed the right procedures. It sounds unreal now, but it was an actual thing—and it’s very much not anymore.
Read more: A YouTuber Crashed a Plane on Purpose — Now He’s Going to Prison
