6 Ways to make airport security painless
Has anyone been to the airport lately? Well I am here to tell you it’s not what it used to be. As many of you may know airport security has stepped it up a notch after the events of 9/11/01. This has caused some delay in many peoples lives as they are frisked, scanned and even questioned at the security gate. That’s why I created “6 waysto make airport security painless”.
The idea behind this method is be prepared for the security check and things will move in a more timely fashion. This is not an article on how to avoid being the lucky flyer number 23 who is submitted to a full body cavity search. It is however an article featuring 6 ways for you to optimize your luggage. Doing so will ensure that if and when you do get stopped the delay will be minimized.
1. Make a list of everything you are going to take with you on your trip. Once you have this list it is time to start minimizing. Less is more and that logic can be directly applied to this situation. Try to exclude items you may be able to obtain at your point of destination. This will make les luggage for you to carry and also less luggage for them to search.
2. Once you have your list in order and you have removed the kitchen sink from it :) it is time to categorize your belongings. I personally use the three tier method for this part. The three tier method is a priority based categorization method. The first tier is the highest priority items. These items include crucial necessities such as plane tickets, cell phone, laptop, pda, tom tom, jewelry, maps, important documents, invitations and other highly important items. The second tier is depreciated from the first tier and includes medium priority items such as clothing, hygiene products, and gifts ect. . Then there is the third tier depreciated from the second tier the third tier is the easiest to fill. At this point anything that didn’t fit in the first and second tiers will no belong to the third tier.
3. Check as many bags as possible. You will want to try and check as many bag’s as possible. This is something that may make many people nervous based on previous experiences with lost or stolen luggage, however this will make it easier on you at the security gate. The fewer bags you have the less they will have to search “right there” and the faster you move through the gate and on to your flight. (Hint check the second and third tier bag’s to ensure your important belongings are not victims of the infamous lost luggage scenario)
4. The day of your flight schedule yourself one hour earlier than your flight departure. The airport recommended two hours for security but trust me you should not need more than one unless you are at an international airport and have to go through customs.
5. Purchase your tickets as far in advance as possible. This will not only lower the cost of the flight and get you a better seat but also will lower your chances of being selected for a random search. Evidently passengers who purchase tickets 60 days or more in advance are less likely to be subjected to a search.
6. Have proper identification available and ready to go. Make sure you have some sort of dmv issued valid photo id handy. You never know when someone may want you to identify you. Not having your id can cause a major dilemma if you have to return home to retrieve it. So be prepared and have all your identification documents on your person (or in your carry on).
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May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
#5 is incorrect. I have had tickets almost a year ahead of time, and often get searched. That is because I travel with my mom and sister and we all wear the same thing. They usually search us all!
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
6 - order a duplicate license from the DMV and keep with your travel documents. This will cost about $10 dollars and will keep you from fumbling through your wallet or purse every time you have to show ID. I’ve done this for years and is a huge timesaver if you travel often.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
If you read the exerpt you would have read that “This is not an article on how to avoid being the lucky flyer number 23 who is submitted to a full body cavity search. It is however an article featuring 6 ways for you to optimize your luggage. Doing so will ensure that if and when you do get stopped the delay will be minimized.” I clearly stated that this is not a method of diverting airport security.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Make a list of everything you’re going to bring? Categorize your belongings into tiers?
You know there are medications to treat these sorts of problems now.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
No, Tim, you said that purchasing tickets well in advance will “lower your chances of being selected for a random search”, which is outright nonsense. Security screenings are RANDOM, and not based on any kind of profile. Certain flights or gates might have a higher percentage of that dreaded SSSS on the ticket, but no amount of preparation is going to reduce your chances of being selected.
The VAST MAJORITY of people aren’t selected (again, that’s random). The VAST MAJORITY of people don’t get their luggage searched. Suggesting that people check their bags will only increase the time they spend in the destination airport when they land, especially at airports like O’Hare where the baggage must travel over a mile or more of track to get to the baggage claim.
