advice for traveling

In My Humble Opinion
1

it’s been five years since the last time i flew. a lot has changed since then with airports and me.

i already know that i should be there about three hours before my flight (i’m going international). and i should be prepared to be searched.

anyone know what i should or shouldn’t take with me in my carry on? i know, no sharp pointly objects. other types of things though. is it okay for me to take my zippo? tweezers? anything along those lines.

also, should i go ahead and convert a bunch of money now, or charge things to my card. can i even use my check card?

and if there are any smokers out there, how do you go 9 hours in a plane without smoking or ripping off the flight attendant’s head?

any advice is much appreciated.

2

Buy some nicotine gum or patches for the smoking problem. Don’t take tweezers on you. They are forbidden as carry-on but can be checked in your bag. I thing the same probably applies to the lighter.

3

Don’t take tweezers in your hand luggage and don’t take metal nail files either. You might get through security with them, but probably not.

Unless you are going to a really remote, low-tech area, don’t change your money here. Wait till you get to your destination and use the ATM. You’ll get a far better rate and you won’t make yourself vulnerable by carrying lots of cash.

4

The advice about exchange rates and ATMs is good, but you may want to have a small amount of money (say, $20 or $30 worth) changed into the currency of your destination before you go.

I’ve always changed a small bit of currency before leaving home, just in case I need it for tips, taxi or bus fare, or other small incidentals that I might encounter after I get off the plane but before I find an ATM. It’s come in handy a number of times.

5

This is a list of no-no’s for your carry on luggage:
Have a good trip!

Acids, alkalis, caustics, corrosives, organic peroxides, oxidizers - liquid or solid
Aerosols (except for personal care products in limited amounts)
Ammunition of any kind
Automatic weapons of any kind
Axes, hatchets & saws
Billiard, pool or snooker cues
Bows, arrows, crossbows & bolts
Catapults & sling shots
Chemical or gas disabling devices - including bear repellant, mace, pepper spray, tear gas
Compressed gas canisters, cartridges & tanks of any size, empty or not (except for required medical purposes)
Corkscrews
Darts
Explosive devices or materials - including black, gun & smokeless powder, blasting caps, C-4, detonating cord, DM12, dynamite, hand grenades
Firearms of any kind - including BB guns, compressed air guns, flare pistols, handguns, pellet guns, rifles, shotguns, spear guns, starter pistols
Fire extinguishers
Fire lighters & strike-anywhere matches
Fireworks of any kind
Flammable liquids & solids - including fuel canisters of any kind - empty or not, gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, turpentine
Gas torches
Golf clubs
Gun lighters
Gun parts
Hand weapons - including billy clubs, blackjacks, brass knuckles, night sticks
Herbicides & insecticides - liquid or solid
Hockey & lacrosse sticks
Household cutlery
Hypodermic needles & syringes (except for personal medical use with needle guard in place and accompanied by labelled medication)
Ice axes & picks
Ice skates
Infectious substances
Instruments containing magnets (except for small personal items)
Instruments containing mercury
Knitting needles
Knives or knife-like objects of any length - including box cutters, hunting knives, meat cleavers, multi-tool knives, pocket knives, religious knives, sabers, scuba knives, straight razors, swords
Liquid bleach in any amount
Liquids that are unidentifiable & in unmarked containers
Magnetrons - including microwave ovens
Martial arts devices - including kubatons, nunchaku, sai, throwing stars
Nail files - metal and/or pointed
Oiled paper
Oxygen tanks (except for required medical purposes)
Paint, spray paint & thinner
Penetrating (sharp and/or pointed) objects - including fish hooks, letter openers, metal combs with pointed handles, scissors
Poisons in any amount - liquid or solid
Pyrotechnics - including fireworks, flare pistol cartridges, road flares, starter pistol cartridges
Radioactive materials
Razor blades - including loose, not in cartridges, straight razors
Replica weapons of any kind
Restraining devices - including handcuffs, leg irons, thumbcuffs
Scissors
Shocking & stunning devices - including cattle prods, stun guns, tasers
Ski & snowboard poles
Sports bats - including baseball bats, cricket bats
Sports racquets - including racquet ball, squash, tennis
Tools - including cordless power tools, crow & pry bars, drills, hammers, multi-tools, pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches
Toy weapons - including transforming robots that form into guns
Tweezers
Wet cell batteries - including car & motorcycle batteries (except for electric wheelchairs)
Whips

