Air Travel 2010

[Khan]

Next week will be first time on plane in ~15 years.

Any suggestions from recent travelers?

Should I wear a bra?

Can I smuggle on tea bags and a mug and food? And will they give me hot water for my mug?

Should I just strip naked at the gate?

What is the availability of alcohol at 8AM?

 

[Gumby]

Next week will be first time on plane in ~15 years.

Any suggestions from recent travelers?

Should I wear a bra?

Can I smuggle on tea bags and a mug and food? And will they give me hot water for my mug?

Should I just strip naked at the gate?

What is the availability of alcohol at 8AM?

Oh, so very tempting. But to answer the questions I can without getting in trouble

When we flew to Italy in February, they actually brought around tea (bags, hot water from a carafe). It was a paper cup, but I'm sure you can transfer it to a mug if you bring one.

If you want liquor, I would recommend buying a nip or two at the liquor store and putting them in your toiletries/liquids 1 quart zip lock bag. They are smaller than 3 oz. And I'll bet the flight attendants would sell you some from the plane stock regardless of what time you ask.

 

[Moemg]

Next week will be first time on plane in ~15 years.

Any suggestions from recent travelers?

Should I wear a bra?

Can I smuggle on tea bags and a mug and food? And will they give me hot water for my mug?

Should I just strip naked at the gate?

What is the availability of alcohol at 8AM?

Wear a bra ! Do not sweat the inspection it is nothing ! Make sure you have your liquids either packed in your check in bag or in small .04 oz containers and in a quart size plastic bag ! Wear comfortable clothes and relax ! I usually take a book or a crossword puzzle so I am not busy ! They serve tea and tiny snacks and it is only a few hours of your life ! Enjoy !

 

[LOL!]

Air travel 2010: Nothing has changed since the last time you traveled except you cannot take liquids through security (except 3 ounces in quart-size bag). You can take pretty much anything else and you can get liquids after going through security and then take them on the plane. Food is also no problem. My wife took a large frozen cheese-cake in a duffle bag, but had to check it because the overhead bins were full.

You can buy all the drinks you want on the plane at 8 am. I do not think you can in the departure lounge so easily though at that time. They no longer take cash on the plane. You need a credit card or a debit card.

 

[Surfdaddy]

15 years ago I could fly with my pocket knife. Not any more.

The biggies IMHO:

1 - You can check in online and print your boarding pass in advance
2 - You will probably have to pay for checked bag(s) unless flying internationally or on Southwest. You can pay online but may still need to wait in lines to get the tags for your bags
3 - Arrive at least 2 hours time before flight to get checked in, perhaps more if international or checking bags or if it's a major airport (JFK, LAX, etc.)
4 - Have a photo id and boarding pass ready at security. Take all metal off your person and put in your carry on (pens, keys, glasses, belts, rings, etc.). Take any laptops out of your bag. Take off your shoes. You put the laptop and shoes and any coats or hats in the plastic bins to be scanned. It's faster if you know it's coming and start the prep while in line so that you don't hold up the line once you get to the scanner.
5 - You could always be nudie scanned or groped but it's not likely unless you are at a major airport. Even then it's not likely.
6 - Once through security and after you have put the computer back, put on shoes and belt, etc., then it's pretty much as it used to be.

 

[CoolChange]

Next week will be first time on plane in ~15 years.

Any suggestions from recent travelers?

Should I wear a bra?

Can I smuggle on tea bags and a mug and food? And will they give me hot water for my mug?

Should I just strip naked at the gate?

What is the availability of alcohol at 8AM?

Other information in prior posts is pretty good; but, here are some additional specific answers from a guy who travels 100,000 miles a year domestically plus a few international trips each year.

Bra is fine; just don't have under-wires or the like.

Tea bags and a mug are fine. But, I think all of the airlines still give you tea bags and hot water for free on the plane if you aren't too picky about your tea.

Tweezers, needlepoint needles, any kind of scissors, etc. (things with any kind of blade or point) should be in your checked bag. These things will make is through carry-on security fine sometimes but be flagged other times. Kind of random as far as I can tell.

Bars in the airport will be open and serving whatever you want once the first flight of the day starts boarding. But, if you are on that first flight out, there might not be anything open when you get to the airport. Morning flight may only have vodka and bubbly wine for sale.

Frankly, I wish there was a separate nude security line. I would be happy to use it each and every time since it would almost have to move faster. But, I'm afraid that going nude through normal security would just slow things down further.

Basically, just plan to arrive at the airport 2 or 3 hours before you flight so you will have plenty of time to get through security, find your gate, etc. Then, try to relax with a nice cup of tea, screwdriver, bloody marry, etc. near your gate.

Safe travels.

 

[noworkethic]

They no longer take cash on the plane. You need a credit card or a debit card.

