Airport Travel: Five Tips for Getting Through Security Faster

Airport Display in New Orleans, LA

Whether it be for holiday travel or everyday business and vacation travel, anything that can make getting through the airport a little easier is always welcome. Here are five tips to help you do just that:

1. Schedule an earlier flight. How many people like to travel at 5 or 6 am? Not many, because it means having to get up at 2 or 3 am to get to the airport on time for your flight. Imagine how many people pass up the opportunity to spend less time waiting because they want to sleep later. Many people end up sleeping on the plane anyway, so why not take an earlier flight and catch up on your sleep as you travel. instead
2. Wear shoes without laces. Skip the need to untie your shoes before going through airport security and then retying them again when you get through. A pair of slip-ons or strap-ons, like clogs or Mary Janes, are the best and most comfortable way to travel. In the summer, strappy sandals are also a good option.
3. Place all of your electronics in the same place in your suitcase or bag. This will make it easier to fish out your electronics for placing them onto the conveyor belt at security to be scanned. In addition, if you can place all of your smaller electronics together in one clear plastic bag, when you get to the belt, all you’ll have to do is reach for the bag, empty its contents in security tub, and then you’re done. You will have eliminated the time it would have taken to hunt for each item in your suitcase separately.
4. Have gifts wrapped and shipped and by the seller. Retailers like Amazon offer an option for adding gift wrapping to gifted items. While this option may cost a little extra on the front end, you save yourself the time of having to have your items scanned while also avoiding the risks of having them damaged, lost, or stolen.
5. Leave your weapons at home. It might seem obvious, but recent reports in the news show this tip is worth sharing. It is both for your protection and the safety of those around you. When traveling with children or adults who like to play with weapons, whether for real or for play, have them leave those items at home. It stands to reason that what may appear to be a toy gun could turn out to be a real one once it’s allowed on a plane. You wouldn’t want to wind up on a plane with someone with a real gun, so be kind to your fellow passengers and take precaution.

These are just a few tips, but there are surely dozens more that I haven’t listed here. What are your favorites?