26/11/2008 – Holiday Season Airport Security Reminder – Part 2 of 2 : Anatomy Of An Airport Security Checkpoint

Today starts the official “holiday travel season,” and it happens to be one of the busiest travel days of the year in the United States.  Over the next few days an estimated 4.5 million people will take to will choose to fly commercial airlines for their their travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, in the U.S.

Given this is the start of the ‘Holiday Travel Season,’ today seemed like a good time to post a reminder for travelers that know exactly how an airport security checkpoint works will help you get through faster, more effectively and with far less stress.

Hopefully reading ‘The Anatomy Of An Airport Security-Screening Checkpoint’ to make make process less stressful, easier and allow you to have a pleasant experience as you transit the airport.

So pack your bags, print your boarding pass from your home computer, read the following before you head out to the airport this Holiday Season.

1) The Line Up — The Line Up is simple. It is where passengers begin to line up to enter the security-screening checkpoint. You only enter the security-screening checkpoint once you have your boarding pass (yes, I have seen people get all the way through the line only to be turned away because they forgot to pick up their boarding pass).

2) The Barker — ‘The Barker’ is the security person who walks up and down the line ‘barking’ that you should have your boarding pass and valid photo identification out and available for inspection, that your laptop shouldbe out of your bag for x-ray inspection and that you are only entitled to only pass through security with no more than 3oz of liquids in each container, these containers must be in one single 1-quart bag and only one bag per person (hence ’3-1-1′ bag). These people may also split a single line into two lines, ask to see you boarding pass and at times just intimidate inexperienced travelers.

3) The ID Checker — This is the security person at the ‘entrance’ to the actual screening process. This person inspects your photo identification (usually a passport or drivers license) and your travel documents to make sure your name/face match those on your boarding pass.

4) The Long Table — The actual x-ray and metal detector process usually begins with a long table with plastic bins. This is where you remove your shoes (if required, the TSA does require it everywhere though); your laptop (if required); your 3-1-1 bag (now
virtually universal at all security). You also want to start making sure you have no metal on you, this means place your coins, keys, mobile phone, etc in a secure pocket, or inside one of your bags.

5) The Bins — Every ‘Long Table’ has ‘The Bins.’ ‘The Bins’ are where you’ll place your shoes, jacket, laptop and other lose items.

6) The X-Ray Scanner — At the end of the ‘Long Table” is the X-Ray Scanner and its conveyor belt. You want to place your bags and bins in the X-Ray scanner. Remember that bins go in vertically NOT horizontally. Make sure you witness your bags entering the X-Ray scanner before proceeding to the next step, and from that moment never take your eyes off the ‘exit’ of the x-ray scanner! Also remember to keep your boarding pass out and in your hand, do not place that through with your bags and bins.

7) The Metal Detector — Once your bags and bins are in the x-ray scanner (and your boarding pass is in your hand!) you’ll line up for the metal detector. Always wait outside the metal detector until the security personnel have motioned for you to pass through the metal detector. Before passing through pat yourself down to check for any metal items you may have missed. If you have any loose metal items declare them before you go through the metal detector.

7a) The Metal Detector Wand (if you set off the alarm)– ‘The Wand’ is a simple hand held metal detector used by security personnel to check passengers who have set off the metal detector multiple times. You are usually hold your arms out and are ‘traced’ with the wand to find the source of the metal.

8 ) The Rollout — ‘The Roll-Out’ is the end of the X-Ray scanner where you retrieve your bags-n-bins. Pay attention that you have all your items and that they have exited the x-ray scanner before walking off. Take your items methodically from the x-ray scanner and if you must ‘put yourself back together’ do so at the chair or benches away from the x-ray scanner. By moving away from the x-ray scanner you’re not only allowing other
passengers to proceed through, but you’re also moving to a calmer environment to put your shoes on, put your laptop away, put your 3-1-1 bag away and retrieve the small metal items you have placed in a pocket or a bag.

9) The Bag Check (should your carry on bag need a secondary screening) — There seem to be few words dreaded more than hearing “BAG CHECK LANE 7″ (or whatever lane you’re in) for many passengers. Honestly, I know what my carry on bags look like and I’m personally often more concerned when I don’t here this being yelled out while the x-ray security operator is viewing my bag. A bag check is really simple. You collect all your items, just as discussed in “8) The Rollout” and a security screener carries one of your bags, in your full view, to a separate table. At that table you must never touch your items unless instructed to do so, the screener will look through tour bag and possibly wipe it down with a swab intended to detect explosives. This is not a big deal; when they are done you repack your bag (unless you have explosives in which case you have a lot of explaining to do).

