Always remain CALM and be prepared to undergo a bag search, hand-wand and a pat-down.  Do the following to make the screening process easy for you:

1.  Wear clothes that have no metal, including underwire bras.  Underwire bras will alarm when the screener uses the hand-held metal-detector.

2.  Don’t wear baggy pants, dresses or skirts.  There is an additional required procedure when screeners are wanding you called, “the step forward method” for those who wear skirts or dresses.  This is to assure that a passenger is not hiding a weapon or prohibited item.

3.  Wear slip-on shoes.  It is required for all passengers to take off their shoes.  Ask the screener to check your feet and return your shoes after walking through the walk-through metal detector. 

4.  Place underwear and lingerie in plastic zip-top bags to avoid contamination from screener’s gloves when they riffle through your bag.  This applies to both checked and carry-on baggage.

5.  Pack your carry-on as light as possible.  The fewer items for the screener to check; the faster you get out of secondary screening.  Remember your 3-1-1 rule- 3 ounces of liquids, gels or creams, 1 zip-top plastic bag and 1 bag per person.  Place your plastic 3-1-1 bag at the top so you can take it out and declare it at security checkpoint.

6.  Pack ALL personal bedroom toys in your checked baggage.  In my book, I tell a story about how a vibrator shutdown an airport checkpoint for 45 minutes.

7.  Know your prohibited items for carry-on baggage.  Go to http://www.airportbook.com and download my Special Report, “The Ultimate Packing List” for FREE!  

8.  Use TSA approved luggage locks for your checked baggage.  This way you can drop and go and TSA will be able to unlock and relock your bag without you being there.  You can buy the locks at http://www.divineislandbooks.com/Travelstuff3.htm.

9.  Always carry the proper identification for you and any child traveling with you.  A birth certificate or social security card would be proper identification for minors.  This also applies to your child’s friend when traveling with you.  You may always refer to the airlines for changes for identification.

10.  Arrive 2 hours early.  This will allow ample time for you to get through secondary screening.  Remember that power outages, security breaches, weapons scare and long lines, even for secondary screening is a reality. 

Be prepared and be armed with valuable information I have in I Might As Well Be Naked: How To Survive Airport Screening With Your Clothes On!  Buy this must have reference book at http://www.airportbook.com.

A bonus tip is don’t dress in overalls and this applies to children too.  Overalls will automatically put you in secondary screening.

Happy and Safe Travels!

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

Article provided by: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-0802us-airways-fees,0,6764224.story

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

A passenger should never feel rushed. Most airports have porters in front of the airports to assist all passengers with their luggage. A porter also has a dual function of assisting passengers to and from the gate and throughout the airport when necessary. A person who requires additional assistance throughout the screening process should contact the airlines ahead of time and arrange porter service.

Always consult your doctor prior to traveling for the best screening process for you and inform the screener how you want to be screened. Screeners should always inform the passenger of the process whether they’re in primary or secondary screening. A private screening should be offered before the process begins. You may request a private screening at any time. Two screeners of the same gender as you should be present during private screening. Whether you are in private screening or not, always ask the screener to change his or her gloves before they touch you or your personal items. This will reduce the amount of germs picked up from other people’s baggage.

Liquids, gels and creams that are used for medical conditions or devices are automatically exempt from the 3-1-1 rule. 3 ounces or less, one zip-top bag and 1 bag per person. If your liquid medication is over 3 ounces, place those items in a separate plastic zip-top bag and hand it over for inspection. Only take enough medication in your carry-on baggage for the flight. Place all additional liquid medication in your checked baggage.

All medication must be clearly marked with a manufacturers or pharmacy label. Normally, medication is x-rayed; however, you can request a physical inspection if your doctor recommends it. Always use a plastic bag and pack your medication separate from other carry-on items. To avoid contamination or damage, you will be asked to handle and repack your medication throughout the visual inspection process. Any medication that cannot be visually cleared must be x-rayed to allow you into the sterile area of the airport.

1. You will be screened in your wheelchair or scooter if you cannot stand or walk.

2. Ask the screener to assist you with taking off or putting on your shoes. Shoehorns should be available.

3. Companions or a family member should make suggestions on the best way to screen a person with a disability or may accompany and assist you through the screening process.

4. Contact the airlines in advance for their procedures in handling additional medical aids, such as an oxygen supplier or a wheelchair.

5. Discreetly discuss with the screener what your physical limitations or capabilities are before you start a hand-wanding or pat-down procedure.

6. Medical supplies, equipment, mobile aids, and/or assistive devices are exempt from the one carry-on plus one personal item rule.

7. If you have a medical device implant inside or outside your body, always check with your doctor prior to traveling for the best and safest way to be screened at checkpoint. Ask if it is safe for you to walk through the metal detector or to be hand-wanded. If it is determined that you cannot walk through the metal detector, then quietly ask for a full-body pat-down.

Download all 119 Tips for Passengers with Disabilities at: http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm

Happy & Safe Travels!

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

Passengers should always consult their doctor for the best method of screening. Passengers with a pace-maker, defibrillator or insulin pump should choose the full-body pat-down. Any metal detector could drain the battery in your medical device. If your doctor tells you that your medical equipment cannot go through the x-ray machine or needs special handling, inform the screener and ask for a visual inspection.

There are alternative ways for a passenger to be screened if they do not want to or cannot walk through the walk-through metal detector. When a passenger with a disability approaches a screener, the screener should always be discreet if the person’s disability is discussed and not visible. They should also ask the passenger if they need assistance. The screener should offer all screening methods. They will ask the passenger if he or she prefers to walk through the metal detector, receive a hand-wanding or a full body pat-down. It’s the passenger’s choice. You do not need to disclose your medical condition if you choose to take an alternative screening method. If the passenger walks through the metal detector and it alarms, then the screener will conduct secondary screening using a hand-held metal detector or pat-down.

Ask the screener to change their gloves before undergoing a full-body pat-down or hand-wanding. This will eliminate other people’s germs from spreading. You may ask to sit before, during, and after the screening process if you need to. If you cannot remove your shoes because of your disability, then don’t. Other screening procedures will be performed to clear your shoes through security. Inform the screener of all sensitive areas on your body before undergoing hand-wanding or a pat-down.

At no time during the screening process should a passenger be asked to take off a prosthetic device for screening, nor should a passenger volunteer. Expect an alternative screening procedure, which will include an explosive trace detection test. This will test your prosthetic for explosives and is required by federal law in order for you to proceed to the gate area.

Sometimes screeners need to be able to visually clear a medical device worn on the outside of the body. If this is the case, a private screening should be offered as a requirement by the screener. If this doesn’t happen, the passenger should then request it if they want it. There should always be 2 screeners of the same gender as you (one being a lead or supervisor), you and your family member or companion. Ask for a supervisor or manager if there are only 2 of you going into private screening. You should never be separated from your family member, assistant, or companion when going through the screening process, unless dictated by you. Once your family member has been screened they can offer assistance or directions on the best method for screening if you are not able to communicate it to the screener.

Travel with less stress and be flexible with the changes that come your way with airport security.

Download all 119 Tips for Passengers with Disabilities at: http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm

Happy & Safe Travels!

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

Apparently surprised that some airports long have allowed guns in unsecured areas, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said the new Georgia legislation represents a significant hole in national security and a threat to travelers.

He asked the Transportation Security Administration to clarify federal law governing weapons in areas outside security checkpoints. In a letter Monday to TSA Assistant Secretary Kip Hawley, he said “the committee may seek legislative action to correct this omission” if there are no restrictions.

TSA spokesman Christopher White said Tuesday that no federal prohibitions apply to areas outside security checkpoints and that the agency follows local regulations. He said he didn’t know how many airports allow firearms and declined to say whether the agency has a position on the matter, maintaining that it is focused on keeping guns from getting through security.

“We work within the framework of local laws,” he said.

At issue in Georgia is a law signed by Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue earlier this year that allows residents who have passed criminal background checks to carry concealed weapons onto mass transit, as well as into state parks and restaurants that serve alcohol. The law took effect July 1.

A legal battle quickly erupted over whether the law applies to public areas of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before travelers pass through security checkpoints.

On the day the new law took effect, Atlanta officials who oversee the airport declared it a “gun-free zone” and said anyone carrying a gun there could be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin argued that allowing guns could endanger people because airports remain attractive targets for terrorism.