Here’s the real advice, from someone who travels every other week:
Before you get to screening, dump everything in your pockets into a coat pocket or a small pouch in your baggage. Cellphones, sunglasses, loose change, EVERYTHING. Once you get to the table, take out your laptop and put it in a bin ALONE. Put ANY jackets into the other bin, as well as other loose objects that would otherwise set off the metal detector. That’s important: One bin has ONLY the laptop, the other bin has ALL jackets and other loose items. Loosen your shoelaces. When you get to the moving belt, put your SHOES on first (since you’ll want to put them on immediately after passing), then your bags, then your laptop. This minimizes not only the time you spend going through security, but the time you force other people to wait.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Oh, and for crying out loud, when you board the flight: If you’re sitting at the back of the plane, carry your bags back with you. Don’t put them in the overhead up front, that only delays EVERYONE ELSE who must search to find a place to put their bags. Don’t be “that guy”.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
You guy’s are great, I am really enjoying reading all this feed back.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Alternatively, here are a few tips that will guarantee that you get the infamous SSSS printed on your boarding pass (? Super Secret Suspicion Search ?).
1. Pay cash for your ticket.
2. Buy it the same day you fly.
3. Be (un)lucky enough to have a ‘watched’ name. Or travel with someone who has such a name.
4. Handle some fertilizer and/or gasoline, then pack your bags.
5. Have a number of unmarked opaque glass or plastic containers with strong smelling gels and fluids.
6. Be drunk or obviously high. Alternatively, look terrified and sweaty.
7. Have some wire, small circuit boards, batteries and a digital timer in your carry on.
Seriously, though, you can also Fed Ex any portion of your luggage that may trigger problems. In general, it is not a bad idea to keep a preaddressed Fed Ex (ok DHL whatever) pouch tucked into your carry on, so if you do forget to leave your cherish antique heirloom cuticle scissors at home you have some opportunity to get them back.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
I think your blanket recommendation of arriving 1 hour prior is bad…especially if checking baggage. I would agree for a small airport, at off peak times, with no checked bags and a boarding pass in hand - one hour is fine. Several times in the past few months at LAX, I have joined a line OUTSIDE the building to check bags and then joined another line OUTSIDE for security screening. Missing a flight these days of mostly full flights is a hugh problem and compounded if you have connections to make….and for me not worth the risk or anxiety of late arrivals if I can avoid it.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
#5 is also rubbish because if you buy your tickets REALLY far in advance(2 or more months) they are NOT cheaper. When airlines get to the 4-6 weeks before the flight period, the costs come down and then they go back up when you get withing two weeks of the flight.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
I love the girl who wrote her comment really big like this. Jerkette.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Also another reason arriving one hour before your flight is bad comes when you are flying SouthWest. For those that don’t know, there are 3 boarding groups (A, B, C) and it’s first come first serve when you check in. If you find yourself in C group on a full flight, you just may run out of overhead compartment for a second carryon (e.g. saying laptop is your first and your bag of clothes and bathroom stuff is your second carryon). Then you will have to check that bag, and if there is any problem getting it back you could be without clothes for day or two. A definite problem if you flew in street clothes and are meeting a client the next day. I would recommend being AT the airport and at the counter no less then 2 hours before your flight… this almost always gives you an A group boarding pass.
Unless you are a diehard and want to sit up front (even though every seat is the same) — and you have some problem with waiting a couple minutes after you land, rest easy if you are A group and line up when they call A group… you don’t need to be one of those guys that stands in line or lays on the floor between the ropes for >1 hour before boarding :)
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
I don’t think that you travel much because some of the advice is generic, confusing, or wrong!
To start with, making the list as you advice will take up more time that a security check would (and even with the list you might still get screened!); the list is only good if you travel infrequently.
