TSA

Flying today? Be ready for long lines and confusion

Air Travel, Alerts, Baggage, Bathrooms, Safety, Security, , ,

Last week’s fizzled Christmas Day terrorist attack on Delta/NW Flight #253 from Amsterdam to Detroit ignited a wave of new security measures at airports and on airplanes.

Airport and airline spokespeople and TSA officials say domestic passengers will likely notice some heightened security procedures, such as explosive-sniffing dogs and added law enforcement presence at many domestic airports.

Travelers on US-bound flights, though, will be notice significant changes.

Under rules rushed out over the weekend, passengers boarding flights heading to the United States will be subject to pat-downs and bag searches at the gate.  During their flight, passengers will be required to put away personal items and stay in their seats for the final hour of flight.

The TSA posted a very general description of the new rules.  More specifics were posted on various airport and airline Web sites and detailed in a memo that some airlines shared with bloggers over the weekend.

Bottom line:

While everyone gets used to the new regulations, get to the airport early. Really early.

If you’re flying internationally to the United States, be prepared for an extra pat down and bag check at the gate.  And pack carefully:  you’ll only be allowed one small – very small – carry-on bag.

It’s a good bet that airlines, airports and the TSA will make some changes to rules and procedures starting today, so keep an eye on the news, airline and airport Web sites, and the TSA.gov site.

Rules are already changing:

Last night Canada’s WestJet announced that it would no longer accept roller bags or larger backpacks as carry-on luggage. And this morning American Airlines announced that, due to the long lines and confusion over the new rules, for the next few days the airline will waive change fees for passengers traveling from Canada to the United States.  Other airlines will probably do the same.

Here’s a link to the story on the new rules I wrote for MSNBC.com.

Please share your stories about your travel experiences this past weekend and let us know what you see happening if you end up stuck at the airport.

Greetings from the North Pole

Air Travel, Events, Fun Stuff, , , ,

Spokane - North Pole

Yesterday I had the great honor of joining more than 60 kids from Spokane, Washington on a quick trip to the North Pole.

We flew, of course. On a special Alaska Airlines flight.  And for most of those kids it was their first time going to the airport, the first time flying on a plane, and of course, the first time going to the North Pole.  So Santa sent some elves to help out with some of the tricky parts, like going through security.

Spokane - north pole - security

The North Pole was a magical as you’d think (more on that later in the week) but, because I was dressed as an (undercover) elf I was able to sneak into Santa’s Flight Center and snap a few photos that offer some insight into the Christmas Eve routine.

Spokane - ELF TSA SIGN

Thanks to the folks at the Spokane Fantasy Flight for letting me ride along. Especially, Tammikins, my elf guide there on the right.

Elfves Notes and Tammikins -

Penn & Teller take on the TSA

Celebrities, Security,

Like many travelers, the infamous, eccentric, libertarian-leaning magicians known as Penn & Teller have a gripe with airport security. Not with the people who work for the TSA, but with the idea OF the TSA.

And while the average traveler can just complain about the security checkpoint experience, Penn & Teller make it part of their Las Vegas show.

penn-teller-red1

In my recent USATODAY.com column, Penn & Teller put airport security to the test, learn how they use magic and a TSA-style metal detector, fire, a shovel, and a showgirl to make a point about the Fourth Amendment, the section of the Bill of Rights that addresses unreasonable searches and seizures.

According Penn Jillette, the taller, more talkative (on stage) member of the team, “The bit is essentially comparing magicians, who earn their living by doing things that are sneaky and disingenuous, with bad people who do things that are sneaky and disingenuous…and if two goofball magicians can  slip this stuff by… then what could a really bad person do?”

The TSA’s secret weapon

Well-Mannered Traveler,

Last week I joined a group of Seattle airport TSA workers for a two-day class in what I thought was going to be all about patience.  But patience was just a tiny part of it.

Here’s a link to the Well Mannered Traveler column I wrote for MSNBC.com about the experience.  In the meantime, here’s an excerpt:

Don’t be surprised or alarmed if the next time you go through the security checkpoint at the airport you find TSA staff handing out smiles and warm greetings instead of barked orders, mean looks and stern commands. There may even be some TSA-approved hugging and high-fiving going on back there behind the X-ray machines.

It sounds farfetched, I know. Especially if you’re one of the many travelers who regularly ends up feeling demeaned and harassed at airport checkpoints and believes that the TSA only hires sticky-fingered miscreants who are missing the genes for courtesy and respect.

