Can you smell the money? In 2017, more than $869,000 was left by passengers at checkpoints. Let’s think for a second about how much money that truly is:
That’s 10,117 TSA PreCheck™ memberships…
… or 86,086 basic Netflix subscriptions…
… or 86 million pennies!
The airport with the loosest change was Los Angeles International Airport, where passengers left over $62,000!!!
What happens to those shiny coins you may ask? TSA makes every effort to reunite passengers with items left at the checkpoint. Unclaimed money is deposited into a special account to be tracked and subsequently disbursed. Ultimately, TSA uses the money to maintain and improve security operations.
Travel Tip: To keep from leaving your money behind at the checkpoint, place it in a zip top plastic bag, pouch or favorite fanny-pack and store in your carry-on bag for X-ray screening.
If you ever leave something behind at the checkpoint, visit our Lost & Found information page on TSA.gov. Or, for live assistance, reach out to @AskTSA on Twitter or Facebook.