I never check bags unless I have to for travel of less than 7 days for both domestic and international - not an issue for me getting overhead space since I board first as a frequent traveler. A standard 22 inch Travel-Pro bag fits in all overhead compartments. However, most tourists should check bags; keep with you only what you need for 48 hours (i.e., medication, light clothing for warmth, toiletry items and snacks).
I am not sure what you mean by schedule yourself one hour early on the day of the flight but I have seen 45 minute plus lines for security screening at NYC area airports. You should plan your schedule so that you arrive at your gate one hour before flight departure - so add the security screening time (which will be longest during morning and afternoon flight rush hours) to your schedule so that you are at your gate one hour prior to the plane departure.
Purchasing your tickets more than 60 days ahead of time not only gives a free loan of your money to the airline but could end of costing you more for a ticket - due to sales that are offered seasonally and last minute. I typically buy my tickets no more than 6 weeks prior to departure (average is around 4 weeks). You are correct about getting to pick the seat location the earlier that the ticket is purchased but keep in mind that unless one is a premier frequent flyer that you will not get to pick the best seats anyway.
Have some ID ready - have you gone through security since 9/11? Try to get past security without a driver license or passport - it won’t happen. This advice has no bearing on whether you get a though security screening at all - you will not even be allowed to go through security screening without valid governmental issue ID.
Angry Gary - Look I am just writing about things that interest me here. In no way am I saying that this is the best or only way to approach trip planning. On the other hand you took at least 5 - 10 minutes to rant about my article not to mention the time you spent reading it. Wouldn’t the time you spent doing this equivilate to the time you would spend in the security screening also? So when looking at thing’s from your point of view anything could take you longer that the screening. I feel your missing the point of this article which is to save you time once you get to the airport. If it takes you longer to create a list of things you are taking with you and categorize them then maybe you should try a more simple approach.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Check bags? Are you crazy?
would you A, - rather spend the extra 10 minutes at security (if they go through your bags)
or B - not have your luggage when they lose it for hours, if not days.
One-way tickets raise alarms - the check is random,
The quickest way to get through is not to wear much jewlery, and easy to take on and off shoes, and have one of those bags where the laptop slides out easy
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
A little OT, but I need to vent: For those of you with two big bags in the overhead, when they open the doors please keep your ass in your seat for 30 frikkin’ seconds so that I - the guy with one tiny carryon that isn’t in the overhead - can get off the plane without waiting 3 minutes for you to wrestle with your luggage.
As long as I’m feeling grumpy, the next person who walks by after I’ve taken my aisle seat and hits me with their big carryon laptop bag that is obliviously hanging from their shoulder, I swear I’m going to smack you.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Here are a few extra tips:
1) Places no longer require you to take off your shoes. Wear clothing and accessories which contain no metal, so you don’t have to take off your belt, shoes, etc. Girls, pack the earrings. You’ll walk through the detector while everyone else is still disrobing.
2) Don’t put too much stuff into your bags. It makes it VERY difficult if to try to close. Remember, at home, if you sit on your bag to close them, you’ll have to do the same at the airport. Better yet, put your clothes in ziplock bags. It takes little more time, and the time is saved when you can place the bags back in your suitcase quickly. Generally, they won’t open your ziplocks (maybe one, for the explosives test). As long as they can see in and feel around, you’re good to go.
3) Start the process while you’re still further back in line (not TOO far back). Take your laptop out of your bag BEFORE you get to the front. If wearing shoes with metal, take them off BEFORE you get to the front. Bigger airports now give you little paper disposable booties to wear. Use them.
4) Finally, here’s an idea that saves time. Put all of your “on body” electronics/metal items INSIDE your carry-on before you go through the detector. Keys, jewelry, and anything else that can make the detector go off are not only easier to put in your carry on side pocket than in the infamous “trays” (which are never big enough), but they’re much SAFER there, too. It’s much easier for someone to steal your stuff from the open-air pennies-and-nickels holder than an entire piece of carry-on (though, this does happen too, so be aware.)
