Airport security lines can appear daunting. If you or someone in your family is not a frequent traveler, getting though the process quickly and without a headache can be a challenge.
Making the process as smooth as possible actually begins at home when you’re packing. First you must decide if you will be checking bags or taking only carry-on luggage. If choosing the former, you can take any size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, or toothpaste you desire as long as they are packed in the checked bags. Of course this means that your trip will be slightly more expensive since most airlines charge a fee for every checked bag.
Going only with all carry-on luggage can be the cheaper way to go and with the right planning, a smarter choice too. Start by doing these things:
Gather up all your small bottles of hair products, toothpaste, eye drops, deodorant, and liquid medicines and place them in a single quart size plastic zipper bag. None of the items can be over 3 ounces in size each, whether full or not.
If all of your bottles & tubes don’t fit into the bag, you will need to remove some of them. Hotels still consistently provide shampoo and soap; most include conditioner and hand lotion. So if bag space is an issue, let the hotel take care of you.
NOTE: Don’t even consider taking that nearly used up large size tube of toothpaste. It doesn’t matter that there is less than 3 ounces of paste in the tube – TSA will stop you and cause you to be delayed in getting through the security process.
Now that you have your bag of liquids and gels, put the bag someplace in a pocket on the outside of your carry on luggage. This will allow you to quickly pull out the baggie and put in the scanner bin for security screening.
Next consideration is your choice of shoes to wear to the airport. Slip-on shoes are best. You can take them off and put them on quickly, thus reducing the time in line and getting you on your way to the plane. Shoes that take time to be untied, or boots that must be unzipped, will only slow the line down. Whatever you do, wear socks. Walking on the floor where thousands of people have been means that you are exposing yours and your family’s feet to all sorts of germs.
Lastly, if possible, reduce the amount of metal on your body. You don’t need to be dressed up at the airport. Pack your jewelry in your bags, don’t wear it. Suspenders, belts, chains, excessive jewelry, pocket change, and large watches will need to be removed. I personally have never removed my watch and I have never set off the screening machines. However, my watch is fairly small, so it may be more the amount of metal rather than just their existence that counts.
Now you are ready for the security line. Approach the TSA agent with your boarding pass and drivers’ license (or passport) already in hand. Don’t waste time digging through your bag when you get up to the front of the line. Once getting the stamp of approval, select the shortest line, if more than one is available. Remove your shoes, jacket, cell phone, and remaining metal items. Place them in a scanner bin. Take out your baggie of liquids and place it in the bin too. If you have electronics – cameras, video recorders, laptops – remove them from their cases in place them in a separate bin. You should now be able to breeze right though the security screen. Looking for more tips? Visit www.amixedlife.com [http://www.amixedlife.com]
Making the process as smooth as possible actually begins at home when you’re packing. First you must decide if you will be checking bags or taking only carry-on luggage. If choosing the former, you can take any size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, or toothpaste you desire as long as they are packed in the checked bags. Of course this means that your trip will be slightly more expensive since most airlines charge a fee for every checked bag.
Going only with all carry-on luggage can be the cheaper way to go and with the right planning, a smarter choice too. Start by doing these things:
Next consideration is your choice of shoes to wear to the airport. Slip-on shoes are best. You can take them off and put them on quickly, thus reducing the time in line and getting you on your way to the plane. Shoes that take time to be untied, or boots that must be unzipped, will only slow the line down. Whatever you do, wear socks. Walking on the floor where thousands of people have been means that you are exposing yours and your family’s feet to all sorts of germs.
Lastly, if possible, reduce the amount of metal on your body. You don’t need to be dressed up at the airport. Pack your jewelry in your bags, don’t wear it. Suspenders, belts, chains, excessive jewelry, pocket change, and large watches will need to be removed. I personally have never removed my watch and I have never set off the screening machines. However, my watch is fairly small, so it may be more the amount of metal rather than just their existence that counts.
Now you are ready for the security line. Approach the TSA agent with your boarding pass and drivers’ license (or passport) already in hand. Don’t waste time digging through your bag when you get up to the front of the line. Once getting the stamp of approval, select the shortest line, if more than one is available. Remove your shoes, jacket, cell phone, and remaining metal items. Place them in a scanner bin. Take out your baggie of liquids and place it in the bin too. If you have electronics – cameras, video recorders, laptops – remove them from their cases in place them in a separate bin. You should now be able to breeze right though the security screen. Looking for more tips? Visit www.amixedlife.com [http://www.amixedlife.com]
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