November 2010 News Alert

News you can use about packing and travel from Susan Foster, packing expert and author of Smart Packing for Today's Traveler.

The following information has been gaining in importance this week and simply will not wait another minute for a full-on newsletter to be created – you need this now! Read, think before you pack and leave for the airport, and please share with other friends who will be traveling over this crowded Thanksgiving holiday. There are no TSA links in part of this travel alert as the TSA website has been “unavailable” all day today, surely due to too many requests for information.

A more traditional “Tips for Travelers” filled with the newsy stuff will follow in a week or so, included will be gift ideas for the travelers on your list, a shopping discount (yippee!) plus a full report on fall travel from several smart packers.

** Full-body scanners and you

In addition to the holiday crowds, there are new issues at the airport this year. Having experienced the full body scanner twice at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam this fall, I found it simple and painless. European airports have been successfully using these machines for months, so it is my opinion that in the US there is a lot of media fuss about not much. Given the alternatives of driving or flying, I choose flying, and choosing flying means the possibility of a full-body scan.

The media coverage on full-body scanners has been extensive and generally alarmist, here are the facts and my recommendations.

- Screening: Travelers should expect to be randomly assigned to pass through either a metal detector or a full-body scanner depending on what the airport has installed – there are 317 new full-body image scanners deployed at 65 airports nationwide. Those who opt out of the imaging scans – and you may refuse – will be asked to undergo an “enhanced pat-down”.

Full-body scanners require passengers to remove wallets, belts, jewelry and everything from their inside pockets, not just metal items. Anyone who sets off a metal detector, refuses to go through a full-body scan, or has anything on his or her body that the scanner picks up will get the new, more-thorough “enhanced pat-down” procedure.

- Enhanced pat-down” procedure: The U.S. government has tightened security-screening measures, including a change in how the TSA does pat-downs. Previously, TSA screeners just did a cursory check with the back of their hand, avoiding sensitive areas. The new technique allows TSA security officers to use their palms and fingers to probe for hidden weapons and other devices. In the past, officers used the backs of their hands to brush past sensitive body parts. TSA agents will slide their hands up and down passengers’ bodies coming in direct contact with their breasts, buttocks and groin areas.

The manual pat-down procedure will be used on passengers who refuse to be screened using the full-body image scanners and may also be used on passengers who evoke suspicion when undergoing other traditional screening procedures, including walk-through metal detectors.

Children age 12 and under will not be subjected to the "enhanced" pat-down.

The TSA says: “Only a small percentage of passengers end up needing a pat-down. The best way to be prepared at the checkpoint is to remove everything from your pockets prior to screening. Also, if you have a hidden medical device, you may want to bring it to the officer’s attention before screening. We’ll be better able to help expedite your screening that way...”

• Pat-downs are conducted by same gender officers
• All passengers have the right to request private screening at any point during the screening process
• Everyone has the right to have a traveling companion present during screening in the private screening area.

Solutions: Plan ahead and wear checkpoint-friendly clothing for travel.

- Remove belt, all jewelry and everything from pockets (including a wallet) and place in a carry-on bag or purse. I slip everything into a zip-top baggie and tuck into my tote bag for screening.
 
- Avoid items with heavy metal studs or remove that item and place it in a bin for screening

- Wear slip-on shoes for faster off and on

- Wear a tee-shirt/camisole underneath a bulky sweater – DO NOT wear a bulky sweater that cannot be removed, as this will trigger a manual pat-down!

- For women: Wear a bra without an underwire as the wire may show up as a problem on the scan; wear jeans/slacks instead of a skirt or dress as media reports suggest an enhanced pat-down, if required, will feel less invasive this way.

** Holiday travel survival skills

Thanksgiving travel used to be a short holiday squeezed into the day before Turkey Day and the Sunday following. This year, airlines and airports say Thanksgiving travel has grown to 12 days as travelers avoid peak days for lower airfares and others turn the holiday into a full week vacation. Airlines predict planes will start getting crowded today, Friday November 19th; American Airlines and Southwest both say the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is now busier than Wednesday. The busiest day of the whole holiday remains the Sunday following Thanksgiving, but Monday is hectic, too.

