You Won’t Believe How Much Money You’re Accidentally Leaving Behind At The Airport!
💸 You won’t believe how much change TSA finds at airports – and what it says about the future of pennies, nickels & dimes! 🔍 #FinancialNews #TravelNews #Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The longstanding debate over whether the U.S. should eliminate pennies, nickels and dimes has compelling arguments on both sides. Proponents of keeping the coins cite fairness concerns for lower-income Minnesotans, while those in favor of retiring them point to the money the government loses in minting costs.
To shed light on this issue, we can look to a surprising source of data on how much Americans still use coins in their daily lives: the loose change left behind at airport security checkpoints at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and across the nation.
💸 Nearly $1 Million in Forgotten Coins at TSA Checkpoints Last Year
According to detailed annual reports provided by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to Congress, air travelers left behind a staggering $956,000 in coins at security checkpoints in 2023 alone.
This amount has roughly doubled since 2012, when around half a million dollars was abandoned. The top airports for forgotten change include New York’s JFK International Airport, where flyers left nearly $60,000 in 2022, and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport. Smaller airports like Dallas’ Love Field tend to see much lower amounts, around $100 in 2022.
🕓 Why Hurried Travelers Leave Money Behind
Several factors contribute to Midwest travelers abandoning their spare change at TSA checkpoints. Some passengers arrive late to the airport and rush to catch their flights. Exceptionally long security lines can also eat into boarding time. Additionally, checkpoint environments can be confusing, loud, and distracting, especially for newer or infrequent flyers.
The TSA is permitted to collect and keep any money left unclaimed, which it later deposits into a special account used for improving security operations. Over the past 12 years, forgotten coins at checkpoints have added up to nearly $10 million.
📈 Accounting for Inflation and Passenger Numbers Reveals Steady Coin Usage
However, the raw figures don’t tell the full story. To accurately assess trends, we need to adjust for inflation, as $1 in 2012 had 33% more purchasing power than $1 in 2023. We also need to consider passenger numbers, as TSA screened 638 million flyers in 2012 compared to 859 million in 2023, or 1,000 people every 30 seconds.
After accounting for these factors, the amount lost per 1,000 passengers screened has held remarkably steady, increasing just a penny from $1.10 in 2012 to $1.11 in 2023. The peak was in 2020 at $1.80 per 1,000 passengers, likely due to COVID fears making people reluctant to touch objects.
💰 Physical Money Still Relevant Even in an Increasingly Digital Economy
Despite the rise of electronic payments, the TSA checkpoint data provides clear evidence that Americans’ usage of physical coins has remained consistent over the past decade.
This suggests that cash remains important for small transactions and any efforts to eliminate pennies, nickels, and dimes should carefully weigh the potential impacts. While the growing use of digital payments will likely continue, it seems physical currency and coins will retain a meaningful role for the foreseeable future.
The great coin debate remains unresolved for now, but this creative analysis of forgotten airport change offers valuable perspective on the everyday relevance of America’s smallest denominations. By shedding light on how much we still rely on coins, this TSA data can help inform a balanced and thoughtful approach as our economy continues to evolve. Hang on to your coins and happy travels!
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🗣 Are you surprised by these numbers? How much change is in your pocket or purse right now? We’d LOVE to hear from you in the comments section below. ⬇️
