Last week, I set out to secure my new credentials as a frequent global traveler.  Knowing now what I do about the program, it was truly worth the effort and the $$$…

Back in July 2011, the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Protection (DCBP) opened the “Global Entry” Trusted Traveler Network to all eligible U.S. citizens, in order to help expedite the clearance process for those citizens of the United States who are willing to submit to an extensive background check, be photographed and fingerprinted and pass a secondary interview process.  These travelers are then issued a privileged process of clearing customs and immigration through specially designated lines and ATM-like kiosks using the passport/photo/fingerprint scans to identify the member and clear them through in a more expeditious manner.

It really wasn’t very difficult to do.  And if you travel outside the United States more than 4 times a year, I’d say that the financial investment is worth your money, and definitely your time.

It begin with, you must create an account online at the DCBP website called GOES (Global Online Enrollment System) at https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/main/goes. If you are already registered with NEXUS or SENTRI, please follow the links on that page for further information on transferring your registration to the GOES system for admittance into the Global Entry program.

Keep in mind that by applying for this service, you will be subjected to a thorough 10-yearbackground check.  You will be asked what countries you visited for business and/or pleasure over the last 10 years and approximate date you were there.  If you hold dual citizenship or have multiple passports, you MUST include all of these documents in your application.  You will be asked to submit payment to the DCBP of $100.00 USD which is NON-REFUNDABLE (be very mindful of this fact: if your application is rejected for an incomplete application, or incorrect information, or for any other reason, you will have to reapply to the program and submit ANOTHER $100.00).  Your application and membership in the program is valid for five (5) years from the date of your acceptance in the program.

Also, be mindful that if you have ever been convicted of a felony here in the U.S. or abroad, have been fined in the past by the U.S. Customs for violations of any type, or have any other discrepancies in your record that would flag the system, your application will be rejected and you will forfeit your application fee.

Once your application and fee has been received, the DCBP will take upwards of four weeks to process your information and perform your background check.  Upon completion of this procedure, you will receive a letter (usually in e-mail form) either congratulating the acceptance of your information or you will be notified of your rejection from the program.  Those who are accepted to the program must then return to the GOES system and schedule an appointment for a one-on-one interview with a DCBP officer.  There are approximately 20-25 locations that you can schedule your appointment.  You must schedule the appointment within 30 days of the date of your acceptance letter or forfeit your application and fee.

During the interview, you will view a video prepared by the DCBP that explains in complete details how the program works and the procedure for using the Global Entry kiosks at the airport.  Afterwards, you will be asked a series of questions regarding your past, your travel, your employment and be asked to review any items on your application that the DCBP officer deems necessary to continue.

Once your interview has been completed to the satisfaction of your DCBP officer, you will be photographed and fingerprinted.  Afterwards, a special sticker is attached to the inside of your passport and you are then instructed on the next steps.  Basically, you will receive a letter in the mail confirming your completion and acceptance into the program.  If you have any specific questions about the program or the procedures, the interview is the best time to ask.

As an added bonus, currently the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun the “Trusted Traveler” program at several major airports around the country, and will be rolled out to all airports as the program is fully developed.  Successful applicants of the Global Entry program are currently automatically accepted into this program and you will receive a special credit-card sized card with sensitive electronics built into it (much like your passport) and a protective sleeve to store it in.  This card will grant you access to the special express lines at participating airports to get through security, and allow you the ability to get through the screening process without having to remove your shoes, jackets or separate your laptop from your carry-on luggage, thus expediting getting you to your scheduled flight.

Keep in mind that, as with all security programs, you are ALWAYS subject to secondary search and screening at any time, so while you will save a lot of time and headaches most of the time, there will be times when you are required to these additional searches.  Failure to comply with these requests, or discovery of your violation of any customs or immigration rules or regulations will subject you to fines, and/or imprisonment and most certainly automatic dismissal from the program without the ability to regain entry.

For further information about this program, contact the DCBP at their website at www.cbp.gov or www.dhs.gov.

Avoid forcing the TSA to be the Grinch that stole YOUR Christmas!

© MGM/UA for Theodor S. Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

As sure as the holiday season is upon us, someone is always ready, willing and able to ruin things for the rest of us!

Last week, a Continental Airlines passenger, bound for Cleveland, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and charged with possession of and transporting marijuana with the intent to resell it.[1]  What made this incident a bit more relevant than most was HOW the Transportation Security Administration discovered the more than 120 pounds of cannabis that was seized…

It turns out that Derik Dwayne Neely, 32, of Flint, Michigan, had concealed the parcels of pot within two Christmas-wrapped boxes inside his checked bags.  Since the TSA officers who were scanning the luggage couldn’t make out what was inside the gift-wrapped boxes, by protocol, they were removed and unwrapped.

