No one likes airport security, but if it makes travel safer I’m happy to put up with some inconvenience.
Here are my travel hacks to make security as easy as possible.
- Give yourself plenty of time so you don’t stress:
- Wear a jacket or waistcoat with enough zipped pockets for, coins, mobile phones and anything else metal then you can just put the jacket in the tray for X-ray;
- If they have body scanners, rather than a metal detector you will also need to put you wallet in your jacket pocket as well;
- If you wear a belt get one with a plastic buckle; (N.B For an update as body scanners become more common see this post in 2024: Body Scanners)
- Slip on shoes, or elastic sided footwear (in USA only);
- Have liquids in a zip lock bag in an external pocket of your carry on;
- Have your lap top/tablet in a easily accessed place;
- Put your hat in the tray (many hats have steel stiffeners)
If you are travelling a lot around the USA it is worth getting TSA pre-clearance.