10) Have A Good Flight — ‘Have A Good Fight’ is just what it sounds like……..

Happy Holidays & Happy Flying!

26/11/2008 – Holiday Season Airport Security Reminder – Part 1 of 2 : Don’t Be An Airport Thief’s Target

Today is one of the busiest travel days of the year in the United States.  In the next few days 4.5 million people will take to the skies for during the Thanksgiving holiday, in the U.S., so this seemed like a good time to post a reminder on how to avoid becoming the victim of an airport thief

The majority of airport thefts happen in plain site and the majority of airport thefts happen in ‘secure’ areas.   How is this possible?   Flyers have a false sense of security in airports, flyers get flustered during the airport security screening process, and thieves prey on these easy opportunities.

For those traveling this Holiday Season, I’d like to offer some basic, and simple, tips to decreasing your chances of becoming the target of an airport thief.

My process for going through airport security is simple, and starts long before I get to the security area. Following is a break down of my steps

1) After checking in (or entering the airport if you have checked in at home), but before approaching the security line, empty your pant pockets of all metal, remove your phone and place them in a zippered jacker/vest pocket. After the items are in your pocket,  remove your drivers license (or other valid identification) from your wallet and place it in your pant pocket. Once yourI D is removed,  place your wallet in the same pocket in
the same zipper pocket. I use a zippered pocket because my jacket/vest must be removed at the airport screening checkpoint and sent through the x-ray machine.

If I am not wearing a jacket/vest I take my items out and place them in a 1-quart sized Ziplock bag and then place this bag inside my carry on baggage.

2) While in line approaching the x-ray and metal detector,remove my shoes and make your laptop accessible. If possible, fly with shoes that you can easily remove with no effort so you re not holding up the line while untying your shoes.

Sometimes there is a need to wear boots.  When wearing boots,   have them unlaced, with the laces tucked into the boots, so you can slip them off easily.

3) Just before approaching the x-ray ‘runway table’  pat yourself down to make sure you have not missed anything, such as keys or coins in you pockets.

4) When you get to the x-ray ‘runway table’ I take two bins, load them, and stack them until you get closer to the x-ray conveyour belt. This allows others to get their bins ready behind you, which speeds up the line for everyone.

5) The placement of you items in the x-ray scanner is an important part of the personal property security system.

The first bin through has should have your jacket/vest, shoes and ’3-1-1′ bag. By placing these items through first you can quickly grab up your shoes and jacket as soon as you get through the metal detector. While airport thieves will reach into shoes looking for a wallet, a watch or other valuables, they will not stop to pick up my jacket, unzip the pocket and search the pocket. There is no way to do that in a quick slight-of-hand manner. This means your items are rather safe from theft.

The second bin through the x-ray is your laptop. By placing your laptop second, behind your shoes/jacket and ahead of your bags, you create a barrier between the laptop and other items coming through the scanner. Your should try and pace yourself so you will come through the metal detector around the same time as the laptop comes through and rolls out of the conveyor belt.

The third and fourth items through are carry on bags, which is technically “1 bag + 1 personal item.” If you are traveling with a bag that is likely to be stopped inside the x-ray scanner and either get a few second looks through the x-ray monitor, or get pulled off for a hand-search, the first bag through is the one least likely to get stopped by the x-ray screener. The last bag in (or only bag if I am flying with 1 bag only) is the one most likely to be stopped. By placing the bags  last in line of items through the X-Ray scanner, you’ll be able to have your shoes on, your jacket on and your laptop in your  hand before the bags roll out.

You should ALWAYS  watch as your last bag enters the x-ray machine. You want to know personally that all your items are on their way to the “air side” of the x-ray machine.

6) As you approach the metal detector, boarding pass in hand, you should never take your eyes off the x-ray machine’s exit conveyour belt.  You don’t generally need to me make eye contact with the security screener, you should watch your items only. Because you have fully patted yourself down before you even enter the security line you know you are free of anything that will set off the metal detector and you can walk through quickly and recover your items.

7) If the “air side” area of the x-ray roll-off is crowded you should stack your bins, take your bags and walk to the end of the security screening area to carefully put yourself back together. By slowly and methodically putting everything back together you can ensure you leave nothing behind, and also leave no opportunity for a thief to steam your items. An additional benefit to taking your items and getting back together away from the conveyour belt you leave room for others to enter this area and claim their items without clogging up the post-security screening area.

