4 Ways to Fly Through Airport Security

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By Dani Fankhauser2013-08-01 15:51:11 UTC

Everyone has an airport security tale of woe. The last time I got held up at a security checkpoint, I had the rain to blame. I had nothing in my pockets, but a pat-down revealed that a section of my pants was still wet from the downpour I had rushed through on the way to the airport. Apparently, that will set off the security sensors.

Most frequent fliers know to travel without a belt, wear shoes easy to slip off and wait to buy a water bottle until after the checkpoint (or bring a bottle you can refill at the water fountain). Now we can add "don't come with a wet blotch on the side of your leg" to the list.

Airport security technologies are sensitive — and for good reason. If you're really looking to rev up your security line strategy, check out the following options that can help you get to the gate faster and sans stress.

1. Use a TSA-Approved Laptop Bag

Image: Timbuk2

For some, a flight is a great time to catch up on work. For others, a laptop doubles as a larger screen to watch a show either on DVD or your hard drive. Regardless, if we're traveling with a computer, most of us will carry it on, rather than run the risk of it being left in luggage that might not make it to our destination.

Breezing through the security line is at least a bit easier when you don't have to pull your laptop out of your bag. What the TSA agents need is to send your laptop through the X-ray, laying flat, without other objects above or below it. A TSA-approved bag will open like a sandwich and the laptop slot will have no pockets, metal snaps, zippers or buckles — also, don't slip another object in with the laptop.

One example from Timbuk2 is a messenger bag that's designed to be security-checkpoint friendly. The laptop compartment is attached to the bag via zipper, so when unzipped, the bag opens like a butterfly and lays the laptop flat. See this video starting at 1:31 to get a visual on how it works.

Note that you can leave your laptop in a protective sleeve, but still cannot pile other items on top of or below it.

Initially, Precheck was a program open only to frequent passengers on certain airlines, but it will be open to anyone this fall.

The program involves an application, background check and $85 fee, so those with privacy concerns or tight checkbooks might be turned off. Based on the almost universal annoyance at long airport security lines, the service will most likely still get traction.

Once approved, you'll go in a separate security line and won't have to remove your shoes, belt or jacket, and can leave your laptop and 3.4 ounce liquids in your bag.

The $85 fee will get you five years of eligibility if your application is approved, and the TSA doesn't specify exactly what the prescreening process entails.

But regardless of your status, the TSA will "always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport."

Image: Flickr, Josh Hallett

If you remember Clear only vaguely, it's probably because the company went bankrupt in 2009. Another company then purchased it and has been rolling out the service in airports since 2010.

Similar to Precheck, Clear requires a fairly involved registration process, both online and in person. At the airport you'll skip the security line but still must go through standard security procedures. Your identity is also confirmed with "biometric information," which refers to facial recognition or fingerprint scans.

Right now you can use Clear when flying out of Orlando, Denver, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth International airports, and Westchester Airport in New York.

4. Digital Boarding Pass

Most airlines will offer the option of sending a digital boarding pass via email (or even inside the airline's mobile app) instead of printing it at home or at an airport kiosk.

The obvious benefit is that you save paper (you're going to throw it away anyway). Plus, it's sometimes a hassle when you're moving through the airport and don't want to stress about losing a piece of paper, which could easily slip out of a pocket or get thrown away with a receipt.

The one frustration of a digital boarding pass is that it's typically a QR code loaded in a browser — and your phone will refresh the page each time it opens — but if your Internet connection is spotty, this can slow you down when you need it the most. One redditor found an easy solution — take a screenshot of the code, and use that instead.

Taking this advice a step further, you can set the screenshot as your lock screen so you don't have to pull up a screenshot or a web page as you're getting ready to go through security. You could also lock your screen display so it doesn't switch orientation when you display your screen for the airline attendant to scan.

It goes without saying, but if you choose this route — make sure your phone is charged.

What's your routine for getting through airport security seamlessly? Let us know in the comments.

Image: Flickr, Mobile Edge Laptop Cases

Topics: airport, The Future of Travel, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure, tsa