Smooth travel is key to getting a business trip off to a successful start. 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 today at your flight time at the airport?
Travel Necessities
I have a few things that I just don’t leave home without if I am flying. One of them is my inflatable pillow from Target (with a removable fleece cover for washing), which makes sleeping on long flights almost comfortable. Another is my Battery Extender
General Packing Tips:
My rule for flying: Pack with the assumption the airline will lose your checked luggage and be pleasantly surprised when they don’t. The November 2009 Air Travel Consumer Report from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation actually showed that the number of pieces of baggage reported as “mishandled” per 1,000 passengers on all major airlines in the U.S. fell significantly in 2009 from 2008.This sounds likes good news, but it is probably mostly due to a decrease in the numbers of pieces of luggage being checked by each passenger because of the institution of airline fees for checking baggage, instead of actually reflecting better luggage handling by the airlines.
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 (weather delay, mechanical problem) that could leave you stranded in an airport or even on the tarmac on a plane without access to your checked luggage. 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, in my carry-on along with my basic overnight gear like toiletries and my flying gear (inflatable pillow, books, my iPhone, etc). 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 your 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 take up lots of room, 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.
TSA Travel Info:
To find all of the TSA guidelines for passenger security, visit their website.
Security Wait Time: To find out how early you need to leave for the airport, 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. This way you won’t arrive too late to catch your flight – or so early you end up sitting waiting for two hours at the gate.
Carrying On Liquids: One of the biggest recent changes – and most difficult to follow correctly – is probably the 311 Rules that were implemented after an airplane 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 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? Most drug stores have now adjusted their travel kits of empty cosmetic bottles to reflect the 311 TSA size regulations. And there is always the internet to purchase high quality travel size bottles that comply with TSA regulations as well at places like 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 and allow you to still carry-on your toiletries.
Locking Your Luggage: Another security change that many infrequent air travelers are unaware of is that travelers need to lock their checked baggage by using TSA-accepted locks. Available at most stores that sell luggage, including Walmart and Target, the TSA-accepted luggage locks have a special logo on them that tells TSA luggage screeners that the locks will accept special passkeys to allow inspectors to open luggage without cutting off the locks.
Flying With Prescription Medication: Until recently, the TSA stated that all prescription medication had to be labeled and that the label had to match the name on the passenger’s boarding pass. They also recommended only carrying the medication that needed for the duration of your flight to speed the screening process.
However, due to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU in the fall of 2009, the TSA was forced to acknowledge that law enforcement tasks such as determining the legality of prescriptions that are carried onto aircraft or the origin of a passenger’s cash are outside their jurisdiction (which is strictly the security of the aircraft and its passengers). On November 10th, 2009, new guidelines were issued to TSA screeners by the TSA which strictly prohibit screeners from using screening for anything but airline security. This means that travelers can no longer be hassled because a TSA screener feels they are carrying too much cash, or is suspicious about the legality of prescription medications they are carrying.
Most airlines recommend that you not check prescription medication at all due to the risk of lost luggage. As someone with a chronic illness who takes multiple prescriptions every day, I definitely agree with the airline advice on this one. Prescriptions lost in checked luggage could be a real pain to replace, especially while away from home. I carry on all of my medications. Travel-friendly carrying methods include using pill dispensers or tiny zip bags designed for medications (available at pharmacies like CVS).
Liquid medications are exempt from the rules regarding other liquids in carry-ons but they must be declared to security screeners as you enter the checkpoint.
For more information on traveling with medications, see the TSA’s Guide for Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions.
Carrying On Electronics: An extensive guide to traveling with electronics is available on Scrapbook Update’s Traveling to CHA with your Technology page.
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? Unfortunately there’s no way to control that.
