Tips for Travel Under
the New Security Rules
In the wake of
September 11, 2001 heightened airport security
measures in the U.S. and for flights to the U.S.
have increased the time needed to check in and
the variety of security measures that passengers
may face. The heightened security has meant
longer waits and longer lines at the ticket
counter, the gate screening area, and at the
gate. The following advice will help you cope
with this new situation by providing tips for
making the process go as quickly as
possible.
Arrive
Early
Most airlines advise arriving at the airport two
hours before your flight's scheduled departure,
but you may need more or less time depending on
your needs. Arrive earlier if you have to go to
the ticket counter line to check bags or for
special needs, or if you are traveling with
young children or persons with
disabilities.
Make Sure
that You Have Proper Identification
You are now required to have an acceptable set
of identification in order to either enter the
secure areas of the airport or to board an
aircraft. Typically, a current photo
identification that was issued by some level of
government will be sufficient. For example, a
driver's license, state ID cards, military ID
cards, and passports are acceptable, but photo
identification issued by a school or private
employer are not acceptable. For a domestic U.S.
flight, if you do not have an appropriate photo
ID, some airlines allow you to substitute two
non-photo IDs that are issued by some level of
government. When in doubt, check with your
airline.
Get Your
Ticket or Boarding Pass Before You
Arrive
If possible, arrange your trip so that you have
either a paper ticket, a copy of an electronic
ticket receipt, or a boarding pass in hand
before getting to the airport. If you follow the
next tip and only have carry on items, you can
avoid the lines at the ticket counters and go
straight to the gate areas. Make sure that your
airline allows you to get a boarding pass or to
change your current boarding pass at the gate or
at a passenger service area inside the secure
area of the airport.
Avoid Using
the Ticket Counter
One of the longest lines you face is likely to
be at the ticket counter or curbside check in.
You can avoid these lines by not having anything
that needs to be checked or by not having any
business to conduct at the ticket counter.
Generally, airlines will limit passengers to one
carry on item and one personal item such as a
briefcase or laptop computer. Check with your
airline for details on what is allowed. Also,
keep in mind that many items such as baseball
bats, golf clubs, and other common items can no
longer be carried in the cabin and must be
checked.
Clean Out
Your Carry-On Bags Before Flying
If you have not flown since September 11, you
may have items in your bags, such as scissors or
pocket knives, that are no longer allowed in the
cabin. Take the time to completely empty any bag
that you will use on board, before you fly, in
order to ensure that you are not accidentally
carrying any of these items. Needless to say,
this can avoid an embarrassing situation at the
airport.
Make It Easy
to Be Screened
In order to keep the security screening
processes as short as possible, you should do
one or more of the following: avoid packing your
carry on bags tightly so that it is easy for the
screener to search through them; keep your
ticket, boarding pass, and ID within easy reach;
wear shoes that can be taken off and put back on
relatively easily; and make sure that you can
show that any computer or electronic device in
your carry on luggage actually works.
Don't Be
Surprised by the Security Measures
In addition to the familiar metal detectors and
x-ray machines, there may be a number of other
measures in place at the airport, such as armed
military personnel, bomb detection equipment,
bomb-sniffing dogs, and photo ID checks at the
gate prior to boarding. Among other things, you
may be asked to take your laptop out of its case
to be screened separately by the x-ray machine,
you may be asked to take off your shoes so that
they may be checked, and you may have your bags,
shoes, or clothing tested for explosives
residues. There will very likely be other
measures added over time as new security threats
emerge.
Don't Take It
Personally
In addition to the standard security measures
that everyone faces, you may be taken aside and
given extra scrutiny one or more times by
airport security and airline personnel. In most
cases, such scrutiny is not an indication that
an individual is being singled out. If you feel
that you are being unfairly singled out, you
should take the time and effort to document your
experience and lodge a complaint with the
airline, the airport authority, or the U.S.
