The Weekly 6 - Travel Insider Tips #3 TSA, What's a Traveller to Do?

It's a good idea to prepare before you arrive at the airport so that you move more quickly and efficiently through the security process. Here are some suggestions to help make the process as smooth as possible.

Dress the Part

There's no particular style or type of clothing that you should wear from a security point of view. You are permitted to wear head coverings and religious garmentsduring the screening process.You may be directed to additional screening if your clothing (religious or otherwise) is loose fitting or large enough to hide prohibited items. For more information, click here.
In addition, certain clothing and accessories can set off an alarm on the metal detector and slow you down. Avoid wearing clothing, jewelry or other accessories that contain metal when traveling through the security checkpoints:

• Heavy jewelry (including pins, necklaces, bracelets, rings, watches, earrings, body piercings, cuff links, lanyards or bolo ties)
• Clothing with metal buttons, snaps or studs
• Metal hair barrettes or other hair decoration
• Belt buckles
• Under-wire bras
• Hidden items such as body piercings may result in your being directed to additional screening for a pat-down inspection. If selected for additional screening, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to the pat-down search.
• Take metal items such as keys, loose change, mobile phones, pagers, and personal data assistants (PDAs) out of your pockets.
• Place heavy jewelry and other metal items in your carry-on baggage or in plastic bags if they are offered, until you clear security.
• Pack all your coats and jackets in your baggage when possible. All coats and jackets must go through the X-ray machine for inspection. These include, but are not limited to, trench coats, heavy winter coats, suit jackets, sport coats and blazers. If you choose to wear an outer coat or jacket to the checkpoint, you will need to either place it in your carry-on or put it in the bin that is provided for you.

Individuals are permitted to wear disposable footwear during the screening process. The disposable footwear may be removed and placed into the individual’s accessible property prior to exiting the screening checkpoint.
Gel-filled bras are permitted through security screening and aboard aircraft.
TSA Security Officers have to identify any metal that is detected at the checkpoint. If you set off the alarm, you will undergo additional screening. This includes a hand-wand and pat-down inspection.

What You Need

We encourage each adult traveler to keep his/her airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID available until exiting the security checkpoint (children are not required to show identification). The absence of proper identification will result in additional screening.
There are four ways to obtain a boarding pass:

• Go to your airline's ticket counter at the airport
• Use curbside check-in
• Use your airline's self-service ticket kiosk in the airport lobby
• Print the boarding pass from your airline's website

If you aren't traveling and need to go through the security checkpoint to accompany someone such as a child or other traveler with medical conditions who is traveling, check with the airline for required documentation.

Do I Have to Remove My Shoes?

Yes, you are required to remove your shoes before you enter the walk-through metal detector. This includes all types of footwear, including sandals. Officers need to screen all shoes to ensure that they haven’t been tampered with.
Please remove your shoes before entering the metal detector and put them directly on the belt to go through the X-ray machine instead of in a bin with your other items. It’s safe, easy, and gives us a better look at your shoes so we won’t need to rescreen them.
If you have a disability, medical conditions or a prosthetic device that prevents you from removing your shoes, please notify the security officer. You will be given additional screening that his includes a visual and physical inspection as well as explosives trace detection sampling of the footwear while it remains on your feet.

Keep Your Experience Simple

Take metal items such as keys, loose change, mobile phones, pagers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) out of your pockets. Put these in your carry-on, or in a plastic bag. This keeps lines moving and your experience more pleasant. Try to avoid wearing anything with metal, clothing, jewelry or other accessories that contain metal such as, heavy jewelry, clothing with metal buttons or snaps, belt buckles or under-wire bras.
Pack your coats and jackets in your baggage when possible.  All coats and jackets that you are carrying must go through the X-ray machine for inspection.  If you choose to wear an outer coat or jacket to the checkpoint, you will need to either pack it in your carry-on baggage or put it in one of the bins we provide.
You may be additionally screened because of hidden items such as body piercings, which alarmed the metal detector.  If you are selected for additional screening, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to a pat-down search.

Make Your Trip Better Using 3-1-1

TSA and our security partners conducted extensive explosives testing since August 10, 2006 and determined that liquids, aerosols and gels, in limited quantities, are safe to bring aboard an aircraft. The one bag limit per traveler limits the total amount each traveler can bring. Consolidating the bottles into one bag and X-raying them separately from the carry-on bag enables security officers to quickly clear the items.

3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3.4 ounce (100ml) bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3.4 ounce (100ml) container size is a security measure.

Be prepared. Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line. Practicing 3-1-1 will ensure a faster and easier checkpoint experience.

3-1-1 is for short trips. If in doubt, put your liquids in checked luggage.
Declare larger liquids. Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/index.shtm

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