Hope this helps! Thanks for the good article, Tim.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Just a few tips from a guy who’s been Executive Platinum with American Airlines for the last 4 years (I’ve already earned by million mile honors and I’ve only been flying since 2001 — yes, my first business trip was scheduled to return to the US from the UK on September 12, 2001!)…
First, *don’t* take off your shoes. Most airport security don’t require it these days. Technically, it’s *not* required unless you have an unusually thick heel. I’ve found it well worth the gamble about skipping it… unless, of course, you know you have metal in your shoes. Often, I find that travellers take off their shoes because the guy in front of them takes off his shoes, but he’s just taking them off because of the guy in front of him, and so on… I just leave mine on and *only* take them off if forced to by the TSA. That’s the biggest time sink (other than the long lines).
Second, you don’t have to show ID for domestic travel. Yeah, the TSA employees or airport employees will say you do, but according to the TSA’s official policy and the law of the land, ID is not required to travel domestically. Of course, this is more of a principled stand than anything else… if you stand for your rights, things will likely take longer. But you should know that you don’t *legally* have to show an ID.
Third, *please* don’t everyone carryon their luggage. I’ve flown many hundreds of times and have only carried on a handful of times (day trips, one nighters). I’ve never had my luggage lost, and have only once or twice had my bags delayed to a later flight. One of the biggest delays in boarding planes and getting *ontime* departures is all the folks with their carryons. I know most of you can probably spare 5 or 10 minutes at the airport waiting for your luggage…
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
You don’t have to have a government issued ID to get through security. Two photo ids and a willingness to have SSSS on your ticket are enough. I got to the airport only to realize I had left my license at home. I begged for an alternative to going back, via taxi, to get my license as I would miss my flight. The ticket agent informed me it wasn’t a problem. Two photo ids and the SSSS. I showed her my ID from work, and from the client site, and she printed out the ticket with the SSSS on it. I went through security with the special screening, and I was golden. Even repeated it on the way back when flying through DC.
My advice:
1) When you approach security, have your ID and boarding pass/ticket out of the jacket and ready to hand to the person checking them. Passport open to photo page. If traveling in a group, make sure each boarding pass/ticket is matched with an ID. Don’t hand the poor person a pile of 20 tickets in the jacket, and then another pile of 20 ids. Either match the ids with the tickets, or have each person go through seperately. If you’re traveling with people with a langauge barrier, have one person hand the boarding pass/id combos to the checker as each new person approaches the podium.
2) Remove your shoes if you aren’t sure they won’t set off the detector. I always check the first time through with a new pair so I know, but if you want to be sure it’s fast, just take them off. This goes for infrequent travelers especially. TSA will likely ask you to remove them (you can refuse), but why bother. Just take them off and get on with it.
3) Laptop out and in a bin by itself. This goes for cam corders and some other devices as well. This varies from airport to airport. In Akron, OH they require my CPAP (breathing device) be out of my luggage and in a bin. In Buffalo, NY, they don’t. If you’re not sure, ask, and be ready to do it. Laptops are a must, however.
4) Jackets must be off unless it’s a suit jacket. Take it off before they ask.
5) Empty your pockets. I personally put it all in a bin with my shoes and jacket, but some people like to keep it in a pocket in their jacket or bag. Whatever floats your boat, just do it before you’re asked.
6) Keep your boarding pass with you unless you know otherwise. I fly out of Buffalo almost every week, and they don’t require your boarding pass as you step through the medal detectors (magnatomitors?). Other airports, such as Bloomington, IL, do require it. If you don’t know, keep it with you.
7) Surrender to any search request willingly and without complaint. Remember, they are there to save us from the bad guys. If you’re not a bad guy, just take it in stride. Also, TSA really doesn’t do full body searchs all that often. Mostly it’s just checking your bag, or wanding you. If you have privacy issues, you can request that you or your stuff be searched in a private area. But, then you’re not getting through security as fast as you can, are you?
