Get ready to unpack your carry on bags...

[dreiwhit]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/get-ready-to-unpack-for-airport-security-1495640411

After I read that article, which focused mostly on electronics larger than a cell phone, I researched it more. On the flyertalk forums, I read about passengers also having to remove paper items and food from their carry on bags, as well as their electronics. Even Bose noise canceling headphones had to go through seperately.

We had planned to fly to WDW for our next trip, and then make another flight to the Indy 500, but after reading about all of this, I'm done with flying. I don't have to fly for business, so for pleasure, i'll drive or take the train. I had gotten where I hated our 9 hour drive to WDW, but i'll gladly do that instead of the additional hassle of going through airport security.

Sigh....

 

[Ben23A]

Personally I would fly if you don't mind the actual flying part of flying. I carry on tons of electronics every time I fly and I know TSA can seem like a really tense situation but really they are just trying to move people through as fast as possible. I know its an extra cost but if you plan on flying multiple times in the next few years I would really recommend TSA pre-check it makes the whole process much calmer and allows you to not dread having to go through security at the airport. However you plan to travel, best of luck and hope you have an amazing trip

 

[piccolopat]

Personally I would fly if you don't mind the actual flying part of flying. I carry on tons of electronics every time I fly and I know TSA can seem like a really tense situation but really they are just trying to move people through as fast as possible. I know its an extra cost but if you plan on flying multiple times in the next few years I would really recommend TSA pre-check it makes the whole process much calmer and allows you to not dread having to go through security at the airport. However you plan to travel, best of luck and hope you have an amazing trip

I would love to pay for the TSA pre-check but having to travel 60 miles to the airport for the interview portion is a bit of a nuisance. I wish they would allow local police stations to conduct the interview portion instead.

 

[Ben23A]

I would love to pay for the TSA pre-check but having to travel 60 miles to the airport for the interview portion is a bit of a nuisance. I wish they would allow local police stations to conduct the interview portion instead.

You may have another interview station closer to you. In my case we live over 40 minutes from our airport but we found a location that did TSA Pre-check only 20 minutes away. I would recommend if you have not in the past, checking if you have a closer application center.

 

[piccolopat]

You may have another interview station closer to you. In my case we live over 40 minutes from our airport but we found a location that did TSA Pre-check only 20 minutes away. I would recommend if you have not in the past, checking if you have a closer application center.

It's been a while since I checked and now see one only 24 miles away. Much better option so thanks for the suggestion!

 

[loves to dive]

I drive to WDW but when we go diving, we have to fly. We always end up having to unpack our carry ons anyway since my honey does underwater video and his camera always triggers the machines. I always carry our regulators and masks on, which look a little funny when they go through the machines so those have to be unpacked. Something about the cameras also causes them to have to use the wipes for explosives on them and honey usually gets a nice thorough pat down. We can't put them in checked baggage since the camera and housing is very expensive and the one time he checked the lights they were broken when we got to our destination. Thankfully, there was a camera shop on the island and they were able to kind of rig them so they could be used but another set had to be bought, lesson learned.

 

[maxiesmom]

No way would I trade a 5 minute (if that) hassle of pulling stuff out of bags for 9 hours on the road. If I have something that might show up funny, I put in in the top of my bag. Or even put a few things in a zip lock and haul that out.

 

[supersnoop]

I would love to pay for the TSA pre-check but having to travel 60 miles to the airport for the interview portion is a bit of a nuisance. I wish they would allow local police stations to conduct the interview portion instead.

Schedule your interview for a day when you're traveling.

 

[Ben23A]

Schedule your interview for a day when you're traveling.

This is not a good plan as you do not recieve pre-check until a few days or weeks after your interview. Also a lot of the interview centers in airports are past security.

 

[supersnoop]

This is not a good plan as you do not recieve pre-check until a few days or weeks after your interview. Also a lot of the interview centers in airports are past security.

I don't understand your opposition. Schedule your interview for two or three hours prior to your flight. Sure, you'll have to go through regular security for your outbound flight. But you should have precheck for your return. That's still better than driving 120 miles on some other day just to avoid that one time me you have to take your shoes off and go through the scanner.

 

[Ben23A]

I don't understand your opposition. Schedule your interview for two or three hours prior to your flight. Sure, you'll have to go through regular security for your outbound flight. But you should have precheck for your return. That's still better than driving 120 miles on some other day just to avoid that one time me you have to take your shoes off and go through the scanner.