Department of Transportation. Airguide provides
several resources for passenger complaints,
including links to a Department of
Transportation form for cases of alleged
discrimination based on race, ethnicity,
national origin, or religion.
Get to Know
Your Airline's Policies
It is a very good idea to get to know an
airline's policies with respect to security,
ticketing, and other passenger-related issues.
Ask the airline for a copy of their security
guidelines as well as for a copy of their
policies regarding passenger compensation due to
delays. If you are doing anything out of the
ordinary on your trip or require any special
accommodations from the airline, contact the
airline at least a day before your trip and get
the information that you need.
Maintain a
Positive Attitude
Traveling by air, even when things go smoothly,
can often be stressful. The new security
measures will certainly provide more
opportunities for passengers to be delayed or
otherwise inconvenienced, and provide more
opportunities to become tense, angry, or
frustrated. Keep in mind that all of these
measures were put in place to deal with
realistic potential threats to air travelers
over time and that these measures will make it
much less likely that any hijacker or saboteur
will threaten anyone's safety.
Things
You Should Not Bring on Board:
Items Banned from Flights
Some items
should not be carried on an aircraft in either
carry-on or checked luggage because of the
danger they represent for the passengers and
crew. Many of these items are commonly used at
work or in the home, but may become a hazard in
flight for a host of reasons, including changes
in temperature and pressure that can cause items
to leak, generate toxic fumes or start a fire.
Some exemptions are allowed for medical devices
and personal care items. If in doubt, check with
your air carrier.
New
Categories of Banned Items
In the wake of the events of 11
September 2001, the FAA has prohibited the
following items from airplane cabins (though
they can be carried as checked
luggage):
Knives of any
length, composition or description
Cutting
instruments of any kind and composition,
including carpet knives and box cutters (and
spare blades), any device with a folding or
retractable blade, ice picks, straight razors,
metal scissors and metal nail files
Corkscrews
Baseball/softball
bats
Golf
clubs
Pool
cues
Ski
poles
Hockey
sticks
When in doubt,
transport item in checked baggage
Other
Categories of Banned or Hazardous
Items
Explosives
and Firearms: Matches, sparklers, other
fireworks, flares, gunpowder, ammunition or
other ordnance, blasting caps, dynamite, loaded
firearms (in some cases, unloaded firearms and
sporting ammunition may be carried in checked
baggage if properly packed)
Note: In the United States, federal laws
apply to aircraft and to the secure areas of the
airport such as the gate areas. State or local
laws concerning the carrying of concealed or
unconcealed weapons do not apply. Attempting to
enter these areas with weapons may lead to your
arrest.
Other
Weapons: Knives of any kind, throwing
stars, swords, or other items commonly used in
martial arts competitions. Rules in other
countries will vary with respect to the carraige
of knives and other weapons.
Gases
and Pressure Containers: Flammable
aerosols like hair spray, spray paint, or insect
repellant; also carbon dioxide cartridges,
oxygen tanks (scuba or medical), mace, tear gas,
pepper spray, self-inflating rafts, and deeply
refrigerated gases such as liquid
nitrogen
Flammable
Liquids and Solids: Gasoline, propane,
butane, and other fuels; lights with flammable
reservoirs, matches, flammable paints, paint
thinners, some cleaning solvents, some
adhesives, cigarette lighters, and lighter
fluid. Personal care items containing flammable
perfume, aerosols, or other hazardous material
may be carried on board if each container is
less than 16 fluid ounces (473 ml) and the total
is less than 70 fluid ounces (2.07
liters).
