Grab your change! Travelers left TSA almost $1 million in inadvertent 'tips' last year
In 2018, travelers left the Transportation Security Administration almost $1 million in inadvertent "tips."
Passengers in a rush to get through airport security checkpoints often leave belts, mobile phones, laptops and other valuable items behind.
They also leave lots of coins and cash, though they don’t mean to.
According to a new report from TSA, during fiscal year 2018 (Oct. 1, 2017-Sept. 30, 2018), travelers left $960,105.49 in the plastic bins at airport checkpoints around the country.
That’s $90,265.93 more than travelers left behind as inadvertent "tips" for TSA the previous year, $92,293.10 more than they forgot to pick up in fiscal year 2016, and it’s a whopping, $194,346.34 more than passengers left behind in fiscal year 2015.
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By law, TSA is allowed to use these funds for projects it considers important for civil aviation security, and in past years some of the left-behind funds have been used to promote the TSA PreCheck program.
Much of the unclaimed money from the past few years remains in TSA’s coffers, however, and a recent NBC News report disclosed that the Department of Homeland Security has its eyes on the cash to help fund border operations.
In the past, funds have been used to pay for checkpoint maintenance, translation of signage into different languages, PreCheck expansion and Adjudication Center system enhancements
More:TSA sending up to 400 workers to southern border, but says it won't slow air travel
Who are the biggest tippers?
As you might suspect, some of the country’s largest airports collect the most unclaimed coins and cash at the security checkpoints.
TSA’s Unclaimed Money at Airports report shows that passengers at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport left behind the most money: $72,392.74.
Next on the list: Los Angeles International Airport, where $71,748.83 was unclaimed in the bins.
Miami, Chicago O’Hare and Newark Liberty International are in the Top 5 of airports where passengers leave behind the most coins and cash.
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Here's the Top 10 list:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York): $72,392.74
- Los Angeles International Airport: $71,748.83
- Miami International Airport: $50,504.49
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport: $49,597.23
- Newark Liberty International Airport: $41,026.07
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: $36,707.99
- San Francisco International Airport: $33,264.80
- McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas): $33,038.23
- Orlando International Airport: $32,687.10
- Dulles International Airport (Washington, D.C.): $31,090.38
Why do travelers leave so much money behind?
And why does the tally just keep going up?
According to TSA spokesperson Jenny Burke, one reason may be that more people are traveling. Many airports are serving a record number of passengers and TSA is, therefore, screening a record number of passengers.
That makes the pool of possible inadvertent “tippers” much bigger.
Another reason: In this age of credit and debit card transactions, travelers find it more valuable to spend their time getting to their gate than stopping to scoop up a few pennies or dimes.
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