Nov 21st, 2009 at 12:00PM: The government doesn't want to make you miserable! Seriously. The Department of Homeland Security wants faster airport screening just as much as you do. That's why it supports a program for screening approved, low-risk travelers coming to the United States to most international airports. The new approach has been tested for more than a year at seven airports, and screening time dropped from 10 ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
security posts
Feds are tired of making you wait in security line
Nov 21st, 2009 at 12:00PM: The government doesn't want to make you miserable! Seriously. The Department of Homeland Security wants faster airport screening just as much as you do. That's why it supports a program for screening approved, low-risk travelers coming to the United States to most international airports. The new approach has been tested for more than a year at seven airports, and screening time dropped from 10 ...EU rules on liquid carry-ons may become "fluid"
Oct 10th, 2009 at 5:00PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/10/eu-rules-on-liquid-carry-ons-may-become-fluid/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
Grab a drink, if you feel inclined ... in Europe, at least. The European Union is getting ready to lift the ban on liquids in carry-ons. The target date is still pretty far in the future, because the technology the EU plans to use isn't widely available yet. ...Ten products to avoid when passing through airport security
Sep 29th, 2009 at 10:00AM: digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Ten_products_to_avoid_when_passing_through_airport_security'; The Transportation Security Administration spends millions of Dollars each year trying to inform airline passengers what to leave at home, and how to safely pack things.
We should all know by now that liquids come with restrictions, and that swords and other dangerous items will be taken ...Should first class passengers get a shorter line at security?
Jun 27th, 2009 at 3:30PM: In Boston's Logan international airport, I recently witnessed a meltdown in the security line. A first class passenger was livid -- furious because ordinary passengers were being directed into the shorter, elite x-ray lane by the TSA. For their part, the TSA were indifferent. All passengers are the same, they kept saying, as people shuffled past the ID checkpoint while the first class passenger ...Travel Alert: Clear Security ceases operation
Jun 22nd, 2009 at 8:00PM: Just yesterday evening as I passed by the Clear Lane at Boston's Logan International Airport, I saw my favorite employee and wondered how the business was doing. The company, designed to allow passengers to pay to get around lengthly security lines, was formed on the concept that enough people would pay for the service to make the operation profitable. Now, it appears that that's not the case -- ...Darwin safety becomes a political issue
May 29th, 2009 at 7:30AM: No, this is not a rallying cry for fundamentalists or a push for evolutionary biology: I'm talking about Darwin, Australia.
After three tourists from Korea were assaulted and robbed, the Northeast Territory Opposition Leader, Terry Mills, called Darwin unsafe for travel. The visitors were relieved of their cigarettes, cell phone and a pair of sunglasses while walking to a bus stop in Parap. ...New airline idea: goal is to beat the odds
May 11th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Columnist Jeremy Clarkson, at The Sun, has come up with a brilliant airline concept: take it easy, and play the odds. He laments the fact that it takes "about six years" to check in and considers the security process to be troublesome. They won't even let you keep your toothpaste!
Of course, we have all this security in place for a reason. There are many threats to safety ... and it's not just ...Test driving Clear Security
May 5th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Well that took for ever. On January 19th of this year, I took the opportunity to sign up for a free trial of Clear Security. Designed to help the frequent traveler pass through airport security checkpoints faster, the system takes several biometric data from the passenger and in exchange returns expedited service through security. They have kiosks at over a dozen of the largest airports in the ...A dozen lucky people are going to Afghanistan!
Apr 23rd, 2009 at 12:00PM: Bored with the usual travel fare? Get in touch with Poland-based Logos Travel, and you could find yourself in Afghanistan for two weeks. All 12 spots have been purchased – at prices of up to $3,700 each. Poland's Foreign Ministry doesn't think this is a bright idea, though, and issued a travel warning ... as if one were necessary.