Oxidizers
and Organic Peroxides: Bleach, nitric
acid, fertilizers, swimming pool or spa
chemicals, and fiberglass repair kits
Poisons:
Weed killers, pesticides, insecticides, rodent
poisons, arsenic, and cyanides
Infectious
Materials: Medical laboratory
specimens, viral organisms, and bacterial
cultures
Corrosives:
Drain cleaners, car batteries, wet cell
batteries, acids, alkalis, lye, and
mercury
Organics:
Fiberglass resins, peroxides
Radioactive
Materials: Smoke detectors, radioactive
pharmaceuticals, and other radioactive
materials
Dry Ice
(frozen carbon dioxide): Up to four
pounds (8.8 kg) may be carried on board for
packing perishables providing the package is
vented
Magnetic
Materials: Strong magnets such as those
in some loudspeakers and laboratory
equipment
Other
items: Wet-cell batteries, chemical
oxygen generators (either used or unused), or
any equipment containing fuel or other flammable
liquids
Declaring
Hazardous Materials
In the U.S., you must declare hazardous
materials to airlines, express package carriers,
or the U.S. Postal Service. Violations carry a
civil penalty of up to $27,500 for each
occurrence and, in appropriate cases, a criminal
penalty of up to $500,000 and/or up to five
years imprisonment.
Increase
Safety By Flying Smart
A frequent flier of my acquaintance, an
international lawyer, resorts to deception and
disguise whenever the U.S. State Department
warns of terrorist activity aimed at US
commercial airlines. He stashes his American
passport in the overhead locker, keeps his face
buried in a copy of Le Monde and discards the
obligatory pin-stripe suit for nondescript
khakis.
A smart
traveler's survival strategy, if not exactly the
stuff of Special Forces personnel, is the right
way to shield oneself inside a fuselage,
according to high-risk travel consultants and
experts in aviation safety. Business travelers
who cannot postpone or cancel a trip whenever
there are vague threats to civil aviation should
carry copies of their passports and hide the
originals; avoid eye contact; and try to blend
in, says a spokesman of Real World Rescue, a
training center in San Diego, that claims to
prepare travelers for ''all
contingencies.''
These rules
apply not only to Americans and other
Westerners, who are often targets, but also to
citizens of all countries who want to play it
safe. The idea is to camouflage oneself.
''Everyone traveling who stands out may be
placing themselves at risk,'' states the Real
World Rescue guide.
Catastrophe in
the air is random and rare. Nevertheless, the
recent spate of hijackings and crashes serves as
an unsettling reminder that flying, while
statistically one of the safest modes of travel,
can sometimes prove extremely frightening, or
fatal.
There are,
however, several recommended precautions one can
take to minimize risk.
Study
the route. It is not unusual for people
on business to sprint to airports and board
aircraft headed for unfamiliar destinations via
unknown routes. Prevent surprises by
understanding your itinerary and the potential
consequences of landing in a country engaged in
conflict, civil war or prone to political
unrest.
A little
planning pays off. Check travel
advisories, such as those provided by the U.S.
State Department. The Web has made this a simple
task; no need to trudge off to an embassy or
consulate to read the bulletins, just visit:
travel.state.gov. The State Department will even
send travel safety updates by e-mail if you
register with the free service. Other Web sites
devoted to travel safety and air security also
post travel warnings based on State Department
and other sources. (See www.realworldrescue.com
and www.airsecurity.com, which has a ''Hot
Spots'' feature).
Schedule
a nonstop flight. This minimizes the
number of takeoffs and landings, which experts
say are the most dangerous phases of
flying.
Check
out the aircraft. Some commercial
airlines have better safety records than others,
and some equipment is considered more reliable.
If possible, choose a wide-body aircraft. ''They
have lower densities and therefore fewer people
per exit,'' explained Todd Curtis of
AirSafe.com, a site that offers practical
information for frequent fliers. Aircraft with
at least 30 passenger seats are also certified
under more strict regulations than small
craft.
Robert Boser, a
former commercial pilot and editor of
AirlineSafety.com, thinks that it is prudent to
avoid twin-engine turboprops, especially in
wintry weather. In the aftermath of the Alaska
Airlines crash this month, some air-safety
consultants are advising against flying MD-83s
until the National Transportation Safety Board
completes its investigation.