The folks at TSA are well aware of that reputation…. and in an effort to address a variety of problems and improve overall checkpoint security, the TSA in October rolled out a new skills training program. It’s called Engage! (exclamation point included!) and all 50,000 TSA workers are required to attend. The initial system-wide training should wrap up in the next few weeks, so it’s a fair bet you’ve already encountered a few graduates of the course.

Have you noticed any changes? I wasn’t sure what to look for, or what was realistic to expect, so I said yes when invited to join 28 TSA workers from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in a windowless room at the main terminal for their two-day intensive.

I left feeling both reassured and alarmed.

To read the rest of the column, please go to:  TSA’s new secret weapon on MSNBC.com and be sure leave a comment about your recent checkpoint experiences.

tsa-311

The TSA and your grandma

Security,

I spent two long and truly educational days last week attending a TSA training course.

My report on the class will show up in my in Well-Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com this Thursday, but this post in the TSA’s Evolution of Security blog reminded me of one of the break-out sessions in the class.

tsa-drugs

(Guess what TSA officers found on a passenger who showed up in a wheelchair?)

TSA employees sat in small groups and talked about their unsung successes and those of their co-workers, which included spotting well-hidden guns, knives, and other items that sometimes turned to be “just” mass quantities of drugs.

Some of those “finds” were also in wheelchairs or strapped to people who looked like innocent little grandmas.

How to stay out of jail at the airport

Well-Mannered Traveler,

Given how stressed we all get over air travel these days, it’s easier than ever for even the most well-mannered traveler to do or say something that gets them in hot water at the airport. But sometimes a mishap or a meltdown can boil over into a potential or actual federal offense.

So it’s a good idea to know where the lines are drawn.

Read about how to stay out of the airport pokey – and how I almost landed there after coming this close to causing an evacuation of Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) – in my Well Mannered Traveler column posted today on MSNBC.com.

(Column illustration by Duane Hoffman, MSNBC.com)

Planning a vacation? Start by unpacking.

Baggage, Carry-ons, Guns

Shifting rules and over-zealous staffers can trip up even the most checkpoint-savvy traveler. (Flip-flops on or off? Is mascara a liquid or a gel?)

But it may not be the TSA you have to worry about; watch out for other travelers.

So far in 2008, the TSA has discovered 519 guns – many of them loaded – in carry-on bags at security checkpoints. That figure doesn’t take into account weapons found over the past few weeks. According to the TSA Web site, 29 firearms were found two weeks ago, and 23 were discovered last week.

The most common explanation from travelers? “Oops, I forgot that was in there.”

Find out what else shows up at airport checkpoints and learn about the new rules for “checkpoint friendly” laptop bags in my Well-Mannered Traveler column posted today on MSNBC.com.

(Column illustration by MSNBC.com’s Duane Hoffman)

TSA’S oldest working explosives-detecting dog retires

Security, , ,

Every dog has its day. For Pino, that day is Friday.

Pino, the oldest of the 500 working dogs in the TSA’s National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program, will be retiring on Friday after 10 years and 11 months of service to the airport K-9 team at Lambert-St.Louis International Airport (STL).

During her career, the 13 year-old Belgian Malinois worked numerous high profile events at the airport and when on loan to other agencies. She helped with protection details for two U.S. presidents, the 1999 St. Louis visit of Pope John Paul II, and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

What are Pino’s plans for retirement? She’s going to hang around the home of her police partner, Sgt. Steve Swafford, following a final Friday morning shift at Lambert.

Pino with her partner, Sgt. Steve Swafford.

(Photos courtesy Lambert-St.Louis International Airport)

Guns, grenades and other weapons to leave home

Guns, Safety, Security, ,

I spent a lot of time chatting with TSA folks last week while working on an article about guns and other prohibited items travelers keep trying to take through airport security checkpoints.

To be honest, it gave me nightmares.

Especially after a TSA spokesperson sent me a photo of a shipment of snakes discovered at one airport (I didn’t dare open that attachment) and this photo of a display board of “relinquished” weapons.

(Photo courtesy TSA)

I know of two airports – Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – that have exhibits like this at their security checkpoints.

Anyone know of others?

A whale, a panda, and a friar go to the airport…

Safety, Security,

Heard that one before?

On July 4th, San Diego International Airport (SAN) introduced a new set of videos at the security checkpoints. Starring roles are played by the San Diego Zoo’s Bamboo Bear, Legoland’s Johnny Thunder, the San Diego Padres’ Friar, and Shamu from SeaWorld.

Want to see a whale going through the metal detector? I did – but I didn’t have a trip to SAN planned anytime soon.

So I’m pleased to see that the airport has posted the video on YouTube.