updated 8:55 p.m. ET Nov. 16, 2006

WASHINGTON - Airlines say they’re prepared for an onslaught of Thanksgiving travelers who may not know that big bottles of shampoo, mouthwash and hairspray are banned from carryon luggage.

New restrictions on liquids, gels and aerosols in carryon bags have caused longer security lines at major airports such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

With 25 million passengers expected during the 12-day Thanksgiving travel period, airlines are gearing up for travelers unfamiliar with the rules.

“We’re ready to go,” James May, president of the Air Transport Association, said Thursday. “We know we’ve got 25 million people coming.”

The Transportation Security Administration now only allows liquids, gels and aerosols in 3-ounce containers or less. They must be contained in one quart-sized zip-top clear plastic bag. Passengers must take the bag out of their carryon luggage at security checkpoints.

‘Not complicated’
“This is not complicated,” said TSA chief Kip Hawley in a news conference held with airline and airport spokespeople to remind travelers of the new restrictions.

Passengers sometimes aren’t sure if a substance is a solid or not. Hawley offered this advice: “If you dump it out on the table and it retains its form, it’s not a liquid, aerosol or gel.”

The rules were put in place in September, after British police broke up a terrorist plot to blow up as many as 10 trans-Atlantic flights using liquid explosives.

To accommodate the Thanksgiving crush, the TSA is opening security checkpoints earlier and fully staffing them.

WHAT'S ALLOWED, WHAT ISN'T ... — Liquid and gel toiletries in 3-ounce containers or smaller are allowed if they are in a clear plastic, quart-size or smaller ziplock bag. Larger containers that are half-full or rolled-up toothpaste tubes are not allowed — Any amount of eye drops, saline solution, prescription and nonprescription medicine and personal lubricants are allowed. — Larger bottles of liquids and gels from outside — including shampoo, suntan lotion, creams and toothpaste — are allowed only in checked baggage. — Drinks, liquids and gels purchased in airport stores inside the security checkpoints can be carried into passenger cabins. — Baby formula is allowed if a child is traveling. — Lighters are banned in carry-on bags and in checked luggage, unless they don’t have fuel or are in a case approved by the Transportation Department. — Laptops, cell phones, pagers and personal data assistants are allowed. — Jams and jellies should be packed in checked luggage; pies should be carried on. Source: The Associated Press

Most of the major airports are handing out free baggies, and volunteers, docents and interns will be on hand to help travelers, said Greg Principato, president of the Airports Council International.

An average of 2 million people a day will fly over the Thanksgiving travel season, which runs from Friday, Nov. 17 to Tuesday, Nov. 28. The two busiest days will be Sunday, Nov. 26 and Monday, Nov. 27, May said.

MORE FROM WINTER TRAVEL

Winter Travel Section Front

Mountain resorts redline the fun meter Top 10 black diamond ski runs Amazing adventures America's most dangerous slopes Celebrity winter hideaways Top 10 cities for shopaholics Winter Travel Section Front   Add Winter Travel headlines to your news reader: