Live coral and live fish? Sure.
They have to be inspected by TSA, but you can bring them onboard.
How about your favorite coffee
maker? It is carry-on friendly.
Your desktop computer can come
with you as well. It has to go through the screening machines.
Bring your artificial skeleton
bones only after you let TSA know they aren’t real.
Your bowling ball or bocce
balls can be packed into your carry-on bag.
If you went to the beach and
have to bring some sand home, it can be in your carry-on bag. Just don’t let it
spill.
Same goes for rocks, as long as
they aren’t from a National Park.
Do you need to bring your
cymbals with you? Depending on the size of musical instruments, they may need
their own seat. Cymbals should be okay to put in the overhead bin.
If one of your resolutions for the new year include traveling abroad…that’s fantastic.
If this is the first time…that’s
also fantastic. I’m sure you have read all the tips about what to pack, what to
take in your carryon bag, when to book, and more.
In case you need a few more tips to
remember…check out these useful suggestions.
Remember the outlets in Europe are different than here in the US. Check to see what country uses what types of plugs. Get the right one and take it with you if you want to use your own hairdryer, phone charger, etc.
Speaking of hairdryers, check the
website of the hotel or vacation rental where you will be staying. Most times,
there is one included in the room or apartment. You could save a bunch of room
in your suitcase if you didn’t have to pack a bulky hairdryer.
Let your bank and credit card
companies know you will be traveling. Also let them know the dates and places.
No sense having a card declined because you are no longer in the US.
Take some cash with you. ATMs will
often charge a hefty fee to take out cash. Also, know which banks and which
machines are best to use for your bank.
Remember to dress accordingly in
the country where you will be. Avoid wearing shirts with sayings that could be
taken the wrong way, or clothes that look like they were made for working out.
In the US we tend to wear our sneakers, sweatshirts, and yoga pants everywhere.
That is not the case in many European countries.
Noise cancelling headphones are your
friend on a long flight. Just remember to remove them when the flight attendant
is talking to you.
Learn a few local phrases. Especially
learn please and thank you. Even if the shop owner or hotel person speaks
English, it’s still appreciated if you use their language.
Check your phone plan before you
go. You may be able to use your phone, or it may cost too much. Check out
something like an Orange card before you go. Remember to use WiFi at the hotel
or apartment to save on usage.
Try the local foods. Eat at the same time the locals do. Why? Both will give you a much better experience in that country. You didn’t come all the way to Italy to eat a fast food burger, did you? I hope not.
Understand about tipping. This varies
from country to country. It may be as simple as looking at your bill.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Space may be limited in a restaurant or on a bus. Don’t take up more space than
you need. The same goes for how loud you talk. Many countries speak quieter
than you may be used to. Pay attention and try to follow their lead.
For more tips, check back regularly to read the latest from TSA, the State Department, and fellow travelers. Sign up for my website at https://.www.travelsandescapes.net to follow me wherever I go. Have fun traveling.
Did you know some popular prescription and over-the-counter medicines commonly used for things like pain relief, better sleep, allergies, or your common cold are illegal in some countries? That means you need to know what you can and cannot take into a country when traveling.
The
United Arab Emirates and Japan, for example, are among the most restrictive
nations. Many other countries ban or restrict importing narcotics, sedatives,
amphetamines, and other meds you think are common. So…what should you do?
Plan Ahead
Laws vary by country and
there is no central, up-to date repository. One travel consultant suggests asking
your physician, travel medical insurance company, or local pharmacist four to
six weeks before traveling. “When you inquire about your shots, ask about
medications. Odds are they may not know off the top of their head, but they
have the resources to find out.”
She also suggests
checking with the embassy of your destination country. The US State Department website
lists foreign embassies. It also lists insurance providers if you need one for
health care abroad.