6

Three hours is a bit much even for international travel. Unless you are starting out at somewhere like JFK where there is vise-like secrurity two hours is fine. If you start out in Nashville, then an hour should be OK.
Depending on where you are going ATM/VISA/AMEX are taken almost everywhere. I’ve used mine in a souk in Damascus. That was at least five years ago. To be ultra safe, take traveller’s checks and a small amount of US money. Small denominations and split it into two or three locations - wallet, in your shoe in a suitcase. In the direst emergency, you’ll have some emergency dollars. US currency is almost universally accepted.
If you are really worried about things like security, then photocopy your passport (it’s still valid, of course). Scan the result and e-mail it to yourself. Keep the photocopy somewhere away from the original passport.

7

i’m leaving through atlanta. i’m assuming that security is a lot tighter there since it’s a big airport.

so would a book of matches be okay? i have a lay over in detroit. i just want to be able to light my cigs there. i don’t think i can go over 12 hours without one. (i know, i should quit)

and does any one know anything about the detroit airport? i haven’t been to that one.

8

You may have a problem with matches, too. (Remember the Shoe Bomber? He was trying to light his explosives with matches.) If you put one book of matches inside your cigarette pack you might be o.k. but I believe that strictly speaking they are forbidden.

Prescription medicines: Use the original container that has the drugstore info on it. Have with you a copy of the doctor’s prescription. Even if the meds are not questioned by security, it’s a good idea anyway if for any reason you need more at your destination. You will probably not be able to use the actual prescription itself in another country, but you could show it to a local doctor to show him what you need.

As mentioned above, it is a good idea to make 2 copies of the important page of your passport, or at least to write down the passport number. Leave one copy at home, and pack another in a separate piece of luggage. If your original gets lost or stolen you will at least have the info available when you have to get a new one, which is a real pain in a foreign country.

9

I just brought a lighter, I had no problems. Nicorette gum helped on the planes.

Security - I found the tightest leaving from Mpls. airport. I had to take off my shoes and remove my camera and laptop from their cases. None of the other airports I went through security at (Heathrow, Gatwick and Dublin) were as strict - no shoe removal, my laptop could stay in its case. I suppose it all depends on other factors, but here in the US it seemed the most thorough.

As an aside, I kept my suitcase locked and sent it through, and my bags weren’t opened at all. Another person in my travel party (my totally innocent-looking almost 60 y/o mother) had her unlocked checked bag searched (they leave a note), and also was pulled aside at Gatwick for a thorough going-through of her carry-on. Totally random, I think.

10

I’d suggest you bring along something to eat. Even on a long-ish flight (3 hours) no food was served–unless you count the mini bags of peanuts. My daughter and I brought along Wendy’s salads and some cheese cake, and we were the envy of the cheap seats.

11

Bring lots of water to drink on the plane. Dehydration is one of the main reasons people feel like goatmeat after a long flight. The other is recirculated air, but there’s not a lot you can do about that. Drink a LOT of water during the flight. Never drink the water from the little fountains on the plane. Never. They are full of bacteria.

Leave extra room in your carry-on bag in case it gets seached at the airport. This means they won’t have to pull everything out - they can just rummage around in it while it is on the table. If it is really full they take things out of it to search it. Underwear on table - bad!

If you have consumer electronics - laptop, PDA, cellphone, etc in your carry-on, turn them on before you go through the scanners. The security guards will ask you to turn them on, so you might as well save everyone in line, as well as yourself, some time by being prepared. They usually ask to see the screen.

Shoes with metal in the soles are a problem now - some men’s loafer have metal in them. They will set off the scanners, you’ll be pulled aside, you’ll have to take off your shoes, etc.

