Advice on flying?

In My Humble Opinion
1

… in an airplane, ya wiseacre.

The last time I took a ride in an aeroplane was August 2001. I understand things have changed a little bit since then. Gunslinger has never flown on a plane before in his life. We will be flying out of an airport in Shreveport this Thursday, taking a two-hour layover in Detroit, and reaching our ultimate destination in Connecticut. My parents bought us our plane tickets online, in an agreement by which we receive an all-expenses-paid two-day, three-night trip to New York in exchange for spending one of those days doing the photography for my older sister’s wedding (the one for which I recently requested help coming up with a toast). We have a printout of the receipt.

The printout says to confirm the flight at least 24 hours ahead of time. What does this mean and how do I do it?

What will I have to do to get on the plane? I understand you can’t simply walk up to the gate and hand them the printout.

The airline’s website says that passengers are allowed one carry-on suitcase or bag of stated dimensions AND one “personal bag,” such as a purse or a briefcase. Can I put my purse inside of my briefcase, along with my papers and the book I plan to read on the flight, and still have it count as my personal bag?

What should I expect from the check-in/security/etc experience?

The standard I used for flying the last time I did so (which was, like, the third time I’d ever flown, the other two times being a trip to Disney World when I was in high school and a flight to visit my sister in New Orleans when I was 12) was to arrive at the airport 2 hours before my stated flight time. Is this still a good guideline or have wait times increased?

Will I have to go through security again to change planes, or will we be allowed to simply proceed to our next gate?

Anything else I should know?

2

It means phoning the airline/airport and confirming that the flight is departing when and where you expect. In the small print they do reserve the right to change schedules, and they can (theoretically) claim that because you didn’t confirm, it’s your fault you missed your 90-minutes-earlier flight. (It doesn’t always help anyway - my GF did the full confirm-phone-call thing, and was told everythign was fine - and then at the transfer desk at London Gatwick was told that the flight she was booked onto had ceased operation two months earlier, and that BA no longer even flew to that airport)

‘Personal bag’ basically means purse, in airline-speak. How flexible they are depends on the airport, the staff, how pleasant you are, the tone of your skin, the (oh did I mention that? nooo…), …

3

The airline’s website does specifically mention briefcases, which is what made me wonder.

4

What airline? A number of them now used ticketing kiosks, where you punch in the relevant information, swipe your ID, and it prints out your boarding passes for you without having to stand in line.

Triple-check your pockets for metal. Put all keys, etc. in one pocket, or in your purse, so you don’t have to stand there emptying everyhthing. Wear easy-on, easy-off shoes. If your purse is inside the briedcase, then that is your “personal bag.”

My wife always likes to get to the airport 2 hours in advance. I generally try for one hour. If you are changing planes of the same airline, then you probably won’t have to go through security more than once. I don’t know the structure of Detroit International, but as long as you aren’t switching to another terminal, you should be ok.

5

Good point. Again, it’s a fudge. They’re trying to accomodate the ‘one luggage bag plus one small bag’ brigade, who are the majority of traveller, within a few simple sentences. So all the decisions come down to the people on the desk.

FWIW, I can’t imagine any problem with a purse inside a briefcase. If it is a problem, tip the contents of the purse into the briefcase, and put the empty purse into the checked luggage, problem solved. But almost certainly not necessary.

6

Arrive early and beat the rush. Assuming you have more than carry-on, go to the check-in area and check your bags. You *must * have some serious i.d. If you have a passport, bring it. That will save you lots of hassle. Otherwise a photo driver’s license. If you don’t have either you may have some difficulties.

So you go to the check-in and get your boarding pass and check your luggage. In some airports you have to take your checked luggage to another area for it to be screened. In some large airports they have self-service check-in; I don’t know about yours.

Next, you go to the gate area. At the entrance to the gate area you must go through security. Have your I.D. and your boarding pass out and ready. You will have to pass your carry-on bags through the xray machine and walk through a metal detector gate. You may be asked to take your shoes off first. It’s advisable to wear slip-on shoes so you don’t have to hassle with laces. Wear socks or stockings. Do not wear sneakers. (Remember Richard Reid, the shoe bomber?) Try to have the minimal amount of metal on you. If you are wearing jewelry you’ll have to take it off anyway to get through, so you’re better off just leaving it in your bags or at home. This is the part that takes the most time and the reason for arriving early. You’ll see an awful lot of oblivions who have to stop and fiddle for their documents, shoelaces, 5 bracelets and a necklace, and then complain about the delay. The screeners I have encountered have all been extraordinarily professional and friendly. Don’t joke with them about security issues, though. “Heh, heh, think I’ve got a bomb in my purse, eh?” will get you a nice rest in the little private room.