In case you didn't know, people are fighting over there. ...Fill your bottles before going to UK ... because you can
Mar 15th, 2009 at 1:00PM: The British government is planning to ease its ban on the amount of liquid you can take into and out of the country. Currently, passengers are only allowed to carry 100 ml bottles. Improved airport X-ray machines are expected to render that limit unnecessary. If all goes well – based on secret technology being tested by German scientists – the ban could be lifted by the end of the ...Life Nomadic: How Airport Metal Detectors Work
Mar 5th, 2009 at 10:00AM: I'm a bit fanatical about shaving. Most of my possessions are pared down to the bare minimum, but my shaving stuff is the one big exception. I use a Merkur travel safety razor with Merkur platinum coated blades, a Dovo silver tip shaving brush, and Truefitt and Hill shaving cream. Excessive, I know. The blades that the razor uses are standard "safety razor" blades. They're thin pieces of metal ...Angry pilot drops his pants - asks checkpoint staff to "search this"
Feb 18th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Get this - a pilot for Swiss International Airways decided that enough was enough at the London City Airport security checkpoint. Instead of complying with all staff instructions, he dropped his pants and underwear, completely exposing himself, and asked whether they wanted to "search this". I'm not sure what part of being asked to take off his belt and shoes prompted the outburst, but a source ...Paranoia strikes again - Muslim family kicked off their Airtran flight
Jan 2nd, 2009 at 1:00PM: Here we go again. Another family traveling for the holidays has been kicked off their flight after a fellow passenger observed them mentioning the word "safety". That's right, not "bomb", "terrorist" or "hijack". Just your average family of 9 trying to figure out where they wanted to seat. Someone on board managed to get the attention of 2 federal air marshals, who then contacted their superiors ...Newark security: proactive or disruptive?
Dec 30th, 2008 at 4:30PM: These guys never catch a break. A by-the-book private security guard at Newark International Airport was compared to a "prison guard" by NY Times travel columnist Joe Sharkey. Intent on enforcing carry-on luggage size, the guard apparently hassled a young lady as she waited to reach the metal detectors. And, it must have been bad. The people in line seemed to side with the traveler. Usually, we ...Is the TSA too rough with your stuff?
Dec 19th, 2008 at 3:00PM: While waiting in line, just about everyone bitches and moans about the airport security screening process. But of the over 500 million fliers this year, only 12,000 have filed official complaints with the Transportation Security Administration. The rest of us just air our grievances on our blogs. The number one complaint this year is that the TSA screeners mishandle personal property. This ...A nice roundup of some of the dumbest things the TSA did in 2008
Dec 16th, 2008 at 1:00PM: The TSA has made quite a name for itself when it comes to making stupid decisions. Whether it is forcing a mom to drink her own breast milk, or claiming a thin laptop could be a dangerous weapon, when the TSA screws up, they tend to screw up quite badly. I've compiled some of the best TSA screwups we reported on here on Gadling in 2008. Do not try and bring a gun through the checkpoint (unless ...2010 World Cup will not be moved from South Africa
Dec 16th, 2008 at 12:30PM: It could have ended quite badly for South Africa. The first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup almost didn't get the chance. Earlier this year, FIFA prez Sepp Blatter, the most powerful man in soccer, told the media that his organization had an alternative plan should South Africa not be ready to host in 2010. He cited concerns about security, infrastructure, and construction projects as ...So how well do these digital boarding passes work?
Nov 26th, 2008 at 10:30AM: Digital boarding passes in this eco-friendly, high-tech world are the next new big thing among the big airlines. Continental, American and Northwest are rolling out service to airports all over the country, and if you haven't got a kiosk at your local airport, there is probably one on the way. In concept, the system is pretty simple. When you check in online, instead of printing off your boarding ...US Airways Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry
Nov 21st, 2008 at 12:30PM: You can't drive drunk. You can't operate heavy machinery on NyQuil. And you can't fly angry. At least according to US Airways. Consumerist picked up a story of a traveler who was hoping that US Airways would price match a ticket that he had purchased to the new, lower price. US Airways informed him that they couldn't match the lower fare. When he expressed his true feelings about the airline's ...TSA to Create new Green "Family" Lane
Nov 18th, 2008 at 11:30AM: As holiday travel kicks into high gear, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has unveiled another tier to their security line scheme for getting passengers through checkpoints efficiently. The basic system instilled earlier this year is currently called the "black diamond" self select system, which effectively attempts to separate passengers at the security checkpoint into groups. ...