Label and Pack Your
Medication Properly
Carry all your medication,
from vitamins and supplements to prescription ones, in their original, clearly
marked containers or packaging. You can put that in a clear plastic bag in your
carry on luggage. Make sure the name on the prescription, the medicine
container and your passport all match. If you lost the product information
insert, ask the pharmacist to print a new one for you.
Also, check the TSA
website for up-to-date rules and regulations on packing and carrying your
medication when you depart. The standard rules for liquid carry-ons don’t apply
to medications in liquid or gel form, but you need to inform them when you pass
through security so they don’t confiscate it.
Obtain and Carry
Necessary Documentation
Keep copies of your
original prescriptions, if you can. Better yet, obtain a letter on
official letterhead from your physician that lists the medicines you need and
why they were prescribed.
Know the Names and
Amounts of Active Ingredients
The documentation you
carry should also indicate the generic and chemical names of the active
ingredients, which determines permissibility, not brand names.
For example, the active
ingredient in Benadryl, diphenhydramine, is banned in Zambia in over-the
counter products. In Japan, it is allowed only if the amount in a tablet or
injection is limited. However, a typical 25 milligram tablet of Tylenol PM in
the United States exceeds the 10 milligram maximum amount in a tablet you can
bring into Japan. Some countries restrict the overall total amount of an active
ingredient an individual traveler can legally import, which may impact longer
stays.
Recently I read a post on The Points
Guy that bears repeating.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has banned select MacBook Pro laptops from being carried on, or checked into the cargo holds of aircraft. The FAA’s decision follows Apple’s announcement that some of the older MacBook Pro units posed a fire risk.
According to the FAA’s statement, the
agency has alerted major US airlines to the recall, explaining that the
affected laptops should not be allowed to fly as cargo or in passengers’ carry-on
baggage.
The devices in question are some
15-inch MacBook Pros that were sold between September 2015 and February 2017.
Apple originally announced the recall
in June, saying it had “determined that, in a limited number of older
generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire
safety risk.”
Affected units can be determined by
the product’s serial number and checked online. To check if your 15-inch
MacBook Pro is part of the recall and has been banned by the FAA, follow these
steps:
1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your
screen and select ‘About This Mac’.
2. Confirm your model is “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch,
Mid 2015)”.
3. If so, go to Apple’s dedicated recall page. Enter your
device’s serial number to see if it’s eligible. If it is, you’ll be offered
several options, such as getting the battery replaced.
According to a notice distributed in
Canada in June, about 432,000 MacBook Pros sold in the US were part of the
recall, and about 26,000 of the affected units were sold in Canada. The number
of the devices part of the recall that were sold in Europe has not been
disclosed.
In addition, four non-US based
airlines introduced bans on these. Included are TUI Group, Thomas Cook, Air
Italy, and Air Transat.
Laptops with replaced batteries will
be allowed on board.
According to TSA,
there will be at least 263 million travelers going through airport security
this summer alone. They have a suggestion… Enroll in PreCheck. You get expedited
security screening and you do not need to remove your shoes, laptop, liquids,
belts, or light jackets.
In April of this year
93% of those going through PreCheck waited less than five minutes.
How do you get
PreCheck? It costs $85 for five years, a short application, a 10 minute
in-person appointment which includes a background check and fingerprinting.
Usually, it only takes a few days to be approved and given your Known Travel
Number.
If you don’t find the
item you’re looking for, you can tweet them at @AskTSA or send a Facebook
message to AskTSA.
Here is a list of their permitted items and where you
must place them.
Permitted as carry-on or checked
Knitting needles–sharp objects in checked
bags should be securely wrapped to prevent inspector injury
Canes–must undergo X-ray screening, a TSA
officer will inspect item if it cannot fit through a machine
Tents–check with airline, but tent stakes
and poles must be checked in
Umbrellas–Allowed in carry-on bags
Insulin and insulin supplies–Notify TSA
officer of your condition and that you are carrying supplies. Any forms or
dispensers must be clearly identified.
