Advice to navigate busy travel season

    Whatever day you travel, remember that you don’t want to be on time for holiday season flights. The key is that you want to be early. The usual rule is to arrive at the airport 90 minutes in advance for domestic flights and two hours in advance for international flights, but during the holidays, you may want to arrive two hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours in advance for international departures.
    At the airport, you may encounter a new type of screening technology; millimeter wave advanced imaging technology machines. Those devices screen passengers for metallic and non-metallic threats that could be concealed under layers of clothing. The machines screen passengers quickly, and most passengers are able to proceed immediately through the security station. While those machines originally generated a unique body outline of each passenger, raising some personal privacy concerns, new software eliminates passenger-specific images and uses a generic outline of a person when screening passengers.
    The following rules for airport security screening are probably familiar, but it may be helpful to review them before taking a holiday season flight. As you approach an airport security checkpoint, be prepared to:
    Remove your coat or jacket and your shoes and place them in security trays for screening. Children are usually subject to the rules as well and may need help with their coats and shoes. Frequent travelers often opt for slip-on shoes to speed them through the process.
    Secure all liquids or gels in your carry-on bag in a clear quart-size plastic bag and place it in a security tray. If you forget to prepare the bag at home, most airports have bags available at security checkpoints. Remember, each container or liquid or gel can be no more than three ounces or it will be confiscated. The Transportation Security Administration refers to this rule as 3-1-1, meaning three ounce liquids or gels allowed in a single (one) one-quart bag.
    Empty your pockets of change, keys, cell phones, combs, eyeglasses and other items and put them in a small security tray for screening. If you’re wearing a belt, you may also be asked to remove. To speed up this process, savvy tra-velers typically take care of placing those items into their carry-on bags prior to their approach through security screening.
    Remove any computers or other large electronics such as video game consoles and remote-control toys from your carry-on bag. Unless you have a TSA-approved bag, you’ll need to place them in a security tray for screening.
    You may be in a hurry, but double check that you’ve collected all of your belongings from the security trays before you leave the security checkpoint.
    Remember that holiday season travel can often be impacted by winter weather. Be sure to keep your travel agent’s contact information stored on a fully-charged cell phone just in case you need any additional assistance once you arrive at the airport.

    Moe Rondeau is the owner of Travel Leaders/Travel Advisors International at 204 Front St. in Lincoln. He can be reached by calling (401) 725-1234 or by sending an e-mail to moe@tai-trips.com.