The holidays are important to the vast majority of us Americans, whether it is for Hanukkah, Kwanza, or Christmas.  It’s perfectly fine to take off for your family’s, friends’ or favorite vacation destination fully prepared for gift exchanges…but if you are going to fly to get there, the TSA warns: DON’T WRAP THE GIFTS!

To begin with, try to remember that there are certain things which cannot be transported on commercial aircraft simply because they may fall into the category of “dangerous goods.”  Flammable liquids, gases and solids are a no-no.  Any type of explosive or explosive material is forbidden.  And believe it or not, if your holiday goodies require refrigeration, do not assume it’s okay to wrap it in dry ice without notifying the airlines and filling out the necessary forms required by law, no matter how much you pack in your carry-on or checked luggage!  (By the way, PLEASE don’t pack perishables in either your carry-ons or your check baggage using regular ice—you may end up causing an unexpected spectacle at the airport if the ice begins leaking out of your bag, especially in an overhead bin at 30,000 feet!).

Oh, and those of you Paula Deens, Rachel Rays and Gordon Ramseys out there: listen up!  You may make the very best homemade gravy, cranberry sauce or strawberry jam, but according to the TSA, if it’s more than 3.4 ounces and not placed in the required singular quart-sized Ziploc™-style baggy when going through the screening checkpoint, they will be required to confiscate it!

The TSA has guidelines spelled out for all travelers regarding the transport of Christmas Gifts and food items on flights during the holidays.[2] You can find a complete run down of the do’s and don’ts on their website.  The TSA advises that pies and cakes are allowed through the screening checkpoints, but are subject to additional screening procedures.  Gifts purchased at the airports inside the secured checkpoints have already been pre-screened and should require additional scrutiny by TSA, but remember they have the authority to question and/or screen any item being brought aboard an airplane.

© Theodor S. Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

If you just personally feel that Santa must deliver to your loved ones at your destination, have the good folks at FedEx or UPS act as your sleigh this year.  It’ll save you time, stress and especially delays or embarrassment at the airport.

Let the “reindeer games” commence!

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[1] LA Weekly, Blogs, “Christmas Marijuana Seized at LAX: TSA is The Grinch,” Dennis Romero, Nov. 11, 2011:  http://bit.ly/t2OB7e

[2] Transportation Security Administration, For Travelers, “Traveling with Food or Gifts: How to Pack Food and Gift Items”  http://1.usa.gov/sqf6KQ

I’m really scratching my head on this one.  I know that we can all be a little forgetful when we travel.  I have a mental checklist when I get ready to leave home for a trip that will put me in several airport terminals in the space of three or four days.  I usually travel with two bags: my roller-board suitcase and a compact duffel-tote bag.  With these two bags, I can pack up to six days’ worth of clothing and sundries to meet just about any situation.

I pack my own bags.  I don’t have hired help, or even my mother to help me out the door with all that I need.  So I am well aware of every item that I carry with me when I head for the airport.

Image courtesy of The Orange County Register

The public demand for airline travel has grown exponentially over the last 30 years.  This fact alone indicates that there will be a much larger swath of the public who will travel because it is cheaper than bus, car or rail.  It also most assuredly guarantees that among that plethora of people and personalities, there will be those who have no idea what they are doing, or those who will try anything to bend or break the rules when it comes to air travel.

Still, I find it disturbing that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continually discovers an interesting assortment of “contraband” in travelers’ luggage as they try to get through airport security lines across the country.  Their latest blog continues to reveal the items that are found around the system on a daily basis![1]  You’d be stunned to hear what exactly people are trying to bring aboard airplanes these days.  Here are a few recent highlights:

• In August of this year, a female passenger in Rochester, NY was detained at a TSA checkpoint when the screening agents thought they saw a knife concealed inside the woman’s cane.  It turned out to be a 19” double-sided sword![2] After questioning, she was allowed to continue on — minus the cane/sword, of course!
• An Egyptian man from Baltimore was arrested after a TSA screener found 13 knives concealed within the liner of his luggage.  The man, who has lived in the USA for seven years, claimed he was a knife collector, had just purchased the knives, and was booked on a flight to Minneapolis that day.  He faces a number of charges, including carrying a concealed dangerous weapon and interfering with airport security procedures.[3]
• A 22-year old man from Tennessee, on his way to Las Vegas, was slapped with federal misdemeanor charges for trying to bring knives, tactical and police batons, brass knuckles and four inert grenades in his tote bag.[4]

Image courtesy of TSA.gov

What puzzles me is that the two most common replies that TSA, ATF and the FBI get when questioning these folks is either “I didn’t know they were in my bags,” or “I forgot they were there.”  Seriously???