8) Relax and smile. If you’re tense, it won’t necessarily make your trip through security longer or worse, but it’s always easier to face life with a smile. Remember, too, that these poor folks have been faced with thousands of travelers before you (unless you get there first thing in the AM like I do). They don’t want to make your life difficult, they want to make it safe. And they certainly don’t want you to make their life difficult.
One last note about buying a ticket early. If you’re like me and travel often, and unpredictably, early tickets aren’t an option. I’m rarely chosen as a selectee, and last year I traveled over 40 weeks out of the year (I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL MORE!), so I don’t see the connection. I will say that even if you purchase your tickets early, you may get bumped in favor of a frequent traveler who just bought their ticket that day. It’s just the way it goes.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
First, you can make an educated guess about airport wait times with the TSA averages available here: http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html Do be sure to give yourself enough time to get through the checkin and security line without getting expedited as it is only fair to the other passengers.
Check in online via the airline’s website ~ 24 hours before your flight and tuck your boarding pass into your bag immediately so you don’t lose it. You can often save a bit of time by using the automated luggage check kiosk while most other people are waiting to speak to a person. Also, if you’re not checking luggage, you’re ready to board the flight without waiting in line for a boarding pass.
Some security checks lead to the same gate area or close enough for a brisk walk. If there’s a huge line for one, it may be worth the jog to another security check. Just be sure to check a map or ask airport personnel to make sure you can get to your gate from the other security area.
Lastly, take a look at the destination airport’s layout. Many airlines have a designated gate area. Is it really far from the baggage area? Is it a large or small airport? Does a google of XXX (airport code) and ‘luggage wait time’ show up with complaints? I know this article addresses how to make airport security painless, but I find waiting 20+ minutes for my luggage painful, and would rather spend another 5 minutes in the security line than at my destination, ready to go, held up by my luggage. (You can do this right after you got your e-boarding pass online from the airline’s website. 10 minutes for 3 tasks- boarding pass, terminal/gate location, luggage distance. By the time you’re done, your boarding pass will be printed)
For those who can’t cull their luggage- Load it up a week in advance, take it for a walk around the neighborhood and up some stairs, down some stairs. Pick it up to put on your bed. Too Heavy? I think you’ll find something to leave behind now, like the full Costco size shampoo and conditioner. Consider: If I had to run through an airport to grab a connecting flight in a different terminal in 25 minutes, could I do it with this much carry-on stuff? There have been a few times where I’ve happily bought a book or two upon arriving instead of departure, left a finished magazine on a plane, or guzzled down some bottled water just to lighten the load.
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
If you fly Southwest, it’s not necessary to hit the airport two hours early just to get in the coveted A group. SWA permits you to check in online up to 24 hours in advance and groups are divided by check-in time, not by arrival physically at the gate. You needn’t even print your boarding pass when you check in online; you can quickly print or reprint the pass from any SWA kiosk at the terminal. I have arrived at the airport with
May 17th, 2006 at May 17, 2006
Helpful to me, possibly to others:
1. At Southwest, check-in online within 24 hours of flight time and print your own boarding pass.This will get you into group A, or at worst B.
2. If you arrive late and face a long security line, walk very politely to the front of the line and show your boarding pass (which shows departure time) to the security officer, tell them you are sorry ask for help. They will let you go to the front of the line rather than miss your flight if you convey respect for them.
3. Put your laptop through the scanner last, so it is out of your sight for the shortest period of time. This decreases the chance someone will mistakenly (or worse) take it thinking it is theirs. After this happened to my partner, I put a label with my name on it on the bottom corner of my computer and I put it through the machine upside down, with the label showing.
4. Try taking a deep breath, as I’ve noticed that my getting angry when traveling rarely improves the situation.
May 18th, 2006 at May 18, 2006
As a weekly flyer, I’d offer these suggestions that I wish everyone waiting in that security line would adopt. This is my routine, and it seems to help speed things up for me. Apologies if some of this has already been mentioned!
