Fly through airport security this holiday season

Traveling by plane this holiday season? Rumor is that the airports will be relative quiet since travel is down right now due to the economy. But whether the airport is mobbed or simply crowded, going through security is always a pain in the neck. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration offered up the following tips to USA Today on how to speed your way through those checkpoints:

• Do not gift-wrap carry-on items. Security officers are required to remove the wrapping paper. Wrapped gifts should be packed in your checked bags, according to TSA spokesman Christopher White.

• Do not bring remote-controlled toys as carry-on luggage. "Unfortunately in this world we live in, terrorists have an interest in using remote-controlled detonators," White said. You can put them in checked bags.

• Pies (and other food, such as gingerbread, cookies and the like) are permitted as carry-on items. "It doesn't matter the consistency, though we may perform some additional scrutiny on the passenger or the plate," White said.

• Jams and jellies are considered gels and are therefore subject to the 3-1-1 rules if brought as carry-on items: They must be in containers no bigger than 3 ounces, and they must all fit in one one-quart clear zip-top plastic bag. (Otherwise, wrap them carefully to prevent breakage, and put them with your checked bags.)

More information at tsa.gov.