The truth of the matter is that in this day and age, after just recognizing the tenth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, why are these folks being given what appears to be a “pass” on these issues?  Misdemeanor charges?  Being questioned and then released with the banned items confiscated?  Am I sounding too alarmist here?

I work on an airplane.  It’s my job, and not only do I enjoy my work, but I have a reasonable expectation that I will get from one airport to the next without the need to call in the SWAT team simply because someone who left their wits back at the security checkpoint was lucky enough to slip one past the guardians!  And in one instance, they had help from an airline employee!!![5]

Personally, the logical part of my brain asks, “Where have these people been hiding?  Under what rock were they living?”  Unfortunately, as it IS the public we are dealing with here, I learned long ago that when it comes to the General Public, you’ll have to throw out logic just to get your mind wrapped around what these people were (or perhaps not) thinking when they got up that morning, knowing that they were going to the airport, needed to pack a bag or two for the journey, and would be subjected to an intensive search of their belongings at the security checkpoint!

The cynical side of me says that these people knew exactly what they were doing and were trying to circumvent the system to accommodate their own idea of civil freedoms.  I just can’t fathom how law enforcement can accept the “I didn’t know” excuse or the “I forgot it was there” defense.  Plato said “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.”

As long as bad people continue trying, we’ll continue to need the security countermeasures that the TSA is continually trying to improve.

[1] The TSA Blog, “Sometimes The Airport Is Similar To A Gun And Knife Show,” Blogger Bob, September 28, 2011, http://bit.ly/oQYtUf

[2] Transportation Security Administration, TSA.gov, Media Room, “ROC Good Catch – Sword in Cane 8-23-11,” http://1.usa.gov/q3itSn

[3] The Baltimore Sun, Travel, “Man from Egypt held on BWI weapons charge,” Michael Dresser, July 14, 2011, http://bit.ly/qk098W

[4] TimesNews.net, Associated Press, “Screening finds grenades, knives, other weapons in luggage at Nashville airport; Tennessee man arrested,” January 8, 2011, http://bit.ly/q9ZjiY

[5] Thaindian.com, Newsportal-World, “Two people arrested on board U.S. Airways flight at Philadelphia International Airport,” BNO News, June 4, 2009, http://bit.ly/oIGyF5

Ok, what **IS** in the water these days!?  In the air?  In people’s daydreams?

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about two high profile cases involving celebrities misbehaving on airplanes.  Now it seems that the general public is trying to get into the act…

This morning, it was reported that a passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from SLC to LAS threatened to slit another passenger’s throat with a knife over an argument regarding the armrest.  When other passengers noticed that the culprit reached into his bag several times, and removed something as it was cupped in his hands, the flight attendants were notified and the SLC Police moved in, removed him from the flight, and after a search of the contents of his bag, discovered a 3 1/2 inch folding knife.  He then proceeded to threaten the FBI agent who had joined the investigation![1]

Last week, on a flight from Majorca to Newcastle, UK, a 26-year old passenger suddenly felt the urge to attempt at opening one of the emergency exits at 36,000 feet, causing the emergency lights to come on, flight attendants to begin shouting their emergency commands and creating a panic among the passengers aboard.  He had to be restrained with eight seat belt extensions before they diverted the flight to London’s Gatwick Airport.[2]

And, of course, there were several tense situations on September 11, 2011, with suspicious incidents being reported at several airports, including the removal of three passengers in handcuffs from a Frontier Airlines flight from San Diego to Detroit (a flight that was met by fighter jets and escorted until they landed safely) and the remaining 116 passengers being detained and questioned by the FBI.[3]

These are just the incidents that actually made the news.  I have heard from several colleagues that they were involved in other cases where passenger misbehavior or suspicious activity was reported, and authorities called to the airplane for further investigation.

As with my earlier entry about other crazy stunts being pulled on flights, it should come as no surprise that in-flight crews, pilots and customer service agents are still on “high-alert” as it were, from the recent 9/11 anniversary.  Still, whether or not that is relevant, the fact still remains that some people still don’t understand that a “higher standard” of behavior is still expected when traveling by air.  Most crews can discern between rudeness and suspicious, but for the most part, they cannot afford to take chances in allowing any incident to develop into something bigger or more serious, especially when hurling through the atmosphere at nearly the speed of sound.

