As I was surfing through the various posts in the community, I saw something about air travel and it gave me an idea about sharing my vast Air Travel experiences and offer tips to the infrequent traveler! My background/qualifications are that I travel every week for business, and when I'm not flying for business, I'm likely flying personally.

Getting Through Airport Security

This is probably one of the most stressful parts of your trip (unless your flight is delayed... more on delays later). Do I have to take off my shoes?, What type of liquids can I carry on my flight,? How much liquid will fit in a quart-sized bag?, Will my belt/watch/glasses/etc. set off the metal detector / body scanner?, Do my kids need to take off their shoes too? Do I have to put my laptop and tablet in separate containers? ... and many more ...

Here are some of my quick tips to getting through security:

1. When you're waiting in line (queue) to show your boarding pass to the TSA agent, start to empty out your pockets into your carry-on bag.
   -- Retrieve your Photo ID (or Passport) from your Wallet/Purse and hold onto that with your Boarding Pass. These are the only items that you need to hold onto during your wait to talk with the TSA agent. If you have pockets large enough to fit these items, feel free to hold them there, otherwise, keep these items in your hand.
   -- Now, place your Phone(s), Wallet, Keys, Fitness Tracker, Coins (if you still carry such archaic items) and anything else that's in your pockets into an easy-to-access compartment in your carry-on bag.
   -- Next, check your bag to see if you have any water bottles (with liquid still inside) in your bag. If you do, you can either A. Dump the water out into a trash bin and save the bottle, or B. (easier) Throw the entire bottle into the nearest trash bin prior to placing your bag onto the X-Ray Machine Belt.
   ---- Note: You may have to wait until you pass the TSA Agent to find a trash bin. If that's the case, leave your bottle in an easy-to-access location of your bag.

2. Woohoo! The TSA agent let me through the first line of defense!
   -- You're not in the clear yet.. Are you still holding onto your Boarding Pass (or Smartphone) and ID? Place these into your bag in that same easy-to-access compartment where your wallet, keys, phone, etc. are stored.
   -- Remember that water bottle you need to throw away? Find that trash bin and throw it away now!
   -- Are you Traveling through TSA Pre-Check or the Normal Line? If you're in the Normal Line, now is the time to:
   ---- Take off your jacket.
   ---- If you're between the ages of 13 and 74, take off your shoes and place them in a bin.
   ---- Separate your Laptop and Tablet from your bag and place it in a bin.
   ---- Separate your Liquids from your bag, already contained in a Separate 1 Quart Bag, and place it in a bin.
   ---- If you're wearing a heavy metal belt, take that off and place it in a bin.
   ---- The key here is to have your shoes, laptop, tablet, and liquids not overlapping with each other / in separate bins in case any of them needs to be searched, the TSA agent won't look through EVERYTHING at once.
   -- If you're in TSA Pre-Check:
   ---- If you're wearing a "heavy" jacket, take it off and place it onto the x-ray belt.
   ---- If you're wearing a heavy metal belt, take that off and place it in a bin.
   ---- Make sure you don't have anything metal in your pockets.
   ---- Leave your shoes on.
   ---- Leave your laptop in your bag (unless you're carrying more than 1; you can typically leave both a laptop and a tablet in the bag though).
   ---- Leave your LIGHT jacket on (this counts as a Suit Jacket if you're a business traveler, or just enjoy wearing a blazer).
   ---- Leave your liquids in your bag (preferably contained within a single 1 quart bag).
   ---- NO FILLED WATER BOTTLES, PLEASE.

3. You have made it through security!!
   -- Please wait patiently for the TSA agent to screen your bag.
   -- Once your bag passes through the x-ray scanner and exits the short metal cage afterward, you are free to collect your bag(s) and bin(s).
   ---- If there is a line, please be courteous and slide your bag(s) and bin(s) down to the end of the rollers. This will ensure that the people behind you don't get delayed, and the TSA agent will continue to be able to push through all of the acceptably scanned items.
   ---- If you've taken off shoes, a jacket and a belt, please pick up your bin(s) [you can stack them together for ease of carrying] and bring them to the nearest bench.
   ---- When you're done re-dressing, and re-packing, please be courteous and place the bin(s) back onto the stack of bins and don't simply leave them scattered at the security checkpoint.

I'll share more on frequent flier status, managing delayed flights, and other topics in future posts. In the meantime, I hope this was helpful! Please feel free to comment on additional flying questions you may have!

Happy Flying!!

Disclaimer: this image is just a joke