In. Out. Off.
Holiday travel could be so much easier over the next two weeks at the Portland International Jetport if passengers would only take these three words to heart before they approach the gate security checkpoint. The payoff, transportation officials say, would be shorter lines and less hassle.
In: Put your metal, including jewelry, keys, cell phones and coins, inside a carry-on bag.
Out: If you carry a laptop computer, take it out of its case.
Off: Remove your outercoat.
Improved detection equipment and the screeners hired by the year-old federal Transportation Security Administration have gotten most of the attention recently at the nation's airports. What's missing, officials say, is better preparation by travelers. To help raise awareness, the TSA has launched a campaign called Prepare for Takeoff.
"You could get through security in seconds or it could take 10 minutes," said Jeff Schultes, the jetport's manager. "It depends on how prepared you are."
Airline passengers at the jetport waited up to 90 minutes in the security line during the Thanksgiving travel crush. Some missed their flights. Schultes doesn't want that to happen again this weekend, the busiest period of the Christmas season.
To increase capacity, the TSA is rushing through a temporary installation of a third screening checkpoint. It's expected to be in operation this weekend, and should reduce the wait at peak times.
All the technology and training can be gummed up, however, by travelers who don't follow a handful of tips. Some of these tips may seem obvious, but others reflect new information as the system designed to ensure safe air travel evolves.
"There have been several lists of prohibited items," said Robert Dyer, the TSA's federal security director in Portland. "We have reduced that list to what we think is most viable."
Many basic toiletry items that were formerly off-limits now have been approved for carry-on bags. They include nail clippers and files, cuticle cutters, safety and disposable razors, aerosols including hairspray and deodorant, and metal scissors with blunt tips. Still banned are all knives - even jackknives - and metal scissors with pointed tips.
The TSA is also trying to publicize some changes that are noteworthy during the holiday season.
Among the headlines:
Put all undeveloped film and loaded cameras in your carry-on luggage. The new screening equipment for checked baggage can damage film. The scanners that screen carry-on bags, however, aren't a problem, the TSA says.
One exception is high-speed film, anything 800 ASA or higher. That film, or any roll that will be scanned more than five times, should be inspected by hand. Put it in clear canisters or plastic bags to speed the process.
Passengers carrying holiday gifts shouldn't wrap them, the TSA advises. They might need to be unwrapped for inspection at the checkpoint. You may be all right packing wrapped gifts in your checked luggage, but maybe not. If the contents appear suspicious, the gift may be unwrapped by inspectors.
"It's inconvenient, we understand," Dyer said of the suggestion to leave gifts unwrapped. "But what's more inconvenient is if we have to unwrap your present."
On a similar subject, James Loy, head of the TSA, recommended Thursday that travelers leave their checked bags unlocked. That way screeners won't have to force them open for a hand search. Loy recommended that people use cable ties, available at hardware stores, that can be easily cut off.
Preparing for air travel these days, officials say, really begins at home.
People who fly infrequently may have forgotten that they stashed a pair of pointed scissors in their travel bag, Schultes said. These issues should be resolved before leaving for the airport.
People should also dress differently for air travel, the TSA suggests. Those comfortable hiking shoes may have steel shanks. Large belt buckles and metal buttons also can set off the walk-through metal detector. Women may want to think twice about wearing underwire bras, and some body piercing also will trigger the alarm.
Clothing that sets off the walk-through detector generally leads to a secondary screening with a sensing wand, or possibly a pat-down inspection from a screener. Besides being a hassle, it takes time and slows check-in for everyone in line.
Speaking of time, the jetport also is recommending that people show up two hours before their flight is scheduled for takeoff. That may be early in some cases, Schultes acknowledged, but it depends on the time of day.
The jetport has 49 departures daily and hosted 1.3 million passengers last year. Roughly 800 passengers depart on a typical day between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., he said. That's the busiest period at the jetport. Other times may be less busy, but it may be better to wait than watch your plane take off without you.
A few passengers waiting at the jetport's snack bar this week seemed to be aware of the latest information.
Tom Conroy of Albany, N.Y., flies several times a month on business. He has developed a routine of putting his cell phone and keys in his briefcase and slipping any coins into his overcoat for screening.
"I'm up on all that," he said.
Sue Hackett and Arthur Curtis of Bowdoinham were waiting for a flight to Florida. Hackett used to work in a prison and said she's well aware of what sets off a metal detector. Curtis said he carries a small knife, but always remembers to put it in his checked luggage.
Hackett expressed confusion on one point - cameras. She had heard something on the news about film and X-ray machines, but couldn't remember the details. She made the right choice, though, carrying her loaded camera in her purse.
But it's clear that many passengers need to pay more attention.
In a storage closet, Dyer showed off a startling collection of prohibited items that had been taken from travelers in Portland since early fall. Included in the cache was a large box filled with jackknives, small cutting tools and pepper spray. Another box was brimming with metal scissors. Among the more unusual contraband was a clip of rifle ammunition, bolt cutters and a large barbecue fork.
The TSA recently installed signs around the jetport to prompt passengers about the changing regulations and offer tips on how to prepare for a quicker boarding. Nationally, the TSA has a goal: To get passengers through checkpoints in less than 10 minutes. A survey in October of 12 airports, including Chicago's O'Hare and New York's LaGuardia, found that the goal is being met for 95 percent of passengers.
But the 10-minute wait represents an average time, Dyer said. It couldn't be accomplished in Portland during peak travel periods with only two scanners.
"You have only two lanes," he said. "If you speed up the process, you jeopardize security."
One improvement that will help travelers this holiday season involves the jetport's new parking garage. The entire facility is now open, with 1,200 spaces. That doubles the amount of parking previously available.
And come January, the TSA and the jetport will tear apart the existing second-floor security checkpoint and reconfigure it, to permanently accommodate three scanners. They also will make changes meant to improve the way passengers line up at the checkpoint.
"The third lane is the key," Schultes said. "We're adding one-third additional capacity."
Staff Writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at:
tturkel@pressherald.com
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