HOW TO BREEZE THROUGH AIRPORT SECURITY LIKE A PRO

Airport security delays have to be one of the most stressful experiences for travelers today. We have put together this simple but handy guide to help you better prepare for this unwelcome barrier to making your next travel connection.

Pre-Travel Preparation Will Save Time Later

First consider getting Global Entry Status, which also includes TSA Pre-Check. GE is the preferred  program from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) that allows “trusted travelers” to skip those long Customs lines upon return to the United States. TSA Pre-Check applies more to domestic flights. These are the preferred methods of keeping your screening time to a minimum. Read my blog: WORLD TRAVELER? TIME TO READ TED’S TIPS ON HOW TO GET YOUR GLOBAL ENTRY STATUS!

Get up-to-date on the latest rules regarding what you carry on a plane, read this USA TODAY Article: TSA CARRY-ON GUIDELINES where your learn about the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rule. Take time to read the TSA’s SECURITY SCREENING PROCEDURES and find out about WHAT YOU CAN BRING ON BOARD.  Read Delta Airlines AIRPORT SECURITY BRIEFING so you are better prepared on what to expect.

Bring properly labeled medicines, along with a doctor’s notation, if possible, in your carry-on bag, notifying a TSA agent of any medical equipment or medicine at time of entry. Be aware of the latest TSA rules regarding Disabilities and Medical Conditions. For more information regarding tips for Travelers With Disabilities, please read my blog: Special Needs and Cruising.

Be sure to review the Restrictions On Food and Drinks and stay up to date on the latest revisions, including the New TSA Powder Rule. Also read TSA’s Top Travel Tips, as well the State Department’s Tips For Traveling Abroad.

Contact a knowledgeable Travel Professional prior to leaving to make sure you are not missing anything. Don’t assume your agent is up-to-date on the latest travel restrictions. We recommend you contact our insightful representatives, directly at CruisinWithTed.com at 954-290-8626, email hello@blog.cruisinwithted.com. Be sure to include any trip itinerary, booking numbers and perhaps we can even add some extra incentives just for hooking up with us. Be sure to register here: CRUISINWITHTED, YOUR WORLD JOURNEY STARTS HERE.

Try to approximate the airport screening wait time with a MyTSA App. Simply add the airport in question and you are able to see wait times as they are reported by fellow travelers. Another app, calledMiFlight, tries to predict wait times through crowd-sourcing and offers airport maps.

What To Avoid When Going Through Airport Security

1. Tie-Up Shoes – it would be a lot easier to wear slip-on shoes with socks. 
2. Metal or Bulky Objects – Avoid unnecessary metal items: jewelry, hair pins and brooches. Instead of a metal buckled belt, consider the Thomas Bates Non-Metal Belt. Large bulky objects that are not needed, maybe you can do without that laptop, bulky camera or other gear. Did you ever consider your chances of losing them in the cabin might be greater than placing them in checked bags and that your smartphone may serve you as well? Remember, Valuable Trip Insurance, At Contracted Rates, will help protect your treasured investments upon airport check-in: TRAVEL PROTECTION, GET TED’S FREE NO-OBLIGATION QUOTE.
3. Loose Bags of Multiple Items – Avoid separate disorganized bags, put like items together in a clearly labeled bags. Label questionable items and put everything well organized in a zippered small luggage or place them out for display. And don’t assume anything: even peanut butter, considered a liquid, has its own rule.
4. Huge Lumps of Material -Learn how to accessorize and pack light, read my insightful travel packing guides: ESSENTIAL PACKING TIPS FOR OVERSEAS OCEAN or RIVER CRUISES and pack and dress accordingly.
5. Baggy, Multi-pockets Stuffed With Objects, or Offensive Apparel – As covered in this TSA press release on the subject of Checkpoint Mistakes, avoid baggy clothing and accessories with lots of pockets, creating extra interest in their contents. Where possible, wear slim fitting attire like yoga pants which will help avoid unnecessary pat-downs. Save your political-statement attire for after the flight: better to dress non-discreetly and sleekly with documentation in hand so as to avoid undue attention from the TSA screeners.  

Read my blog about Delta Comfort Seating which was first introduced to the airline industry in Dec 2014, has remained a popular seating option amongst airline passengers. Although it comes with extra leg room and amenities, it does cost travelers additional fees.  Are these extra costs worth it?

Read more:  WHY WE RECOMMEND DELTA COMFORT+ SEATING

Study How Clooney Does It

Just as a football quarterback assesses the defense prior to the snap, your goal when approaching the security scanning lines is to determine the route of least opposition.

1. Enter the Airport Security area with documents in hand.
2. Get a good look at the type of people waiting in each line, not the number. A dozen business people might move through security much faster than two families with young children or a tour group of senior citizens. Just remember this equation: One baby carriage or scooter equals four typical passengers.
3. Choose the most promising line.

Watch this video clip taken from George Clooney’s UP IN THE AIR MOVIE. Notice that  Anna Kendrick’s character gets called aside for a scan.

Here is the best way to approach the screening device:

1. Take bins.
2. Place shoes, jacket and personal items in first bin.
3. Place laptop and liquids in second bin and so on counting the number of bins.
4. Place carry on luggage last, zipper open.

Now you are through screening:

1. First bin arrives, slip on your shoes, jacket and personal item, double check to ensure bin is empty.
2. Second bin arrives, pick up your laptop and liquids, and so on, verifying total number of bins and ensuring nothing is left  and only then stack them.
3. Luggage arrives, flip open, place laptop and liquids inside and done!

Don’t make the mistake I have made of leaving behind a belt in the bin before stacking, then approaching TSA to find your lost item, only for them to play back the video of you stacking away the belt! Always check the bins prior to stacking.

Introducing Ted’s Exclusive Pocket Travel Consultant. Our complimentary mobile app allows you to carry your full itinerary and destination guides in your pocket!

Keep To The Same Procedure Every Time And Become A Screening Pro

Make it a habit to be stay informed of the latest Screening Procedures as the TSA “adjusts processes and procedures to meet the evolving threat and to achieve the highest levels of transportation security.”

Pack and travel accordingly to make the screening process as smooth and painless as possible. Always be courteous to screening personnel and be mindful and alert as you proceed through the process.

By following these simple guidelines you will find your airport travel much more pleasant and predictable.

Click here for Ted’s travel benefits 

hello@cruisinwithted.com 

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