CHA is getting closer and closer, and well, those suitcases won’t pack themselves. But with the TSA (Transportation Security Administration, responsible for our nation’s airline security since 9/11) changing the rules regularly, how do you know what is acceptable to pack – and if it will take forever to get through security at the airport?
Security Wait Time: Before you start anticipating long security lines and thinking you are already late for your flight, check out the TSA’s website for security wait times to find out the average security wait time at various times of day at the airport
you will be departing from, to ease your mind and ensure you arrive in time for your flight after all.
TSA Travel Info: To find all of the TSA guidelines for passenger security, visit their website.
The biggest recent change – and most difficult to follow correctly – is probably the new 311 Rules that were implemented last fall after a terror plot was foiled in Britain that planned to use liquid explosives. After a temporary ban on all liquids in carry-ons, strict new guidelines were put in effect Sept. 26th that severely limit the amount of liquids that can be carried on and how they can be carried.
To summarize, basically you can carry as many liquids as you can fit in a quart zip-top bag – as long as they are all in 3oz or smaller containers.
Fortunately, most drugstore “travel-size” toiletries are small enough to meet this guideline, so you can still travel with your
mini-sized toothpaste and deodorant in your carry-on if you want. For an amazing selection of travel-size toiletries to find just the item you want without looking all over town, check out the Minimus Store.
But what about your special salon shampoo or other products not available in travel sizes that you buy an empty travel bottle for and take with you that way? That is where the packing can get difficult. The previous standard for “travel bottles” at drugstores (empty ones for travelers to fill themselves, anyway) was 4 oz, and stores have yet to adjust their product lines. CVS was the lone exception that I was able to find locally that sells a 3oz bottle but the bottom was so badly made that it was convex and the bottle wouldn’t actually stand up. As with so many other shopping problems though, the internet came to the rescue, with places to purchase 2oz and smaller bottles: Container Store, LeTravel, and the Nalgene Store.
Don’t forget you can get creative in your packing to avoid liquids if possible. For instance, many cosmetic companies (Dove, Olay, Neutrogena, Biore, etc) make facial cleansing cloths that could be much more easily used for travel instead of liquid or gel face scrubs that would have be packed according to TSA restrictions. Pack bar soap instead of liquid shower scrubs…creative substitution can make getting through security much less of a headache.
Another security change that many travelers are unaware of is that travelers may now lock their checked baggage using TSA-accepted locks. Available at most stores providing luggage, including Walmart and Target, the TSA-accepted
luggage locks have a special logo on them that tell TSA luggage screeners that the locks will accept special passkeys to allow inspectors to open luggage without cutting off the locks.
If you have a medical condition that requires medication, the TSA recommends all prescription medication be labeled and that the label should match the name on the passenger’s boarding pass. They also recommend only carrying the medication that you will need for the duration of your flight to speed the screening process. However, most airlines recommend that you not check prescription medication at all due to the risk of lost luggage. I’m inclined to go with the airline on this one. Carry on your
medications. If you have long-term prescriptions (such as 90 days) in large bottles, ask your pharmacy for smaller bottles and new labels, or get your doctor to write short-term prescriptions for you for your trip.
Liquid medications are exempt from the rules regarding other liquid carry-ons but they must be labeled and must be declared to security screeners.
For more information on traveling with medications, see the TSA’s Guide for Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions.
Don’t forget if you are traveling with electronics that laptops may need to be turned on for security screening – make sure they have a battery charge in them. And don’t forget to bring your chargers for your phones and other electronics!
General Packing Tips:
Pack with the assumption the airline will lose your checked luggage and be pleasantly surprised when they don’t. The January 2007 Air Travel Consumer Report from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation showed that the number of pieces of baggage lost per 1,000 passengers on all major airlines in the U.S. (except Northwest) was up significantly in November 2006 from the same
period in 2005, probably due to the new carry-on restrictions enacted in 2006 and larger volumes of checked baggage.
My rule when flying is that I take anything that is irreplaceable or that I will need in the first 24 hours of my trip in my
carry-on. This may sound paranoid but it serves two purposes. It not only protects me against airline damage of precious items but also against delay of my luggage causing a problem. Often times your luggage is not so much lost as “misrouted” and the airline will deliver it the next day to your destination. This is not a disaster if you have everything you need for that first day in
your carry-on! It also makes life much more comfortable in the case of a travel disaster that could leave you stranded in an airport without your checked luggage because of a missed connection or other airline issue. Plan for the worst and hopefully it
will never happen. It’s no-cost, carry-on travel insurance.
For a trade show like CHA, this means I will have my first day of business wear, along with a day’s supply of business cards and resumes, in my carry-on in addition to my basic overnight gear like toiletries and my flying gear (books and my iPod). If one travel-sized toiletry is too small for your whole trip, carry one container with you in your carry-on bag and an additional one in a checked bag. Empty toiletries can be thrown away to make more room in your luggage going home, instead of hauling full-sized toiletries in your checked baggage that will only be partially used and which might go missing entirely if the airline makes a mistake with your luggage.
Try not to overstuff your checked bags if at all possible. If the TSA opens them to inspect them, it can be difficult for them to repack them properly. For the same reason, it is a good idea to contain small items in clear plastic bags so that the TSA can examine the contents without items being loose and possibly falling out of your bag.
Good preparation ahead of time and knowing the rules can go a long way towards ensuring a smooth trip, at least as far as security screening goes. Now the weather? That’s a whole other story.
About Nancy Nally
Follow Us