Here are some reminders to speed your airport and air travel experience:

• Allow enough time for heavy traffic en route to the airport, full parking lots, and crowded airport transportation systems. Some airport parking lots take advance reservations during holiday periods.
• Absolutely allow more time at the airport!! New security procedures added to the general chaos of holidays travel involving many infrequent flyers equals delay. If your airport suggests arriving 2 hours before departure, add to that time.
• If traveling with carry-on only, remember the TSA 3-1-1 ruling for liquids/gels/lotions -- the ban remains in place for anything over 3 ounces. All carry–on liquids etc must be less than 3 ounces, placed into one 1-quart zip-top baggie (do this at home!), one baggie per passenger. Be sure to remove the 1-quart baggie from your suitcase for separate screening.
  
  If you are bringing food to Grandma’s house for the turkey feast, these liquid-like items over 3 ounces must be in your checked luggage only, you MAY NOT carry them on: wine, beer, liquor, gravy, cranberry sauce, jam, jelly, creamy dip, salad dressing, oil or vinegar, sauces, soup. I’m told that carrying on a pie is OK, potentially messy, but OK.
  
  
• Wear clothing that is “screening friendly” as mentioned above, jewelry removed and tucked into a zip-top baggie before entering the security line, pockets completely emptied into a baggie and tucked into a carry-on, coat removed and placed into a bin or packed into a checked or carry-on bag. In the US it is still required that travelers remove their shoes and place them in a bin for screening. All countries require removal of coats, jackets and heavy sweaters for screening.
• Oversized electronics, such as laptop computers, video game consoles, DVD players and video cameras must be removed from their cases and placed in a separate bin for screening. E-readers and small electronics such as the iPad do not.
• Neatness counts! The TSA says every bag check takes 3 minutes so pack your bag so they can see the contents easily and quickly. “Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers — a layer of clothes, then electronics with cords neatly coiled, more clothes and then other items, like toiletries. This will help security officers see what’s in your bag”.
• Pack plenty of snacks, water, reading materials and patience. You may need all of it.

** TSA’s Secure Flight now in place

The Transportation Security Administration’s “Secure Flight” program is fully in operation as of November 1, 2010, and fulfills a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. Secure Flight requires airlines to collect the passenger’s full name (as it appears on government-issued ID), gender, and Redress Number (if applicable). Click here to read more details from TSA:

http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/

What this means to you: Make sure your name on your airline ticket and boarding pass exactly matches your name on the checkpoint ID you will use – driver’s license, passport, etc. Click here to read all acceptable forms of ID:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/acceptable_documents.shtm

Most carriers began requiring the information months before the deadline, but if you bought your ticket during the summer or earlier, contact your airline to make sure they have the correct information. You may also be able to do it at the airport, although that’s not the best idea as it requires a trip to the long line at the ticket counter.

That’s all for this edition of Tips for Travelers. Smart Packing has its own page on Facebook as well; become a Fan for quick travel tips and updates on your Facebook wall by clicking here.

As always, I invite you to share this newsletter with friends, family and colleagues by forwarding this message or they may sign up for Tips for Travelers. I personally respond to every question and welcome your e-mails and comments.
 
SMART PACKING FOR TODAY’S TRAVELER (book) and Smart Packing – It’s a Suitcase, Not Your Closet (DVD) are available in bookstores, travel and luggage retailers on line, in catalogs, and in shops, and from our website, click here to learn more or to buy.

Pack smart and have a happy Thanksgiving holiday!
 
Susan
 
Susan Foster, Author, Packing Expert, Speaker, Spokesperson
Smart Travel Press
PO Box 25514  Portland, OR 97298-0514
503.452.9384 fax 503.452.7558
http://www.smartpacking.com
Smart Packing for Today‘s Traveler, Third Edition, the most complete guide for what to take and how to pack
“Smart Packing – It’s a Suitcase, Not Your Closet!” DVD, pack for a week or more in one carry-on bag

© Susan Foster, Smart Travel Press 2010