Flew on United a few weeks ago. From Lincoln to Denver they only took cash. From Denver to San Diego they only took cards.

 

[Ronstar]

1. Bra is optional, but I checked with DW and she says definitely wear one.
2. Don't have a clue on tea
3. Don't strip naked at the gate, but get there 2 hrs before flight. Wear shoes that are easy to get on/off at security. Loose comfortable clothes also. Bring a book, crossword puzzles, iPod, etc to occupy yourself during the flight.
4. There should be alcohol establishments open at the airport at 8am. If you buy alcohol on the plane, some airlines will only take credit cards.

Good luck. Air travel isn't as bad as the media makes it out
to be - especially if you have alcohol.

 

[Khan]

Flew on United a few weeks ago. From Lincoln to Denver they only took cash. From Denver to San Diego they only took cards.

I shall take both.

What a messed up piece of crap.

I have read several differing posts on some stuff.

It all seems random & incoherent.

 

[Dawg52]

Next week will be first time on plane in ~15 years.

Any suggestions from recent travelers?

Should I wear a bra?



Should I just strip naked at the gate?

What is the availability of alcohol at 8AM?

I don't wear a bra. Never tried the naked thing either. Med's after 8:00am.......not sure. But I would take them if offered.

 

[LOL!]

I think the folks who said arrive 2 to 3 hours early are just teasing you.

I flew over Thanksgiving with just carryon. One needed to only be at the gate about 30 minutes ahead of time. From long-term parking to the gate (i.e. through security) was about 20 minutes tops and most of that was the bus ride from the parking lot.

I guess it will depend on your airport, but things move pretty fast nowadays.

 

[Nords]

It all seems random & incoherent.

Imagine how disorienting & upsetting it must seem to the poor terrorists...

 

[GoodSense]

I wear an under-wire bra all the time, and have taken more than 40 flights this year without any problem.

I usually arrive at the airport an hour ahead of the flight for domestic flights, unless it's a holiday, then maybe 1.5 hours.

Some things will depend on your airport. Shoes in bins or on the belt directly? Boarding pass in hand or in your bag? Every airport has a different rule. Just go with the flow.

Take off your jacket before you go through the checkpoint, or they will make you, and they are not very nice about it.

The last three flights I took in November, I did not go through a full-body scanner or a pat-down. It was just the old fashioned metal-detector. Four flights ago in mid-October, I had to go through the scanner. It didn't bother me. And it's not really a matter of the size of the airport, either. I went through the metal detector in Chicago, JFK, and LGA, and did the scan in MSP. (But a month later when I went through the same checkpoint, I wasn't scanned.) It really depends (and indeed random and incoherent).

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I always try to do carry-on only -- it saves checking bags and fetching them after landing (sometimes quite a delay). Your trip may not allow that but consider it if you can.

Last week my seat was right over the cargo hatch and DW and I were amazed at how they slammed the suitcases around, almost as if they were trying to destroy them.

 

[Nords]

Last week my seat was right over the cargo hatch and DW and I were amazed at how they slammed the suitcases around, almost as if they were trying to destroy them.

Several years ago I had a flight canceled when the container-loader accidentally punched through the cargo fuselage as it was being positioned.

Some of the window-watching passengers in the departure lounge saw the accident (or at least heard the "*crunch*"). Finger pointing and gesticulating ensued and a crowd began to gather. A few minutes later the gate agent got a call and spent some time on the phone, then picked up the mic for the inevitable "Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to have a boarding delay..." He of course wouldn't specify the cause of the delay-- until the gathering crowd began to loudly add their own speculation.

Not a happy day. I guess the "good" news is that it's only happened to me once, and it was only a four-hour delay.

 

[samclem]

Last week my seat was right over the cargo hatch and DW and I were amazed at how they slammed the suitcases around, almost as if they were trying to destroy them.

It's interesting to watch the technique as items are moved from the cart to the baggage conveyor for loading onto the aircraft. About 80% of the time the handler lifts the bag (big or small, apparently light or heavy) well above the conveyor and slams it onto the belt. It looks like a lot more work for them, but apparently there's some sort of psychological or ergonomic reason for doing things this way.

 

[chemist]

Flew on United a few weeks ago. From Lincoln to Denver they only took cash. From Denver to San Diego they only took cards.

I am willing to bet you flew United Express operated by Skywest Airlines from LNK to DEN and United from DEN to SAN.

Skywest only takes cash. United only takes credit cards. The UA marketing people achieved their goal as you thought you were on two United aircraft.

 

[jayc]

Flying out of Dayton will be a breeze. Always fast, short lines, easy parking/drop off and if you use Frontier, usaully on time for depart and early at the destination. Enjoy the adventure, meet new people, travel light.