Tulsa World: Security agency has tips for air travlers

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Security agency has tips for air travlers

TSA TALK
Andrea McCauley: Follow the guidelines to minimize security checkpoint difficulties.

By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer
Published: 11/19/2009 2:33 AM
Last Modified: 11/19/2009 10:48 AM

Leave early, pack smart, wear loose-fitting shoes that can be easily removed, keep tickets and government- issued photo identification handy and be patient.

Airline, airport and Transportation Security Administration officials say the travel bywords for the Thanksgiving holidays, which will begin Friday and continue through Dec. 1, remain: Be prepared.

Passengers should arrive at the airport 90 minutes before their scheduled departure time for domestic travel and two hours early for international travel, officials say.

Andrea McCauley, spokeswoman for the TSA, said airline passengers can minimize security checkpoint difficulties by making sure the full name, birth date and gender appearing on their government-issued ID (driver's license or passport) is the same as that on their airline ticket.

The new TSA requirements, known as Secure Flight, became effective in September and are designed to reduce misidentification with names on TSA's Terrorist Watch List, McCauley said.

"In the past, it was the airlines comparing (travelers') names with those on the No Fly or watch list, but now we're moving the process to TSA," McCauley said.

"We figure that by asking for the full name, gender and date of birth, you can differ between Chris, Christine and Christopher Smith, and the date of birth will give us the ability to process people faster.

It cleans up the data we get, and it's much more customer-friendly from the passenger's standpoint."

TSA officials said the usual checkpoint procedures will be in effect over the Thanksgiving holidays:

Shoes must be removed at the security checkpoints and placed in the TSA bins along with pocket contents and metal items.

Liquids and gels in containers smaller than 3 ounces may be packed in carry-on bags provided the containers are enclosed in a 1-quart or smaller plastic zip-close bag.

Passengers may carry onboard one bag that fits in the overhead bin or under the seat, plus one personal item. Personal items include purses, briefcases or laptop computers. A list of permitted and prohibited carry-on items is available at TSA's Web site at tulsaworld.com/tsa .

Valuables, including cameras, jewelry, documents, prescription medicine and car keys should be placed in carry-on luggage.

Gifts should be unwrapped. Any wrapped gift that requires further inspection could be unwrapped by TSA officers, agency officials said.

McCauley said souvenir snow globes and pies could cause problems at security checkpoints because they contain liquids and gels.

"Snow globes are permitted in checked bags," she said. "A pie could be considered a gel, and it is a discretion issue (for TSA officers). To be on the safe side, purchase the pie on arrival."

Which line?

TSA advises travelers of three lines labeled at airport checkpoints:

Expert — for frequent travelers who are familiar with TSA procedures.

Intermediate — for less frequent travelers less familiar with TSA regulations.

Family lanes — for passengers with small children and who have additional carry-on baggage as well as passengers with medical requirements.

D.R. Stewart 581-8451
don.stewart@tulsaworld.com By D.R. STEWART World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment billy8, Sand Springs (11/19/2009 11:33:26 AM) I'm looking forward to visiting relatives over the thanksgiving holiday, but always get anxious when waiting in line to be searched and x-rayed. I know I have nothing to hide, but a lot of people have been detained by overzealous inspectors. My last flight a few weeks ago went well, and the inspection was quick, this one though, might be a little more upsetting due to the holiday traffic. I'm leaving real early to account for any delays that might insue. I won't feel at ease until I arrive at my distination and my brother is there to pick me up.
	Report Comment sockless_blonde, T-town...sorta... (11/19/2009 2:37:23 PM) Dear Tulsa World, Do newspapers have proofreaders anymore? I was just curious. In bold print, in a headline on the front page of not only the print edition of the business section, but also the online edition, the word "travelers" is noticeably misspelled. It is embarrassing to have our hometown newspaper make such an egregious mistake at all, much less on the front page of the business section! Thank you for your consideration, sockless
	Report Comment Daniel Day Simpson, Edmond (11/19/2009 4:46:45 PM) Sock, one of the problems of modern professional media companies is hiring recent college grads from places like O.U. O.U. has received hundreds of millions from the Gaylord family with the caveat that they change the curriculum to fit the needs of OPUBCO. So degree plans were changed and syllabus' were modified to fit OPUBCO's business mode. So the twitter generation is now running OPUBCO and typos get through all over the place. At one time O.U. had experienced old school AP writers who served in wars as correspondents and were present at skirmishes such as Tiananmen Square. All of those people were forcible retired in the past 5 years at O.U. Even the dean left as part of the "new deal" with the Gaylord Family. So who replaced those old warriors of the word? O.U. hired en masse people who write for Yahoo, Google, MSN, and bloggers they liked. So the new force of teaching at the Gaylord College of Journalism consists mainly of online experienced writers. Very few of them ever did any print jobs except for college publications.
	Report Comment Wilburton Bob, Wilburton (11/19/2009 7:54:24 PM) Wow that is just sad. The whole thing is just hurtling away in that purple handbag toward hades. WB
	Report Comment Grumpy_Tulsan, (11/20/2009 12:41:30 AM) I'm sure there are people out there who wouldn't mind a bit of moonlighting as copy editors for the TW.

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