Leave enough time at the airport so you don’t get stressed, and don’t throw off any stress on others. I can’t stand those people that are late and make it everyones problem by pitching fits. Showing up early at the airport is a sign of great kindness and consideration, these days.

12

My things get searched the most thoroughly in England of all places. At Gatwick, they didn’t just poke through my bag, they completely emptied my hand luggage – they opened every container too. And my checked luggage almost always gets searched in Tokyo – you don’t get a piece of paper saying your luggage was searched, you just get a sticker on the outside.

Let me echo the advice about water. Get a large bottle and drink it up. Drink the water you’re offered by the flight attendents too, it’s not from the bathroom tap so it’s ok to drink. On a typical flight to Asia, I will go through 3 or 4 large bottles of water – fewer on the flights to Europe, but you get the idea.

13

I highly reccomentd Combo’s for long international flights. They are compact enough not to take up a lot of room, but will fill you up enough to not leave you hungry.

Detriot airport is pretty nice. I’m assuming since you’re flying through there, that you’re on Northwest. They have a new terminal that is just for thier flights. While going over isn’t a bit deal, one of the things that I try and do on the way back from a long international flight, is get a foot massage at the Ora Oxygen spa. While I don’t know about the “lose oxygen during a flight” aspect, I do know that my feet swell a lot during a 7 hour or more flight. Getting a foot rub helps me relax, destress, and make it through my next connection. Also, the Mediteranean grill at about gate 54 has the best hamburgers I’ve ever had.

Have fun, and travel safe.

14

This is good advice. Sometimes there will be only one ATM at the airport and the line will be hideous or it won’t accept your card for some reason (happened to me in Athens at a Citibank of all places).

I had to change a $20 bill at an airport once (with no ATM) and they took a $5 fee out of it. That was deeply painful. Thankfully now the Euro is here, so you can use your leftover money for this purpose on your next trip to Europe.

15

Are you flying Northwest/KLM? Northwest’s brand new “World Gateway” terminal in Detroit is quite nice. It is a long straight terminal with moving walkways and an indoor monorail-style people mover. Nice high ceilings and good natural light. Bathrooms and small concessions are spread throughout the terminal. There is a cluster of larger shops and food in the center where the monorail stops.

To tell you the truth, I’m not sure if smoking is allowed in that terminal at all. I would check NW’s website or even call them to find out. I have never noticed a smoking area and you can’t just “step outside” this terminal. Once you go outdoors you (obviously) have to run through security before returning.

Do you have any other questions about the terminal ?

16

so is it completely a smoke free airport or do other terminals have that little smoking pit? do i have to go through security once for all the terminals or does each one have its own security?

17

The NW/KLM Worldgateway is just 1 huge terminal. It ONLY serves NW/KLM (and codeshare partners like Continental). At the Worldgateway you go through security once and you’re done. I don’t know if they allow smoking anywhere in that building, I strongly advise you to call the airline and ask.

Other international airlines have their own completely separate building (actually a whole separate exit on the highway, if that gives you an idea of how separate they are) This is why we keep asking you if you’re flying NW/KLM. To get to a different terminal you would literally need to take a taxi or shuttle bus there.

18

i am going through northwest

19

Well, pulling up the Detroit terminal map, I don’t see any smoking lounges listed. And that jives with what I remember. I’ve been through detroit well over a dozen times in the past year, and can’t recall ever seeing a smoking area. I think you may be out of luck on that one. Also, be sure and call to try and make your seat arrangments early. If you show up early on the day you’re flying, you can try and request the exit row seats for your flights. While not a big deal on domestic flights, it can be a life saver on the long haul flights. Find out what kind of aircraft you’re flying on then go here to check the seating. If you’re like me and enjoy the window seats, then at all costs, avoid the exit rows with only two seats. There is a 18 inch gap between you and the window, so it makes leaning impossible. However, some types of aircraft have the row right behind that one available, and that window seat has more leg room. Good luck, and let us know if you have any more questions about Northwest, detroit, or flying in general. Also, if you haven’t already, sign up for Northwest’s frequent flyer program. Those miles add up, and if you can get to elite status, it’s automatic upgrade to first class domestically.