Liquid medications–Liquids, gels or
aerosol medications greater than 3.4 ounces must be declared to security
officers at the checkpoint for inspection.
Sand, rocks, seeds, plants—OK in either
Medical marijuana/CBD–Not searched for but
if illegal substance is discovered, TSA will refer to law enforcement
Yogurt–Must be less than 3.4 ounces
Small fishing lures–Large hooks should be
wrapped in checked luggage. Expensive reels or fragile tackle may be
placed in carry-on
Dry batteries—AA, AAA, C and D, but not
lithium varieties
Only permitted as checked
Golf clubs (balls and tees can be placed
in carry-on)
Canoe/Kayak paddles
Walking sticks
Only permitted as carry-on
Vape/E-cigarette
Portable chargers or power banks
containing a lithium ion battery
Disposable and Zippo lighters (no matches
allowed in carry-on or checked-in)
And what about those small pets?
They are allowed through the checkpoints but don’t
have to go through the scanner. A pet carrying case is required to go through
the X-ray machine, but the animal must be walked through the metal detector.
Other advice
Don’t forget the 3-1-1 liquid rule and
pack your liquids in the front pocket on your carry-on for accessibility.
Liquids, gels and aerosols must be stored in 3.4-ounce containers or less,
and fit in a quart size clear plastic zip top bag, one per passenger
Tape a card with your name and contact
info to your electronics
Pack items in layers (shoes one layer,
clothes one layer, electronics one layer, etc.)
Don’t forget your money at the checkpoint.
In fiscal year 2018, travelers left behind over $960,000. (The TSA plans
to use the unclaimed money toward checkpoint training requirements.)
Minneapolis and Salt Lake City will
soon offer optional boarding by facial recognition on nonstop international
flights flown with Delta and its partners. Atlanta’s Terminal E will be
equipped with scanners to facilitate even more ticketless boarding in Delta’s
hometown.
Delta confirmed with TPG that
Atlanta’s Terminal E, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City will all be live at
various points in July. It won’t be a hard switch; rather, Delta will install
facial recognition equipment at one gate, and once tested and proven, more
gates will be brought online until each gate is equipped.
Delta worked with US Customs and
Border Protection, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the
Transportation Security Administration to bring optional biometric boarding to
international flights in Atlanta’s Terminal F in December of 2018. Now that the
airline has had a few months to test and learn, the system is spreading to new
locales.
The launch of biometric boarding is a
first-of-its-kind experience for MSP and SLC. If you’re traveling out of either
airport (as well as Terminals E and F in Atlanta), you’ll need to be ticketed
on a nonstop international flight to take advantage. Delta flights are
supported, as are those on SkyTeam partners Aeromexico, Air France-KLM and Virgin
Atlantic.
Since launching in Atlanta’s Terminal F, Delta has commissioned third-party customer insight research to gather feedback from those experiencing the process for the first time. According to Delta, that research found that 72% prefer facial recognition to standard boarding. Moreover, just 2% of customers opted out of the process, though Delta makes clear that anyone uncomfortable with the notion of having their face scanned to board can use a traditional ticket instead.
Here are a few more simple travel tips compiled from frequent travelers, flight attendants, and fellow travel writers. Want to know what they all have in common?
Hint…they
plan ahead.
If you check
your bags, pack an outfit in your carry on. This way, you’ll have a spare set
of clean clothing ready to go in case your bag is lost. Be sure to ask the
airline about their compensation policies. Depending on which route you’ve
flown, you may be reimbursed for purchasing toiletries.
Pack some travel size or small packets of laundry detergent.
You can use a sink to wash out some underwear or lightweight tops.
Pack a small first aid kit with the basics like bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain meds, and upset tummy meds. You don’t need to bring it all…just some simple basics.
If you can, travel with carry on luggage only.
Keep backups of your travel documents. You can
store copies in a cloud-based server. If you’re traveling with a companion,
carry a copy of each other’s documents.
