The Holiday Travel Season
This is Larry and I’ve been with All About Travel for almost 9 years and in the travel business for about 20 years.
Something most travelers will be noticing in the future, if they haven’t already, is the government’s new Secure Flight program which is being phased in. It currently only applies to domestic flights but will eventually cover international flights as well. Airline passengers are now asked for their full name as shown on their driver’s license and date of birth. That information as well as the passenger’s gender is put in each reservation for the TSA government agency to check against a list of known terrorists. If you happen to have a name that matches it can cause major delays when traveling. There is also a system to allow people with matching names to get a number that can be presented confirming that they aren’t the person on the lists. If the information is not provide when the reservation is made it could also cause a delay at the airport.
With the busy holiday travel season approaching you need to be aware of some things that can make your trip go smoother at the airport.
- Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers – a layer of clothes, then electronic, more clothes, and then any heavier items. This will help transportation security officers see what’s in your bag. Innocent items can actually appear to be potential threats in an X-ray image, simply by the way they’re packed.
- Do not pack oversized electronics (laptops, full-size video game consoles, DVD players and video cameras that use cassettes) in your checked baggage when possible. However, please be advised that you will be required to remove these items from your carry-on bag and submit them separately for x-ray screening. Small electronics, such as iPods, can remain in your carry-on.
- Prepare your 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag of liquids before arriving at the airport.
- Pack all your coats and jackets in your checked baggage when possible. All coats and jackets must go through the X-ray machine for inspection.
- Do not wrap gifts. If a security officer needs to inspect a package, they may have to unwrap your gift. Please wait until you’ve reached your final destination to wrap gifts.
- Film. Undeveloped film should go in your carry-on bag. You will able to declare film that is faster than 800-speed to a transportation security officer for physical inspection to avoid being X-rayed.
- When in doubt, leave it out. If you’re not sure about whether you can bring an item through the checkpoint, put it in your checked bag or leave it at home.
