facebook
linkedin
rss
twitter
google_plus
pinterest
  • Home
  • About
    • Updated Solo Travel Knowledge Base
    • In The News
  • Travel Packages
  • Solo Travel Pricing Tracker-No Single Supplement
  • Blog
  • Contact

Blog Post

Solo Travel  How to Act Around a Service Dog Updated tips

4 Mistakes to Avoid Navigating Through Airport Security

Nov 16 2020
0 Comment
Elizabeth Avery

Enjoy This Post? Share the Love!

  • google-share

Author, Elizabeth Avery, Founder, Solo Trekker 4 U and Solo Travel Pricing Tracker™: “5 Mistakes to Avoid Navigating Through Airport Security”, Reprint from MoneyInc:

In times of heightened alert, airport security procedures can leave passengers feeling really frustrated and even exhausted before they embark on their trip. When you add to the frustration the constant increases in airline fees just as service and legroom are decreasing, passengers may be left wishing they had taken the train.

Although security in international flights is intense, even for domestic flights, the process can seem like a steeplechase with one hurdle after the next.  After traveling to 68+ countries and all 50 of the US states, I generally whisk quickly through security.  I have left nothing to chance by signing up for TSA Pre-Check and making sure it always appears on my boarding pass before every flight. However, all it took was a recent domestic flight from Washington, DC to Houston to take the wind out of my sails. Within minutes, I had at least four stumbling blocks that held me up, adding to my lessons learned the hard way.

Here are five mistakes to avoid in today’s security environment.

  1. On slow travel days, watch out for merging lines combining pre-cleared and general passenger traffic.  Watch how passengers are being shepherded through security.  On my last flight, I was surprised to see that with my TSA Pre-Check stamp on my boarding pass, I was still ushered into the wrong line. I watched what was left of my original pre-cleared line as everyone still there was whisked through a simple metal detector. I found myself herded through the full body scanner and thereby subject to its sometimes confounding findings.  Predictably within minutes, the scanner had singled me out as a person in need of special screening.

If lines converge mixing pre-cleared passengers with general traffic, be prepared to dart across the flow of incoming crowds to reclaim your place in the pre-cleared shorter line.  Otherwise, if your flight is leaving soon. You may not be on it!

  1. Especially for women passengers: Don’t wear skirts or shorts since security screenings can lead to a full body frisk.  In today’s world of more fees and less space, passengers are likely to dress for comfort which in warm weather may mean less not more layers. However, when confronted with a public pat down up one leg and down the other, long pants are likely to be the best option.
  2. Don’t wear bulky clothes or those that have ornate metal buttons and trim. Both can cause problems with metal detectors and full-body scanners meaning greater scrutiny and more delays. I previously had this experience traveling through London. I had been up in Scotland and the chilly North Sea. Wearing heavy clothes, I made a conspicuous figure mixed in with vacationers in tee shirts. Not unexpectedly, a female security guard immediately raced up having found such a seemingly suspicious character among outbound vacationers.
  3. If you are sent through a full body scanner, don’t even arch an eyebrow or dare to shift from one foot to the other. Such a barely perceptible movement will send security darting immediately in your direction.
  4. Don’t use the time waiting in a security line to make friends and trade travel stories with new found acquaintances. Do resist the urge until you have been cleared.

On a prior trip, I innocently found myself wishing I had saved the travel chat for the gate.  Filled with excitement heading out to a new exotic location, I struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger while waiting to board a flight.  When he was approached by security, a small knife popped out of his cell phone. It lay there gleaming on the floor while everyone gawked at this “concealed weapon”. It may have only been an innocuous nail grooming tool, but it immediately caught the eye of security. Worse yet, when his companion wisely melted away into a far off security line, I was left looking like the unfortunate traveler’s companion.  I did manage to get through security and on to my flight on time.  However, this is a mistake that is really easy to avoid.

If just the thought of spending time in another airport leaves you reeling, take heart. Many airport authorities and local entrepreneurs have come to the rescue. Now airports around the world are beginning to offer an array of services from spas/massages to seasonal ice-skating in Denver and in select US locations, “K-9 Ambassadors”.  But just in case, you are stranded for hours, do pack your own entertainment, and save lots of time for security delays.