Gun rights supporters filed a federal lawsuit challenging the designation, saying the airport qualifies as mass transportation and has restaurants that should be accessible under the new law.

Sean Broderick, spokesman for the American Association of Airport Executives, also said he did not know how many airports allow handguns. Andrew Arulanandam, a National Rifle Association spokesman, said he thinks guns are at least partially allowed on airport grounds in most states.

The Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport, for example, allows weapons in areas outside checkpoints, while Washington’s Reagan National and Dulles International airports eased rules several years ago to allow weapons on grounds and parking lots, but not in terminals and other buildings that access airfields.

Hartsfield spokesman Herschel Grangent said airport and TSA officials were scheduled to meet late Tuesday on the guns issue.

By BEN EVANS-WASHINGTON (AP)

Associated Press writer Shannon McCaffrey in Atlanta contributed to this report.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRBGpYXCqND81Gr2Q0EhViM9UftQD9235PBO0

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

You hand over your bag to an airline or Transportation Security Administration employee, or
You walk through the metal detector at a TSA checkpoint.
In either case, your consent to be searched is implied, and you are in the hands, and at the mercy, of the federal government.

Thus, agents may conduct any method of primary or secondary screening allowed by federal guidelines. You have the right to ask for a private screening at any time during the screening process or to sit down if you cannot stand.

Recently, I’ve been getting questions about passenger rights relating to two whole-body imaging technologies: the Backscatter and Millimeter Wave machines. Passengers want to know if they are required to pass through these detectors or if can they decline.

My answer is that they do have a choice. Even before these technologies were introduced, the TSA always had an alternative screening method available, and it still does.

The TSA has implemented the whole-body imaging technologies in primary and secondary screening because the Backscatter and Millimeter Wave are effective means of detecting weapons, liquid explosives and other threatening items concealed under layers of clothing. They do so without physical contact and within a matter of seconds.

Currently, the Backscatter is being used for secondary screening in lieu of a pat-down. The Millimeter Wave is being used in primary screening in addition to the walk-through metal detector. Both are being tested in pilot programs at several airports.

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the scanned images produced by both technologies. However, the TSA is working to rectify that problem by ensuring that, once viewed, the images will be deleted immediately and will never be stored, transmitted or printed.

If you are concerned about either device, there is one question you need to ask TSA agents when you arrive at security checkpoints: Is the Backscatter or Millimeter Wave in the pilot phase at this airport?

If a technology is in the pilot phase, it’s offered on a voluntary basis, and it’s an alternative to the traditional pat-down.

If it’s not in the pilot phase, then be forewarned that if you decline, you will undergo additional screening employing another screening method, which probably will include a full-body pat-down.

According to a TSA spokesman, 90% of the passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, one of the pilot sites, prefer the Backscatter to a pat-down. However, it has not been determined how passenger-imaging technology will be used in the future. If you feel that this type of technology is violating your privacy, opt for a full-body pat-down.

In addition to whole-body imaging machines, the TSA is also testing a so-called “trace portal” technology popularly known as the Puffer.

The Puffer is different from the other whole-body technologies in that it does not produce an image; instead, it blows air on you, then analyzes it for traces of explosives.

Though the Puffer is still in pilot testing, it has already engendered a popular myth: that it blows air up women’s legs, raising skirts and dresses a la Marilyn Monroe on a sidewalk air vent.

I recently went through the Puffer, and I can promise that your skirt or dress will not fly up, for the simple reason that there are no holes at the bottom of the Puffer to direct air upward. The holes are located only on the sides and blow air across your body and clothing.

As is the case with the whole-body imaging machines, the Puffer is still in the pilot phase at most airports, so the TSA does not yet require you to pass through it.

You can always refuse to be screened by any technology, but keep in mind that if the technology is not in the pilot phase, you will be screened by another method.

Ask what your choices are, then make your own decision. If at all possible, don’t let the TSA make it for you.

Happy and safe travels!

Natalia Ippolito, a former TSA officer and now a passenger advocate, is the author of “I Might as Well Be Naked! — How to Survive Airport Screening With Your Clothes On” [Divineisland Books, 2007]. Contact her at www.airportbook.com/contact.htm .

