| Flight Packing Tips: Leave the Steak Knives at Home |
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By Kathryn Wolfe
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire Don't put on those button-fly jeans to catch a plane to Spain. Flying to Florida? Forget wearing an under wire bra to the airport. Seemingly innocuous, either item could set off an airport metal detector and cause an unwanted delay at the security checkpoint. With airport security screeners on high alert following September 11 and even members of Congress getting strip-searched, dressing properly and packing to avoid delays has become almost as important as remembering your ticket. "The metal detectors are turned up to the highest possible setting right now. Be prepared for that kind of thing," said Melissa Klurman, an editor at Fodor's, which publishes travel guides. "Don't wear something that laces up to your knee. Anything that's going to pull you aside, that's going to slow you down (at security checkpoints), is going to ruin your day." And even if the clothes you're wearing pass muster, your bags might not, given the current climate of random hand-searches and increased diligence at X-ray machines. Pocketknives, once allowed as long as the blade was shorter than four inches, are now verboten. Aerosol cans may also be confiscated if they are placed in carry-on bags, because the accelerants inside are easy to ignite. Any other potentially flammable materials -- such as cigarette lighters and matches -- will also be taken if found. Other common items likely to be confiscated include: wine corkscrews, nail files and scissors of any type including nail scissors, knitting needles, cigar cutters, razors, bottle openers, metal belt buckles, baseball or softball bats, golf clubs, pool cues, ski poles, hockey sticks and more. Pack these in checked luggage. In addition, the Department of Transportation forbids the following items in checked bags as well as carry-ons: - Fireworks of any kind.
- Weapons such as firearms, ammunition, gunpowder, mace, tear gas or pepper spray. (Unloaded, properly stored weapons that are declared to the airline can be checked in the cargo hold of the plane.)
- Hazardous materials such as wet-cell batteries, camping equipment with fuel and dry ice. Because airport security is still being performed by a patchwork of private companies, some of what isn't permitted in a carry-on can vary by airport.
Mostly, the experts advise common sense. Could something conceivably be used as a weapon? If the answer is yes, pack it in checked luggage -- otherwise, it could be confiscated and cause a delay. "Think about the kinds of things you're putting in your bag," Klurman said, adding that delays at the security checkpoint can mean a missed flight. "An ounce of prevention is really the thing that's going to save you now." The number of bags that can be carried onto a plane has also changed. New government regulations limit carry-on items to one piece of luggage and one personal item. Personal items can include a briefcase, garment bag, laptop bag, backpack or purse. When transporting a laptop, make sure the battery is charged -- often, security screeners will ask to see that it can be turned on so that they can be sure it's a computer and not a bomb. If the battery is dead, the laptop will have to be plugged in and tested, prolonging the delay. (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com)
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