 

About the Author
Elizabeth Avery founded SoloTrekker4U.com in 2012, to connect single travelers with top solo travel deals and those with no single supplements. In 2020, she launched the free, user-friendly SoloTravelPricingTracker.net with 1,000+ tour/cruise and lodging providers offering 20,000 trips. It is the only search tool that allows those traveling alone to find solo vacation packages based on whether there are no single supplement deals. Elizabeth has visited all 50 US states and more than 68 countries around the world.

Enjoy This Post? Share the Love!

  • google-share
Get tips sent straight to your inbox, and become a better solo traveller.

Sign Up for our Newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Recent Posts

  • 20 Tips for Traveling on a Budget without Sacrificing Quality
  • Hidden Europe -The Road Less Traveled By
  • Top Solo Travel Deals-France-No Single Supplements
  • 10 Tips to Make Vacation Travel Easier | Solo Trekker 4 U
  • Costa Rica Tours for Solo Travelers | Solo Trekker

Categories

  • #Navidad
  • 18 to 30s Solo Travel
  • Active Seniors Are Traveling The Globe
  • Adventure Travel
  • adventure travel packages
  • Africa
  • Animal Rescue
  • Australia
  • Avoiding Travel Hassles
  • Believe it or Not Adventures of Single Travelers
  • Best Vacations for Singles-Solo Travel Packages
  • Best Vacations For Singles/Solo Travel Packages
  • Budget Travel Tips
  • Business Travel
  • Canada
  • Caribbean
  • Castle Hotels
  • Christmas
  • Christmas 2015
  • Christmas Travel
  • Costa Rica Solo Travel Packages
  • Costa Rica Solo Trip
  • cultural travel
  • Dogs – Activities with Pets
  • East Asia
  • Eco Tours
  • Europe
  • Fashion
  • Fashion Around the World
  • Great Britain
  • Green Travel
  • Guest Posts
  • Halloween
  • Happy Hannukah
  • Happy Hanukkah
  • Historical Tours
  • Holiday Travel
  • Holidays 2015
  • How to Stay Healthy on Travel
  • How to Travel Better
  • India
  • Latin America
  • Luxury Travel
  • Middle East
  • Mideast
  • New Year's
  • News & Contests
  • Pacific Islands
  • Pack to save
  • Packing
  • River Cruises
  • Safety Travel Tips
  • saving on travel
  • Senior Travel
  • Senior Traveling Discounts
  • Single Traveler Destinations
  • Single Traveler Tips
  • Single Traveler Tips on Safety
  • Single Traveler Tips on Saving
  • Single Traveler Tips-Airport Advice
  • Singles Travel Tips
  • ski travel packages
  • solo adventures
  • Solo Female Travel
  • Solo Travel Asia
  • Solo Travel Canada
  • Solo Travel Destinations
  • Solo Travel Safety
  • Solo Travel Savings
  • Solo Travel Tips
  • Solo Travel Trips
  • Solo Travel USA
  • Solo Vacation Destinations Off-The-Beaten Path
  • South Asia
  • Southeast Asia
  • Staycations
  • Top Solo Travel Deals
  • Travel in Style
  • Travel in Times of Crisis
  • travel insurance
  • Travel Savings
  • Travel Style & Fashion
  • Travel Trivia Just for Fun
  • Travel with Dogs and Service Dogs
  • Travel with Pets
  • Travel with Your Dog
  • Uncategorized
  • United States
  • Unusual Stories from Around the World
  • Viajar Solo
  • Volunteer Opportunities Abroad
  • Wellness
  • What's on Your Mind When It Comes to Leisure Solo Travel?
  • Women Travel
  • Younger Travelers

Menu

  • Home
  • About Us at Solo Trekker 4 U
  • Travel Packages
  • Solo Travel Pricing Tracker-No Single Supplement
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service-SoloTrekker/SoloSherpa
  • Privacy Policy-Solo Trekker/SoloSherpa
Want to become a packages partner?
Email us Today

Sign up for our newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Get the Solo Sherpa Mobile app today
Get it on Google Play
© 2017 SoloTrekker | Powered by Intuitive Digital