BEFORE you leave for the airport:
1. Think about what you’re wearing. Eliminate any large metal objects, that chain that holds your wallet to your belt, the 10lbs of jewelry, the pocketful of change - the goal is to get through security quickly, not be a fashion statement.
2. Contrary to previous statements, I haven’t been through ANY airport recently that didn’t require you to take off your shoes. I hear rumors that they’re going to eliminate that requirement, but until they do, please wear a pair of shoes that slip off and slip on again. Please DON’T wear the lace up combat boots (unless you’re going on, or coming back from, active duty of course).
WHEN you leave for the airport:
1. LEAVE EARLY. Earlier than you think you need to. Then add a half hour to that. It’s a lot nicer, and better for your blood pressure, to have an extra 20 minutes or half an hour to fill at the gate, then to get held up by an unanticipated traffic detour, an extra long line at the counter or the security area.
BEFORE you get in line:
1. Remove all keys, coins, your wristwatch, CELL PHONE, jewelry, even your belt if it has a big metal buckle - basically ANYTHING that might set off the detector, and put it ALL in your bag, tote, or backpack that’s going through the x-ray. Please don’t wait until the last minute to be looking for a little plastic bowl to dump your stuff in….there’s never any there. Please don’t force us all to wait while you backup and take off your belt after you set off the detector the first trip through.
2. Get your laptop out of the bag NOW, and hold it in your hand. If you don’t have a hand free for that, then you’re trying to carry on TOO MUCH stuff.
3. Get your ID out NOW, and hold it with the laptop and your boarding pass. After all, you just had it out to check in, right? Keep it out, don’t put it away.
4. FINISH that phone call NOW. Don’t be trying to get through security, shuffling your stuff, digging for your laptop, while trying to juggle the cell phone between your shoulder and your ear.
WHILE you’re in line waiting for that first ID check:
1. Didn’t wear slip-off shoes? Unlace them now. Don’t worry, we won’t think you look like a slob, we’ll just appreciate it that you’re trying to speed up the process.
AFTER they’ve checked your ID:
1. Put it away. At least put it in your pocket, ok? You won’t need it again, and you might end up leaving it on the table near the x-ray if you don’t.
2. Please DON’T put your boarding pass away. They’re going to want to see it again, at almost EVERY airport. Put it in a pocket if you must, but make sure you get it OUT again before you go through the metal detector.
When you’re at the table near the X-ray machine:
1. Grab TWO plastic tubs. Remember, the laptop has to go in a separate tub by itself. Put the laptop in it, then put the second tub on top of that, nested in it.
2. Put your shoes and your jacket in the second tub. Check your pockets. Miss something metal? Put it in the second tub too.
The point of this is that you can easily push two nested tubs and your bag along the table toward the machine, instead of moving your bag, moving one tub, moving the second tub, moving your bag, moving one tub, etc, etc, etc.
After you’re through the metal detector:
1. As your stuff comes through the x-ray, and as there is space available, PLEASE move everything down to the end of the roller belt, or better still, off to one of the tables near the exit (but NOT the chemical screening tables). Please DON’T stand right at the mouth of the x-ray and start dressing yourself, putting your laptop and ipod away, and so on.
2. Please don’t be reaching over/around/through me or anyone else trying to pickup their stuff…we’re all in just as much hurry as you are, and I’m going to get out of your way as quickly and smoothly as I can.
3. Got pulled for the random search? Sorry about that…but be nice about it. They’re just doing their job. Keep an eye on your stuff, though, while you’re waiting for that “Male Assist” or “Female Assist.”
That’s my routine, and it works.
Now a slight rant on the subject of checking baggage versus carrying on: I ALWAYS check my bag, even if it’s one carry on size. I’d rather not hassle with it on the plane, and I’ve only had my bag lost once or twice in THOUSANDS of flights. They’re really awfully good at getting you and your bag to the same destination, you know?
