TSA
14-02
Contact: Sebastian Warren
Phone: 202-493-1255
Friday, May 24, 2002
The
Transportation Security Administration Releases Summer Travel Tips
The Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) today released a list of travel tips to help
vacationers minimize anticipated wait times at airports over the Memorial Day
weekend, the official start of the summer travel season.
The tips can be found at www.tsa.dot.gov. Just click on Traveler Tips and Prohibited Items.
“This weekend, TSA
expects the highest number of air travelers at our nation’s airports since
last September. We are informing
the public about what they can and cannot carry through checkpoints so we can
expedite to the maximum possible extent the flow of passengers,” said John W.
Magaw, the Under Secretary of Transportation for the Transportation Security
Administration.
In addition, TSA has compiled a full list of prohibited items, which travelers
can access by visiting www.tsa.dot.gov. Passengers attempting to carry these items will be asked to
relinquish them before can boarding an aircraft.
Vacationers
commonly carry items to airports that slow the screening process.
Such items include scissors, corkscrews, pocket knives and mace.
TSA asks that travelers leave these items at home.
TSA
also wants to remind travelers to allow extra time; heightened security measures
require more time to properly screen travelers. Travelers should contact their
airline to find out how early they should arrive.
At
check-in, remember:
·
A
government-issued ID (federal, state, or local) will be requested. Each traveler
must be prepared to show ID at the ticket counter and subsequent points, such as
at the boarding gate, along with an airline-issued boarding pass.
·
Curbside
check-in is available on an airline-by-airline basis. Travelers should contact
their airline to see if it is available at their airport.
·
E-ticket
travelers should check with their airline to make sure they have proper
documentation. Written confirmation, such as a letter from the airline
acknowledging the reservation, may be required to pass through a security
checkpoint.
Also,
when in screening lines remember:
·
Only
ticketed passengers are allowed beyond the security checkpoints. (Arrangements
can be made with the airlines for non-travelers accompanying children, travelers
needing special assistance to get to the gate.)
·
Each
traveler will be limited to one carry-on bag and one personal bag (such as purse
or briefcase). Travelers and their bags may be subject to additional screening
at the gate.
·
All
electronic items (such as laptops and cell phones) are subject to additional
screening. Be prepared to remove your laptop from its travel case so that each
can be X-rayed separately.
·
Limit
metal objects worn on your person or clothing. Remove metal objects (such as
keys, cell phones, change, etc.) prior to passing through the metal detectors to
facilitate the screening process. (Putting metal objects in your carry-on bag
will expedite the process of going through the metal detector.)
###