#Travel140: Travel Tips via @TravelLatte

#Travel140: How to Speed thru Airport Security

#Travel140 #TravelTip: Plan ahead to speed thru security: wear slip on shoes & stash jewelry in your carryon. Read on for more.

Photo: Airport Security Checkpoint

While security checkpoints are getting a little less crazy, we still see too many people making it harder than it needs to be. When your travel plans include an airport, you know a trip through security is in your future. There is no excuse for not planning ahead to make it as smooth as possible.

Most people are required to remove their shoes and jacket, so wear slip on shoes, and take off your jacket as soon as you’re in line so you can put it in a bin quickly. Most watches and many jewelry items will need to be taken off also, so why not use your time in line to stash them in your purse or carry on.

Next come your electronics. Put your phone, iPod, and any other small devices in your bag instead of your pockets. Have your laptop ready to be taken out and placed in a bin also, so you don’t waste any time when you’re at the front of the line. Remember, iPads and tablets don’t count; they can stay in your purse or carryon.

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Double check your pockets while you’re putting items in the bins, and don’t forget your belt. Most eye glasses, earrings, wedding bands and some other rings will pass through just fine, so you don’t have to take those off, but just ask an agent if you’re not sure.

Now you’re ready to glide through the scanner and pick up your belongings on the other side. If you’ve filled your bins neatly, you should be able to pick up your things and re-assemble quickly. We recommend grabbing your shoes and taking them to a nearby bench to put them on, along with your jacket, belt, and anything else you removed. And be sure to double check your bins to be sure nothing gets left behind.

See also  #Travel140: You're Not Stuck in TSA PreCheck

Can’t get enough travel tips? Here’s more #Travel140!

Feature Image: Todd Starnes

22 comments on “#Travel140: How to Speed thru Airport Security

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    • Thanks! Really happy to be part of #MondayEscapes. So many people seem to find the security line intimidating and frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be! We know it’s there, we should make it as simple as we can. It’s become a game for us to see who can get through the fastest/easiest, or who can come up with a new way to get through quicker. No jewelry is a big one!

  6. I get frustrated by people doing stupid things to hold up this process so this is great commonsense advice. Thanks for joining in #wednesdaywanderlust, I’m a bit late commenting but I was travelling so I figured that was a good excuse 🙂

  7. This is very clever! I had my first encounter of time wasting at security checkpoints during my first winter trip – and had to keep taking my boots on and off. Since then, I always wore slip-on shoes for the flight and stashed my boots into my luggage.

    • I made the mistake of flying with lace up hiking boots once. Only once. Now I have a favorite pair of handsome slip on shoes that go on almost every trip. Because, you still need to be stylish, right?

    • The fact that it was me with the coins in the pocket far too often helped lead to my “security readiness routine!” My goal now is to have as little in those bins as possible – laptop, toiletries, shoes; that should be it. Everything else should be stuffed in my bag(s) by the time I get there. Thanks for the comment, Katja!

  8. Loved reading this! My life changed last year when I applied for TSA Pre-Check! It makes my life so much easier and my time is definitely worth more than $85 over 7 years! #MondayEscapes

  9. This should be required reading for anyone purchasing a plane ticket. Maybe I’ll just print it out and hand it to the people are in front of me in line!

    • Wow! Thanks so much for the kind words, Corinne! Having been through the routine more times than I can count, I hope I can at least help someone get through the nightmare unscathed, and get the rest of us through a bit quicker! 🙂

  10. It never ceases to amaze me how lazy and disorganised many travelers are! Although, we had a somewhat funny mishap through security- our 11 year old set off the security alarm and we could not figure out what was causing it. We discovered later that evening when she was getting dressed for bed, that she had a coin stuck to her thigh that was setting off the alarms! Argh! #WeekendWanderlust

    • Glad you found them useful! For a long time, I spent an obsessive amount of time figuring ways to get through security faster. Finally, I asked the TSA agents – who gave me the iPad/tablet tip. Thanks for stopping by, Mama Munchkin!

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