(WENY) -- People are gearing up to travel home for the holidays and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is trying to help flyers get their food and gifts home safely. TSA and local airline officials provided some tips to help people's holiday trips run smoothly.

To those hopping on a plane for the holidays, airline and TSA officials often say that travelers need to allow themselves time to check in at the airport to avoid missing their flights. During the holiday season, they say that's extra important if you have baked goods and presents with you.

Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson from the TSA, says bringing these items for family and friends to the airport is not uncommon during the holidays so, it's important to know what you can pack and how to pack it.

"Of course, there's that Christmas cookie tradition and people love to exchange cookies and bring cookies, and indeed you may bring them through a security checkpoint," said Farbstein. "What we advise, however, is to not wrap them in a box or anything of that nature, because if, for some reason, it triggers an alarm, the TSA officer will have to open the box."

As an alternative packing method, the TSA suggests using a Ziploc bag, tin foil, or a gift box for any kind of food item. Farbstein says this is also good to keep in mind for traveling with gifts. Instead of wrapping paper, gift bags, boxes, and tissue paper are ideal in case something needs to be checked.

The rule of solids and liquids is also important to keep in mind.

"Another thing we see maybe you know a bottle of wine or a bottle of champagne," said Farbstein. "Just wrap that up in some extra clothing when you're putting in your check bag to give it that extra buffer because we know it is a breakable item. And additionally, we see people with snow globes...The rule of thumb is, if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it and it's over 3.4 ounces, you probably want to make sure you put that into a checked bag."

A representative from Delta Airlines at the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport, Lynda Bixby, also shared that TSA locks are helpful for holiday travel. She says it keeps your luggage secure and allows airport security to check items without damaging your property.

Farbstein added that TSA officers are there to help you get your things where they need to go.

"I think it's important for people to keep in mind the fact that our TSA officers are working during the holidays," said Farbstein. "Whether that's Thanksgiving, whether that's Christmas, and New Year's, you know, even July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day, they are working on the holidays so you can travel. So you can visit family and friends, so that you can go on a great vacation, and so it's probably a really good idea to just stop for a moment and thank them for their service."

Solid items like cookies or brownies can go through a TSA checkpoint. But for items like jams, preserves, or eggnog, for example, will need to go in a checked bag. Just ensure items are packed securely to avoid any messes, damage, or confiscation of your belongings.