As for that “wait” for your bag to come out on the luggage carousel - my god, are you in THAT much of a hurry that you can’t wait a few minutes for your bag? Yes, there are a few airports where they seem to take way too long, but most of them are pretty quick. Use the time productively, if you must…make those phone calls, finish your book…or just enjoy stretching your arms and legs after you’ve been crammed into that TINY seat for the flight.
And if you MUST carry on, then please obey the rules. ONE carry on sized bag and your briefcase or bag. A suiter and a roll-aboard and a briefcase is too much. So are three tote bags, or a couple of shopping bags.
Arrange your stuff so you can move quickly and smoothly down the aisle. Don’t carry it all on your shoulders….MY shoulders ache from the number of times I’ve been whacked by careless people toting 3 bags and a coffee and a lunch from MickeyD’s.
PLEASE put your bags in the overhead over YOUR row. Don’t put them in up front (as was mentioned by others). That space is for some else. Please put them in WHEELS OUT in those newer planes that have the wider overheads. Don’t put your jacket up there, and expect it not to get crushed. If you have to put it up there, then wait until everyone in your row has had a chance to put their bags in.
Ok, rant over. Sorry for the long comment, but those of us who fly all the time really have seen it all when it comes to getting through security and carrrying on bags!
May 18th, 2006 at May 18, 2006
[...] I was browsing http://www.lifehacker.com today and ran across this article by a blogger on “travel tips”. While a few of the ideas were good, I feel the author missed some of the best ones. So here is my first crack at it. Feel free to comment as I”m always on the lookout to make traveling easier. [...]
May 18th, 2006 at May 18, 2006
“One hour ahead” will work fine for my home airport (MOB), but I’ve been through the horror of flying standby out of big airports a couple of times (SFO for example!!). Don’t underestimate these big airports.
As previous posters have said, at the larger airports you should arrive at the ticket counter line no less than 2 hours before departure. That’s assuming a normal (non holiday) day. Granted that you make your way through TSA, check the departure display screens on the way to your gate just in case they change the boarding gate. You don’t want to walk all the way to the end of a terminal just to have to rush back to the train to find another gate.
Make sure that you don’t give TSA any reason to fuss at you. Learn what they want you to do. I used to always put my shoes in a grey tray, but I noticed that they will take my shoes out of the tray before it goes through the machine; now I just set them on the conveyor belt by themselves. No problem.
Also, don’t hide your laptop in a tray under your coat or something else. They don’t like that. Also, if you’re traveling with gift bags (I do this with wine), some airlines (okay, most) will treat that as a second carry-on, so do your very best to consolidate your luggage and check what you can!
May 18th, 2006 at May 18, 2006
After reading i think i might have huge problems when travelling by plane. I like to wear overalls, the detectors will probabilly react on the buckles and buttons.
May 18th, 2006 at May 18, 2006
I didn’t write it big, that’s the way this thing came out.
What did I do that made it do that?
May 18th, 2006 at May 18, 2006
[...] so im browsing through my news feeds like i do every morning with a cup of coffee, and i come accross this article from Tim Matheson about making airline security painless for the air-based commuter. newsflash everyone…airline security is never easy no matter how many tricks you pull up your sleeve. he notes how security has stepped up a notch after 9/11…if his notch equalled to my 100 notches, then im impulsed to agree with him. [...]
May 18th, 2006 at May 18, 2006
Before I enter security I always empty my pockets into my carryon. Everything goes: cell phone, keys, gum, change, wallet, pens, rings, etc. The only thing I have on my person is my boarding pass and ID. When I go through the scanner there is nothing to setoff the metal detectors except for my belt buckle or shoes (which you have to take off anyways). After I’m through I can pickup my carryon and head directly to my gate where I can reacquaint my pockets with keys, wallets, etc. This has been a huge timesaver!
May 22nd, 2006 at May 22, 2006
[...] 6 Ways to Make Airport Security Painless — [Technology Blog] This entry was posted on Saturday, May 20th, 2006 at 7:57 pm and is tagged under airport, tips, travel . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]