At times, the general public forgets that dissatisfaction is better communicated through letters or phone calls to the airline, rather than escalating it in the air.  There are unintended consequences that might have to be faced should a tirade from a fed up traveler evolve into a higher level of emotion.  Believe me; it doesn’t take much to move from “frustrated” to “taking justice into one’s own hands.”

In a somewhat ‘tongue-in-cheek’ blog entry, world-renowned travel critic, Peter Greenberg conveyed five sure-fire ways to get kicked off a flight, including dropping ‘F-bombs’ towards your flight attendant, to trying to assault a Presidential candidate![4]  While some of it may seem humorous, this doesn’t even scratch the surface of other surefire methods of instant removal.

Several years ago, while working as a Purser from Los Angeles to New York City, I had the misfortune of dealing with a truly strange situation.

A female passenger approached me in the forward galley to inform me that a seemingly inebriated male passenger was making unwanted advances towards her.  While she conveyed the story to me, she was very quiet, barely whispering the details to me when she told me that when she finally told him to ‘get lost,’ her retorted by bragging to her that she needn’t worry since he had a ‘bomb’ in his bag!  Definite red flag!  For certain, a ‘yellow card’ penalty of the first degree!

We immediately contact airport security.  Our General Security Manager (GSM) arrived planeside and informed us that all passengers and their belongings, including all checked bags and cargo in the belly of the plane were going to be removed and rescreened.  Two FBI agents appeared at the airplane door, and we directed them to the culprit.

As he was being questioned by the agents onboard, while being handcuffed right there in front of the remaining passengers on board, he exclaimed that he had told the woman that he had a “BONG” in his bag.  The agents weren’t buying it.  He was escorted off, along with his traveling companion, who just happened to be his boss and the CEO of the company the suspect worked for.  I wonder if he was eligible for unemployment insurance under those circumstances???

The bottom-line is that there really IS an unwritten rule regarding behavior on board airplanes.  While the general quality of the public’s set of manners continues to deteriorate, at some point the limits have to be established.  Although Congress recently enacted the Airline Passengers’ Bill-of-Rights, that is certainly not a free pass for bad behavior on a plane.

It really boils down to patience, both from the passengers and the airline personnel that deals with the public.  But should you find yourself in a showdown on words and personalities with an airline employee, be very careful.  The majority of the time, you will end up with the ‘short straw’ in that contest, and the ramifications of removal from a flight may be too high a price for you to pay.

[1] KSL-TV News, KSL.com, Utah-Local News: “Airline passenger carried knife, threatened others, police say,” Dennis Romboy, September 21, 2011,  http://bit.ly/ohOOLY

[2] FoxNews.com, Europe-World: “Passenger Tries to Open Plane Door at 36,000 feet,” NewsCore, September 15, 2011, http://fxn.ws/ndy3fU

[3] The Detroit News, DetNews.com, Metro and State: “3 Passengers hauled off Frontier flight at Metro Airport,” Calvin Men & Mark Hicks, September 12, 2011, http://bit.ly/mRAXSz

[4] PeterGreenberg.com, “5 Ways To Get Kicked Off Flights,” June 17, 2011, http://bit.ly/njLe1o

As the world prepares for the tenth anniversary of what most American’s consider history’s most horrific act of terrorism ever, it’s no wonder that the media circus is ramping-up with pretty much every angle and facet of analysis on what went wrong, what has happened since then and what continues happen in and around the airline industry. Speculation will run rampant and so-called expert ‘talking heads’ and pundits will raise the spectre of renewed rumblings of terrorist activity against the United States and the free enterprise world of commerce, one of the founding pillars of the freedoms that we now enjoy.

Since September 11, 2011, the world of airline travel has remained a focal point of safety and security. Last year, IATA (the International Air Transport Association) reported that over TWO and a HALF BILLION people were transported via airline travel alone. [1] In that time, there have been scattered breeches of security throughout the world, mostly due to ignorance on the part of the traveling public, or the lapse of judgement among a handful of those who are charged with maintaining that barrier of defense at airports worldwide. The human element of the equation in regards to personal safety and protections against acts of terror makes it impossible for 100% accuracy.

Anti-terror tactics that have been employed over the past ten years continue to evolve and many hard-working people spend countless hours and billions of dollars in resources to keep that high-level of security at our airports and on our aircraft daily. Yet for all the ingenuity and strategies that have and continue to be engaged and developed, the traveling public seems to take these efforts in stride. The security checkpoints and airport facilities of the United States have been on a high state of alert since the weeks following 9/11, and there has been no adjustment of that alert status, up or down, from their current levels to date. As is typical of all things “human,” when something becomes routine and tolerated to the point that little changes, we tend to ignore the signs and tell ourselves that nothing is wrong. We marginalize the discomfort and sometimes even cast disdain towards those whose job it is to keep those alert levels high and enforce the rules at the slightest infraction.