Bring noise cancelling headphones, eye mask, ear
plugs, entertainment, or whatever makes your long flight more comfortable.
Learn some basic language phrases when traveling to
another country. Please and thank you go a long ways. So does asking for the
bathroom.
Talk to the locals about the best place for morning
coffee or a late-night drink and everything in between.
Remember your chargers. And, remember to pack an
adapter if traveling to Europe.
Try to avoid using the airport money exchange
counters as they usually charge a higher rate of exchange. Instead, use an ATM
when necessary. You can always get some local currency ahead of time.
Prepare for security at the airport. Have your
things easily accessible for security check. If you’re not TSA Pre, wear shoes
that are easy to remove, take off your belt, and remove your laptop. Don’t hold
up the line by not being ready.
Excerpts are from an article which
appeared in The Points Guy.
The table below provides a proxy for
total weather delays, measured in minutes, for the period between October 2017
and October 2018. It includes delays to the National Aviation System that are
not strictly weather-related, such as traffic pileups at the major hubs and
late-arriving aircraft that may not be due to weather, but it excludes
maintenance issues or airline-controlled delays. What we know is that between
50-60% of NAS delays are due to weather — but not extreme weather — and that
airline-controlled delays represent less than 5% of the total.
Worst US Airports
for Weather Measured in Delay Minutes
AIRPORT
NATIONAL AVIATION SYSTEM DELAYS
EXTREME WEATHER DELAYS
LATE-ARRIVING AIRCRAFT DELAYS
Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
1,707,353
270,189
1,867,386
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL)
986,176
263,847
1,514,276
Newark Liberty (EWR)
1,888,390
114,335
732,926
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
815,032
234,693
1,456,957
San Francisco (SFO)
1,435,733
101,105
936,938
LaGuardia (LGA)
1,207,991
169,228
807,517
Denver (DEN)
527,483
108,565
1,159,518
Boston Logan (BOS)
756,415
92,246
923,118
New York JFK
825,634
98,234
705,328
Source: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Weather Delays by Airport for the period from
October 2017 to October 2018
So…what does this tell you?
You
probably already know Chicago O’Hare is to be avoided in the winter. Atlanta is
affected by weather as well. In fact, it’s 32% worse for delays due to system
delays and thunderstorms.
Dallas/Fort
Worth, American’s major hub, is also affected by thunderstorms.
San
Francisco has fog. And, they have two parallel runways separated by only 750
feet. In good visibility…not a problem. In poor weather conditions FAA regulations do not permit aircraft to land side by side unless
the runways are separated by 4,300 feet. According to SFO, this reduces
operations by half during
poor weather.
According to TSA, airline passengers
filed almost 8,000 yearly claims against them for losing items like clothing,
jewelry, electronics, and gifts.
Would it have helped to have your bag
locked? Maybe not. Putting a lock on your suitcase isn’t a guarantee that your
stuff will be safe.
Locks can be cut. Someone could slice
through your soft-sided bag. Locks only discourage casual thieves, causing
them to move on to easier targets. In reality, locks are only flimsy protection
if someone is determined to get into your bag.
That’s why you should always keep any valuables with you in your carry-on bag.
What if your bag is locked and TSA needs to get into it?
The TSA has master keys that allow agents to open all
TSA-approved locks, if they determine your bag needs extra screening. If you
use a non-TSA lock, they’ll cut it off your bag.
If you are traveling internationally, keep in mind that not
all security officers outside the U.S. have the same master keys. Your lock may
have to be cut in that case.
You could just use zip ties to lock your bag. They’re cheap.
If the TSA needs to cut the zip tie, it’s not a big deal to replace it next
time. If the TSA doesn’t access your bag, you will need to have a small
scissors or some other way to cut it off once you get to your destination.
Or, you could go to a service that wraps your bags in
plastic, which makes them harder to break into, protects their exteriors from
dings, and keeps them from getting dirty. Still, the TSA might determine they
need to cut open the plastic and inspect your bag.