Article provided by Travel Weekly Opinion

Go to http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm to purchase your valuable 369 tips book for safe and easy travel!

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

Pathfinder is currently developing two “checkpoint friendly” models: one wheeled trolley with a removable laptop case, one a briefcase that reveals the laptop when it’s unzipped. These new foam and nylon cases will set you back between $100 and $200. Targus’s X-rayable cases vary from a $39 backpack and a $100 business traveler version. And there are at least four or five other manufacturers also submitting prototypes to the agency for checking.

http://gizmodo.com/5020980/tsa-says-x+rayable-laptop-bags-are-go

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

On these Internet-equipped planes, any passenger with a Wi-Fi enabled laptop — or a cellphone with Wi-Fi — will be able to do almost everything he or she could do online at home or at the office. That includes surfing the Web, using email, having instant-messenger text chats, downloading and uploading files, and streaming video and audio.

In fact, I did all these things a few days ago on a test flight using the new system, called Gogo. During the flight from San Francisco to Denver, on a small test jet, I could operate online as if I were sitting at my desk, or in a Starbucks. I used Dell and Apple laptops, a BlackBerry, a Windows Mobile phone and an iPhone to perform all the most common online tasks, while soaring over majestic mountains and glorious national parks.

I sent and received emails on Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail, including messages with hefty attachments. I conducted IM chats on AOL Instant Messenger and Google Talk. Using all the major Web browsers, I called up dozens of Web sites, and watched video clips on Hulu and YouTube. I downloaded photos, songs, PDF files and Microsoft Office documents. I used all the Internet functions on the iPhone, and on the Wi-Fi-equipped BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phone.

One important caveat: Gogo is a data-only system. It doesn’t allow phone calls and will block all services that allow voice conversations to be made over the Internet.

Gogo will launch on three American Airlines routes, likely in July. The first planes to use it will be American’s 15 Boeing 767s flying between New York and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. Later in the year, Gogo will be available on all of Virgin America’s small number of routes, and possibly additional American routes, if the first deployment works well. It’s supplied to the airlines by a Denver-based company called Aircell, which says it is in negotiations to offer the Gogo service on several other major U.S. airlines by next year.

The Gogo service will cost a flat fee of $12.95 for flights of three hours or longer, and $9.95 for shorter trips. You log into Gogo as you would any commercial Internet service, registering on a special Web page. Aircell plans to allow advance sign-up, so you’d only have to enter an ID and password on the plane. No add-on software, hardware or cables are required.

A few Web functions will be offered free from Gogo, including access to the American Airlines Web site, to Frommer’s online travel guides and to a limited selection of articles from The Wall Street Journal.

Gogo isn’t the first in-plane Internet service. A few years ago, Lufthansa offered a satellite-based service from Boeing, mainly on over-ocean flights, but it was canceled.

The service operates at respectable, if not blazing, speeds — similar to what you’d get on a cellular broadband service or a slow home DSL line. On my test flight, download speeds varied from 266 kilobits per second to about 1.4 megabits per second, with the most typical speeds hovering between 500 and 600 kbps. Upload speeds were between 250 and 300 kbps. I found that most of the tasks I tested, except for streaming video, felt smooth and normal.

Speeds could degrade on a large plane with scores of people online simultaneously. But Aircell claims it has the technology to make my experience representative for anyone doing common tasks, such as Web surfing and email. During my test flight, eight laptops and six Wi-Fi-enabled smart phones were using the system simultaneously. All registered decent speeds, except for a couple of minutes when the plane was crossing between the zones controlled by the company’s ground-based towers.

Aircell gets Internet access to the planes through a network of 92 towers scattered across North America. These essentially are cellphone towers, carrying a high-speed cellphone data signal, except that the Aircell antennas point up, into the sky. A receiver on the underside of the aircraft picks up the signal, which is then distributed through the plane via Wi-Fi.

The companies say Gogo is safe and won’t interfere with the plane’s operation. It is government-approved, and pilots can shut the system off should they deem it necessary.

Article by: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121382851874286403.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Gogo has some limitations. The service plans to allocate its capacity so that low-bandwidth activities like Web surfing and email take priority over high-bandwidth ones like streaming video. That means you may find video to be slow and halting.