As one of those safety professionals aboard our aircraft, it is my duty to maintain order and remain vigilant, even though it may seem that my primary duties are more inline with serving beverages or seeing to the comfort of my passengers. On every flight, I witness how the majority of today’s airline travelers pay little or no attention to the safety demo at the beginning of the flight. They rarely take out the Safety Information Card and perform, what we in the business like to refer to as “the silent review” — simply taking a moment to orient oneself to their relative position in the plane, determine how far from the nearest exit they are, or how the emergency exit is opened and/or operated. Yet there are those among the media who continue to denigrate and marginalize our effectiveness or our methods to stay focused on protecting the public aboard our aircraft daily.

Earlier today, The Atlantic published an article, written by a Journalism student at Northwestern University, that was highly critical of those methods and those who are charged with enforcement of protecting the cockpit door in-flight. Entitled “How to Hijack an Airplane in 3 Seconds” by Abraham Tekippe [2], the piece comes off as an alarmist rant about the in-flight crew’s inability to protect the cockpit, were the door to be opened during a flight. Citing that would-be terrorists would seat themselves in the first few rows of the aircraft in order to over-power and over-take an open cockpit door in-flight due to the pilots’ need to use lavatory facilities or be served meals from the galley, Tekippe uses two reports of passenger complaints filed with the TSA (one in 2007 and one in 2010) to make his case (he fails to reference his source material or where he gained access to these complaints). He also blames the FAA’s lack of secondary barrier requirements by the airlines to defend the cockpit door, stating that the FAA’s reluctance to mandate these barriers is due to their restrictive cost factors (he alleges that each barrier costs between $5,000-$10,000 per aircraft, yet again citing no references).

He also blames the industry for minimizing the need for such access deterrents, and states that IATA believes that secondary barriers provide no enhancement to securing the cockpit door in-flight. In my own research on this topic, however, IATA seems to be concentrating their security efforts on keeping those who would bring down aircraft in the air off the planes completely, by enhancing and improving the secure checkpoints throughout the industry. Ken Dunlap, Global Director of Security and Travel Facilitation for IATA, contends that “passengers should be screened to a degree commensurate with what is known about them. The threat has become more dynamic. It’s not just bad objects that need detecting now.” [3]

While Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) are still in play around the system (the exact number of FAMs is classified), it would be nearly impossible to employ them on every single flight that launches daily in the US alone, let alone the world. For many travelers, just knowing that the possibility that Air Marshals could be on board their flight is enough to give them just the slightest peace-of-mind. The Federal Government and the Airline Industry have a complicated task on their hands, trying to balance the appropriate level of security with over-restrictive in-flight rules and regulations that make questionable their violation of personal civil rights . Somewhere in the middle of it all, the crew must maintain vigilance on every flight they work to ensure that everyone aboard arrives at their destination with the minimum amount of physical discomfort and emotional distress as can be achieved.

There are going to be those out there that are hyper-critical of the airlines’ role in this topic. I can assure readers of this column that most airlines consider in-flight safety and security to be their most important and crucial component. My co-workers strive to maintain that goal and take their roles as safety directors on-board quite seriously. Most of us realize that the constant barrage ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ aboard a flight is exhaustive to the average traveler. And for us, we are witness to the traveling public’s ever growing apathy toward these rules and regulations. It’s pointless to argue with the crew when it comes to these FARs (Federal Air Regulations) because it’s our responsibility to inform and enforce them.

In a few weeks, the world will remember what happened in the skies above Manhattan ten years ago. The question of security in airline travel will be discussed ‘ad nauseum.’ While discussing the topic of the possibility of a future terrorist attack is inevitable on almost any news source who chooses to cover it, one wonders if it will give travelers pause enough to understand the need for compliance with FARs when traveling? Who knows…but we will all be subject to the coverage of the event, and it will be up to us to take heed of those messages…or to ignore them.

_____________________________________________
[1]Air Transport Association, Data & Analysis, “Annual Report: World Airlines,” June 29, 2011: http://tinyurl.com/3r8bvkh

[2]The Atlantic, “How to Hijack an Airplane in 3 Seconds,” Abraham Tekippe, Aug. 16, 2011: http://tinyurl.com/3bb7cd4

[3]IATA: “Security – Tunnel of Technology,” ‘Airlines International: Dec. 2010,’ http://tinyurl.com/3j9jlmx