The Federal
Aviation Administration's Office of System
Safety (nasdac.faa.gov/internet/) allows public
access to four aviation safety databases and
airline activity data that can be used to
calculate individual accident and incident rates
for major airlines. Airsafety.com and the Flight
Safety Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, also
carry some helpful safety data.
Choose
reputable airlines. Overall, experts
recommend sticking with American, Canadian,
European, Japanese, Singaporean and Australian
carriers over Russian, Chinese, African and
South American carriers. The Taiwan carrier
China Airlines, Korean Air and Garuda Indonesia
rank near the top of the list of major airlines
involved in fatal crashes.
Charlie LeBlanc,
managing director of Air Security International,
which advises corporations that dispatch large
numbers of employees overseas, says it is
important to know something about an airline's
maintenance routine, safety record and even its
financial standing.
''When money
gets tight, maintenance gets cut,'' he warned.
''The closer an airline is to meeting just the
minimum standards, the closer it is to a
mishap.'' Not surprisingly LeBlanc is advising
clients to stay away from the airlines
implicated in the recent Afghan and Indian
hijackings.
Follow
the safety demonstration. Frequent
fliers have heard the flight crew's opening
gambit about seat belts, exits, oxygen masks and
flotation devices so many times they stop
listening. This is a mistake, according to the
Federal Aviation Administration and others who
evaluate air safety. Aircraft differ slightly.
The passenger who pays close attention to the
evacuation demonstration is more likely not to
panic in case of an emergency. Quick reflexes
are vital in an emergency. The agency also
publishes an Air Travelers Checklist, which
emphasizes safety procedures.
Some airline
experts suggest reserving a seat nearest to an
exit; many crashes are survivable, especially if
passengers can escape quickly from toxic fumes
and fire. Stay low if there is smoke; most
passengers die from asphyxiation by standing
up.
Real World
Rescue's chief consultant, who organizes
programs in travel survival and security, urges
travelers to establish an emergency plan of
action on an airliner. ''It can be for fire,
crash or hijacking. Know what you are going to
do from exactly where you sit,'' he
writes.
Don't
drink. Those who make airline safety
their business regard alcohol consumption as a
potential hazard. Even mild inebriation clouds a
passenger's ability to remain alert, think
quickly and act decisively. These attributes are
necessary whether the aircraft has mechanical
trouble at 30,000 feet (9,000 meters) or has
been hijacked to a foreign tarmac. ''Maintain an
awareness of what's happening,'' advised Todd
Curtis of AirSafe. ''Lay off
alcohol.''
Monitor
the weather. ''Try to fly when the
weather is good,'' said Boser of AirlineSafety.
Thunderstorm activity, heavy winds or snowstorms
near the airport at the time of departure and
landing do increase risk somewhat.
Consider
your rights. Understanding safety and
evaluating the risk of airborne danger require
quick and easy access to information about civil
aviation. Consumer advocates such as Ralph Nader
are pressing for a passengers' lobby and a
passengers' bill of rights that would include
the right to know more about aircraft
maintenance, safety procedures and crash
investigations.
Nader's Aviation
Consumer Action Project (www.acap1971.org)
has been monitoring adherence to safety
procedures, emergency evacuation tests, ticket
pricing and other aspects of the industry. ''The
federal government is expert at recovering
wreckage, but not so good at preventing
wrecks,'' Nader said after EgyptAir Flight 990
crashed off the East Coast of the United States
in October.
Of course,
political action and excessive precaution can
get in the way of practicality. It is not always
possible for the harried, laptop-toting
passenger to conduct a thorough risk assessment
before boarding a flight. So it is important to
keep in mind that of the more than 17 million
worldwide departures last year, most occurred
without incident. An irate fellow traveler is
more likely to cause chaos in the cabin than a
terrorist.
Still,
preparedness cannot hurt. Paying attention to
the preflight briefing and fastening your seat
belt are still regarded as the most valuable
tips for people taking to the air.
We hope these
tips have been useful. Contact us if you have
any suggestions at:
feedback@airguideonline.com