After you pass through security, you are mostly all set. Just go to the gate and wait. When it’s time to board, you may very likely be asked for your i.d. again as well as the boarding pass.

If you for any reason have to go back into the main part of the terminal, past the security area, bring your boarding pass and I.D. with you, because you will have to repeat the screening procedure.

When you’re changing planes, most likely you will be able to just go from one gate to the other without having to go through the main terminal, unless you are using 2 different airlines.

And yes, arriving 2 hours before the scheduled departure time is still advisable. Remember, they start boarding a half hour before departure, plus you will spend time in the baggage check line and in the security line. Far better to have an extra 15 minutes to sit in the gate area and read a newspaper than to be rushing around and risking missing your flights. Some airports and airlines have a policy of not letting in anyone who hasn’t checked in by 15 minutes before the scheduled departure.

7

Oh, and the carry-on limit is as much about space as anything. I usually carry a largish purse with everything I want while on the flight. And another small carry-on bag that has a supply of anything I’d want or need for 24 hours in case they lose my checked bags: meds, a change of undies, important or irreplacable stuff. The purse fits under the seat in front and the small bag in the overhead. Some airlines have a gizmo at the gate that if your checked luggage won’t fit in it, you can’t bring it on.

8

The trick with carry-on is look like you can carry it easily. If you’ve got four small bags, and are struggling to pick them up at once, there’s a problem. If you’ve got one large bag across the shoulders, one firmly on the right elbow and one in hand, then it’s fine. Just look like you do this kind of thing every day, and nobody will give you a second glance.

9

Um… the only shoes I own are a pair of extremely old, beat-to-crap sneakers that I haven’t untied in years (I just kick them on and off; you can see my socks through them, as I have had them for more than five years and it shows), and a couple pairs of very large boots: one “combat-style” that have a cheat zip up the side but are knee-high and full of metal, and one nice hiking-boot style with a steel toe and a ton of laces that have to be fully undone every time I take them on and off. I was planning on wearing sneakers. I didn’t think a college-age kid wearing beat-to-crap sneakers would trigger the OH NO SHE’S WEARING SNEAKERS THEREFORE SHE IS SET US UP TEH SHOE BOMB alert… :confused: (If all goes well my dad will be buying me a better pair of sneakers while I’m home, in which case I’ll be wearing NEW sneakers on the flight back… will they think I’m setting them up teh shoe bomb again?)

The poor college-age kid thing (I’m not IN college, but I damn well ought to be) is also why I want to bring a briefcase with my purse in it. I have a nice, relatively small and slim vintage briefcase that I bought for fifty cents at a yard sale, and I also have an extremely tiny purse. If I had a larger purse I would use it instead, but the briefcase is really my only option for having any sort of room in my bag.

We are not bringing any checked baggage for such a short trip. Two days’ worth of clothes, minimal toiletries (as we are staying at my parents’ house, which is far better stocked than a hotel), and three cameras (two 35mm film, one digital) - the rest of the shooting equipment, including the film, we shipped FedEx.

Do they let you bring food on the plane? We’re flying at such awkward times and such short flights that I’m seriously doubting we’ll be fed. Also, a major part of my plan involves buying Yankee specialties and bringing a cache of them home (mmm, apple cider donuts from the orchard by Mom’s house! Friehofer cupcakes! nummy sammiches from the Price Chopper deli!).

10

Two hours is probably a bit much, since it is a domestic flight, unless you are travelling on a holiday weekend or if the “threat level” goes up. One and a half is fine.

A carryon and a small bag means exactly that. A briefcase would count as a small bag. Think a carryon and a laptop bag for reference.

Security isn’t that much different than before. Expect a longer line, and beefier metal detectors. Remove your shoes, and if you have major piercings, try to remove those as well. To avoid secondary screening (with a wand, takes another 5 minutes), remove all metal - belt, watch, coins, foil wrapped chewing gum, etc.

Don’t bring a knife with you. It doesn’t matter that you’ve carried one with you since you were 6, they’re not going to let you take it, and they always win.

If you have a big bag (and with photography equipment you might have), just check it. I have travelled hundreds of thousands of miles in recent years, and my bag hasn’t shown up only twice. Both times I had it delivered to my hotel the next morning. Bags are barcoded and scanned all along the trip the airline can find where they are almost immediately.