And Gogo is a North American, land-based service only. It won’t work over the oceans and, for now, it won’t work on other continents.

But for U.S. travelers who want to stay connected in the air, Gogo does the job.

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

My answer is you do have a choice! Before these new technologies, TSA always had an alternative screening method available and still does.  

TSA has implemented two “Whole Body Imaging” technologies in primary and secondary screening called, the Backscatter and Millimeter Wave. Both are an effective way to detect weapons, liquid explosives and other threat items concealed under layers of clothing without physical contact in a matter of seconds. Both have privacy issues with the scanned images; however, TSA is currently working to rectify that problem. Images will be deleted immediately once viewed and will never be stored, transmitted or printed.

Currently, the Backscatter is being used in secondary screening in lieu of a pat-down and the Millimeter Wave is being used in primary screening in addition to the walk-through metal-detector. The Backscatter and Millimeter Wave are still in the pilot phase at several airports. 

There is one question you need to ask TSA at your airport.  Is the Backscatter or Millimeter Wave in the pilot phase? If it is in the pilot phase, it’s offered on a voluntary basis and it’s an alternative to the traditional pat-down. If it’s not in the pilot phase, then be warned! When you decline, you will undergo additional screening using another screening method.  One other method would be a full-body pat-down. 

According to a TSA spokesperson, ninety percent of the passengers at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport prefer the Backscatter over a pat-down. It has not been determined how passenger imaging technology will be used in the future. If you feel this type of technology is not offering total privacy, then opt for a full-body pat-down.

In addition to Whole Body Imaging machines, you also have a Trace Portal machine called, the Puffer. The Puffer is different in the sense that it blows air onto you and then analyzes it for trace amounts of explosives.

I recently went through the Puffer machine and I can confirm that your skirt or dress will not fly up. It is impossible for any dress to fly up because there are no holes at the bottom of the Puffer. The holes are located only on the sides and blow air in that direction, not upwards. No Marilyn Monroe imitations here.

The same rule applies to the Puffer when it comes to having choices. Just like the Whole Body Imaging machines, the Puffer is still in the pilot phase at most airports. TSA does not require you to go through the Puffer; it is only on a voluntary basis. 

You may always refuse to be screened by any technology. Just remember that if the technology is not in the pilot phase, then you will be screened by another screening method. Ask what your choices are first and then make your own decision. If at all possible, do not let TSA make it for you.

Happy & Safe Travels!

Go to http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm for all 369 valuable tips!

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

Same goes for the backscatter and millimeter wave.  Both are in the pilot phase at some airports and TSA is asking for volunteers to be screened by them.  If they are in the pilot phase, then you may politely refuse to be additionally screened.  If they are not in the pilot phase and you refuse, you will be screened by an alternative method such as the full-body pat-down.  So if your airport has the walk-through metal detector and millimeter wave and the millimeter wave is in the pilot phase, then you may opt to only walk through the metal detector and not the millimeter wave.

According to a TSA spokesperson, he says TSA is undetermined as to how passenger imaging technology will be used in the future.  Currently, the backscatter is being used in secondary screening in lieu of a pat-down and the millimeter wave is being used in primary screening in addition to walking through the walk-through metal-detector.  The backscatter and millimeter wave are still in the pilot phase at several airports and passengers are screened only on a voluntary basis.  He also stated that ninety percent of the passengers at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport prefer the backscatter over a pat-down, though, TSA’s final vote is still not calculated.

If you feel this type of technology is not offering total privacy, then opt for a pat-down. 

Go to http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm for 369 tips to speed you through airport security!

For more info on Whole Body Imaging go to: http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/body_imaging.shtm

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less

These new machines provide multiple views of carry-on baggage and a much clearer image, allowing officers to screen carry-on bags with fewer physical searches, TSA said.

Millimeter wave whole-body imagers are being deployed in the coming weeks to airports that include Dallas-Ft. Worth, Miami, Las Vegas, Reagan Washington, Denver, Miami and Detroit. Millimeter wave enables officers to screen passengers for metallic and non-metallic items without conducting pat-down inspections, TSA said. Millimeter wave currently is deployed at airports in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Baltimore and New York Kennedy International.

http://www.aviationnews.net/?do=headline&news_ID=155427

Click here to read more… >
< Show Less