8 Tips for Clearing Airport Security Faster

Whether you have jetsetting down to a science or you haven't been on a plane in years, airport security is a fact of life if you want to fly. And while you can't avoid it altogether, there are things you can do to make it quicker and easier.
  
 1.    Charge those batteries. Make sure your laptop, netbook, cell phone, camera and other portable electronics have a full charge. Usually these items just go through X-ray untouched. But occasionally a TSA agent will inspect them. Items that don't power on could be considered suspicious--meaning you could be pulled aside for a more thorough inspection just because your iPhone is out of juice.

 2.    Keep laptops accessible. Speaking of laptops ... keep it in an easily accessible pocket, since you will have to take it out and put it in a bin for X-ray and then put it back in your bag before going to the gate. It doesn't have to be a totally separate bag. In fact, one of our favorites is the Hard Graft 3Fold Bag, which can hold a lot of stuff while making it all easy to access separately--all while looking great.


3.    Zip and attach. Another thing to keep accessible is the clear bag your put your 3-ounce toiletries in. Why not attach a reusable, TSA-approved, 1-quart zippered toiletry bag to the outside of your carry-on with a carabiner? That way you can just detach it and throw it in the bin instead of digging around.

4.    Think about what you wear. You will have to remove your shoes and coat then walk through a metal detector. So it doesn't make much sense to wear tall lace-up boots and metal-studded bracelets. (For that matter, unless you want to walk barefoot on a very germy surface, socks or tights are key.) Appearances matter, whether we like it or not. You can dress comfortably while still looking put together. It could very well affect the kind of treatment you get. People have been detained for wearing T-shirts with "disrespectful" slogans or "threatening" images.

5.    Check in remotely. Skip the airline counter and head right for security by checking in before you get to the airport. You can save yourself time by printing your boarding pass after checking in online. But that requires a printer and a laptop. Did you know that many airports and airlines, including Continental and American, also let you check in with your smart phone? All you have to do is flash your phone, showing the barcode the airline sends you, and security scans it from the screen. You can get your boarding pass while you're in the cab on the way to the airport!

6.    Have your paperwork in order. Have your government-issued ID handy, and make sure your plane ticket (and any visas or other travel docs) is in the exact name that appears on your ID. That means not only no nicknames, but also making sure that anyone else who would book travel for you uses your proper name and spells it correctly. "Marsha" isn't the same as "Marcia," and "Margaret" isn't the same as "Maggie." I have seen people pulled out of line because of this.


7.    Have a layer bag. Even though you can only carry on one bag and one personal item, also keep a stashable bag like this one from RuMe with you. You can throw things like hats, gloves, watches, hoodies and belts in them and put them all through security together rather than having to gather them piecemeal out of the bin. You can easily carry them to the gate in the bag, then incorporate them into your regular carry-on along with the little reusable bag.

8.    Be nice! The TSA agents are just doing their job, and being rude doesn't make the line go any faster. So smile, say thank you and then be on your way! (This goes for how you treat other passengers, too)
 
Air travel has changed a lot in the last few years, but it's almost unrecognizable from how it was the '60s and '70s! This Southwest ad asks us to remember how air travel was before they came along.


 
 


p.s.
If you're interested in playing airport security at home, the Playmobil set above was found on Amazon.

You've heard ours ~ now, it's your turn! What's your tip for getting through security faster?

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JEAN AW Founder of NOTCOT: Concept, Content & Creative, Editor-In-Chief of the NotEmpire*. . . Design Addict + UX Designer + Shopaholic + Tech Connoisseur + Design Writer + World Traveler 

*NotEmpire = not an empire, composed of NOTCOT.com, NOTCOT.org, NotCouture.com, and Liqurious.com