Use the automated check in, if you have a credit or debit card. You put in your card, identify yourself, push a few buttons, and get your boarding pass. You can use it in most places even if you have bags to check. If you can post to this board, you can use the automated check in.

Don’t make any jokes about anything to the TSA people. Just don’t.

It is extremely unlikely that you will have to go through security twice.

Relax, its the safest form of travel.

11

FWIW the airports where I’ve had to switch terminals haven’t required clearing security again. Greater Cincinnati airport, for example, provides bus shuttles to and fro. They watch you board and exit, and no one can linger in the boarding area, but there’s no extra security hurdle.

Several other minor tips:[ul]

  • Don't lock your checked luggage.  Airlines reserve the right to seach luggage if needed, and they'll break the locks if needs be. 

  •  Pare down your purse and carry-ons of anything that might be security hassles, e.g. I just take my Swiss army knife and nail clipper thingy out of my purse and put them in  my checked baggage.  

  • At the main security checkpoint, you'll have to put any carry-ons onto a conveyor to be x-rayed, including jackets, sweaters, etc.  Just dump 'em all on it when it comes your turn.  There will be plastic baskets to put any electronic items and any larger metal items.  If you're taking a laptop, you'll need to take it out of the case at the checkpoint.  Palms, etc. can just go in the plastic basket.  

  •  If you "beep" at the gate, don't worry about it.  I usually wear my watch through, but it's set off the gates a few times.  No biggie.  They'll figure it out.

  •  If they pull you aside to wand you down, don't sweat it.  They do random spot checks, and it only takes a minute.  The advice about wearing slip-on shoes is great though, because you may very well have to remove them for examination.  I just wear loafers and pack my sneakers.

  •  It depends on the airport, but some set up an additional checkpoint right beside the boarding gate.  I've never quite figured out that one, but your seat is assigned so it's no big deal. 

  •  Allow no less than an hour; an hour and a half is much better.  You can just never tell when lines will be long, how far you'll have to go to reach your boarding gate, etc.  It's just much less stressful to build in plenty of time.  All major airports have restaurants, shops, vending carts, bathrooms, etc. beyond the security checkpoint.  Just get your boarding passes and security checks out of the way then you can browse around, grab a meal or just a bagel and a coke, sit and chat, work crosswords or whatever.

  • By all means tuck your favorite granola, fruit, whatever in your purse.  Airline "snacks and drinks' are rather dire, not to mention slow in arriving.  I always buy my own preferred bottle of water or soda in the boarding area and just carry it on board. 

  • Keep your boarding pass and handy.  They'll be checked at the boarding counter, before you you enter the security area and checked again just before you board the plane.  You won't actually put your driver's license or whatever away until you're seated on the plane.  [/ul]

It all sounds a little intimidating, racinchikki, but actually it’s pretty easy. I’ve gotten thoroughly befuddled in a few airports that were particularly confusing in layout, but have never been treated rudely by airport personnel. (Well, a few surly counter people in food joints, but that’s standard.) If you get lost or confused, just ask someone. IME as long as you’re polite, they’re extremely willing to help.

Have a safe, fun journey.

Veb

12

You’re right, it’s not that they will think you’re a terrorist because you’re wearing sneaks, it’s just that’s the reason you may be asked to remove them. Sounds like you will have minimal problems.

I’d disagree on checking a camera or anything else of value. It is not unknown for valuables to disappear from checked luggage. If you would be upset if you never got it back, carry it unless it’s just too big to fit under the seat or in the overhead.

13

This is moot since apparently nothing is being checked for this trip, but I thouht I should mention that undeveloped film should not be in checked luggage because it will be damaged by whatever mega x-rays they use to screen checked bags now. So I’ve been led to understand by signs and such, anyway.

14

Point #!: Have Gunslinger leave the hardware at home. :slight_smile:

15

Hee.

It’s kind of sad, actually. I’d wanted to bring my flintlock (I <3 my flintlock) home to show my parents, but was unable to, because, well, Mom would freak out in the first place if she saw me with a firearm, and because there’s no chance in hell it’d be getting on a plane, even if I reduced it to component parts (lock, stock, and barrel).

16

I sure wouldn’t check my photography equipment - maybe a tripod or something but never my cameras. Stuff can disappear when it is checked, and it is difficult to get anything back. I also lock my luggage. I know they can and will break locks, but I just buy a few extra $2-$3 dollar combination locks - I just feel safer with it. Not necessarily in the airport (if they break them) but your luggage may be left other places unguarded, too. A few buck per lock is better than not locking it at all, IMHO.