8 ) Grab a newspaper, find a comfortable place to sit and wait for your flight to be called

If you get selected for “secondary screening” insist on being able to claim your items, or insist on a TSA screener collecting your items and placing them in your line of sight. You have the right to do this. If this is refused, do not take your eyes off your personal property and ask for a supervisor immediately………which will almost always simply cause a screener to collect your personal property and place it in your line of sight.

By using a system, being calm, and knowing exactly what you can and cannot bring through security you’ll have no problems getting to your gate quickly.

If you are unsure of what you can and cannot bring through security in the U.S. visit www.tsa.gov The allowed/not allowed lists on the TSA web site are now generally common throughout the airport security check points in many countries.

Happy Flying!

21/10/2008 – Mail From United Airlines That I Wish Was True : New Scam To Steal Frequent Flyer Miles

This morning I went to my PO Box to pick up my mail. My mail had the usual bills, a few catalogs and an envelope from United Airlines.

Inside the envelope was a single piece of paper with only the following information, in addition to my name and address

Frischling/Steven Mr.

03 Dec 08
Swiss 345 Coach Class
Lv: Lon / Heathrow 600a nonstop Confirmed
Ar: Zurich 835a
Snack

04 Dec 08
Swiss 1248 Coach Class
Lv: Zurich 650a nonstop Confirmed
Ar: Stkhlm/Arlanda 915a
Snack

05 Dec 08
Lufthansa 3001 Coach Class
Lv: Stkhlm/Arlanda 1005a nonstop Confirmed
Ar: Frankfurt 1215p
Snack

06 Dec 08
Lufthansa 3258 Coach Class
Lv: Frankfurt 820a nonstop Confirmed
Ar: Prague 925a
Snack

07 Dec 08
Swiss 1485 Coach Class Operated By-Helvetic Airways
Lv: Prague 950a nonstop Confirmed
Ar: Zurich 1110a
Snack

07 Dec 08
Swiss 638 Coach Class
Lv: Zurich 1235p nonstop Confirmed
Ar: Paris/DeGaulle 155p
Snack

I read this over and at first I said “Great!” Then of course reality set in when I noticed three glaring problems with receiving this itinerary in the mail.

Problem #1 : My frequent flyer number was no where to be found in the info

Problem #2: The itinerary showed no flights getting me to London or home from Paris

Problem #3: This was NOT my itinerary.

Of course the fact that this was not my itinerary should have been “Problem #1″ and eliminated problems #2 and #3, but sometimes you have to just say “Hey, maybe they made a mistake and this is mine!”

After a 15-minute call with United Airlines I learned that this reservation was made on the 15th of October. The person who made the reservation had my old address, with a business phone number I have listed in various places online.

When the reservation was made, who ever made it gave incorrect billing information. Despite the incorrect billing information the seats remain “confirmed” without the tickets being issued.

So what is the point in all this? This appears to have been someone’s attempt to steal my frequent flyer miles.

By creating a detailed itinerary and having a ‘billing problem’ whoever made the reservation would then call back in an attempt to get my frequent flyer information. Once they have my frequent flyer information they would call back and attempt to book the flights using my frequent flyer miles.

Anyone doing this would need to travel with my passport right? Wrong!

Flying on a forged boarding pass is not that risky. A flyer can check-in online, create PDFs of the boarding pass, and then insert ‘their name’ on the boarding pass using Photoshop. To be caught doing this would require someone visually scanning the boarding pass to actually read the name on the boarding pass while also reading the name that pops up on the screen to see if they match at the gate.

How often do gate agents read the name on the boarding pass while also looking at the name that pops up on the boarding pass scanner? Almost never.

Luckily for me, while I fly United Airlines often, nearly all my miles are credited to a Europe based Star Alliance airline. Should the person who made this reservation have pressed forward in an attempt to steal my miles they would not have gotten very far. I have used nearly all my United Mileage Plus miles and only have roughly 21,000 miles in my account.

FYI: 21,000 miles won’t even get you an award seat between Washington Dulles (IAD) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD)

I have been in contact with United Airlines. The reservation is cancelled, my information has been flagged and unfortunately I am not spending four days bouncing around Europe.

New scams are created daily, and I am glad United Airlines sent me off this envelope with this itinerary. Without this letter in the mail I would have had no idea someone was created travel itineraries in my name.

For those of you who are known to fly often and rack up a lot of miles, check your accounts once in a while. Make sure all your miles are in your account and no one is trying to take vacations with your hard earned mileage!

Happy Flying!