Sorry for the confusion I thought you were saying that you wanted to get pre-check the same day and use it to go through security that day of travel.

 

[Kaytie]

This is not a good plan as you do not recieve pre-check until a few days or weeks after your interview. Also a lot of the interview centers in airports are past security.

Well, it wouldn't work for the first trip the OP, or anyone, took. But it would be approved in time for upcoming trips.

Also, could you please explain what you mean by "past security?" Do you mean you have to get through security first, in which case it would make complete sense to schedule the interview for a day when one has to go through securing anyway? Or do you mean past as if one were coming from a flight?

 

[Ben23A]

Well, it wouldn't work for the first trip the OP, or anyone, took. But it would be approved in time for upcoming trips.

Also, could you please explain what you mean by "past security?" Do you mean you have to get through security first, in which case it would make complete sense to schedule the interview for a day when one has to go through securing anyway? Or do you mean past as if one were coming from a flight?

I understand that you would still have to go through security but if you have no bags and simply are walking through its not that bad. Also I understand that it makes sense to interview while on a trip but for some cases were you don't fly a ton but just enough to make it worth while you might want it for every flight. Any way I still think it is easiest to get to an interview center if you have one near you.

 

[DebbieB]

I would love to pay for the TSA pre-check but having to travel 60 miles to the airport for the interview portion is a bit of a nuisance. I wish they would allow local police stations to conduct the interview portion instead.

There actually isn't an "interview". I made my appointment at a local center. When I got there, no one else was there. They took a copy of my passport, took my fingerprints digitally, paid for it and that was it. It was a Tuesday, I had my number by email by Saturday.

 

[Ben23A]

There actually isn't an "interview". I made my appointment at a local center. When I got there, no one else was there. They took a copy of my passport, took my fingerprints digitally, paid for it and that was it. It was a Tuesday, I had my number by email by Saturday.

My experience was very similar. I arrived a few minutes early waited five minutes and then I went in they took my fingerprints and asked very basic questions and I received my number in a few days.

 

[Allison]

I will gladly take a bit of extra time at the airport to avoid a 9 hour drive each way.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

This is one of those "I am going to cut off my nose to spite my face" situations. OP has determined that this is his protest. No need to try to convince him of other options. Just look at it this way, it's one less person trying to get your cheap airfare.

 

[dreiwhit]

This is one of those "I am going to cut off my nose to spite my face" situations.

FWIW, I love flying, although i've gotten to the point where I hated the nickle and diming and the steady progression of cut backs the airlines have done over the last 40+ years i've been flying. I used to love and cherish the plastic wings I got when I was a kid.

I don't see it cutting of my nose to spite my face. I see it as that i've had enough. Each one of us has the point where he or she says "i've had enough" with many different things in life. Having to pull everything out of my carry on bag except for a few items remaining is the point where I personally say it. And from the complaints that i've already seen, i'm not the only one.

Not to mention, when TSA implements this, its going to take longer to get through security and make it more of a hassle. There's already an issue with theft when security is busy. Wait for that to get worse as all electronics are on display in bins . Maybe this is a way to force people into pre-check, I don't know.

If you haven't gotten to a point in life where you say "i've had enough" about something, don't worry. You will.

You can call me foolish, stupid or a crackpot - I really don't care. Now that i've said "i've had enough" I'm rather happy and relieved. I was already mentally planning on how to slim down what we take with us for flying. Now, I don't have to worry about that. We can fill up the trunk. Instead of getting a Southwest credit card, i'll get a Choice Hotels card and pay for our hotel stays using points on the way to WDW and back. I'm happy.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

*shrug* It isn't changing anytime soon. At least I am becoming a travel minimalist! I managed with only 2 sets of clothing and NO electronics aside from a cheap point-and-shoot digital camera on our trip to Disney. The DD had her VTech watch and her tablet, my DH had his CPAP and cell phone, but that was pretty much it.

Because we are a family we always get extra attention anyway so I'm just going to relax and go with the flow. I just look confused and ask for specific directions from the TSA who are only too happy to boss me around. They see I'm compliant, they don't find anything of note, we get through security...

 

[NotUrsula]

There actually isn't an "interview". I made my appointment at a local center. When I got there, no one else was there. They took a copy of my passport, took my fingerprints digitally, paid for it and that was it. It was a Tuesday, I had my number by email by Saturday.

That *is* the "interview" -- they call it that because you must interact with an actual human on an individual basis to have those things done. Mine was done at the height of the slowdowns the spring before last, so it took about a month to get my TTID number after my appt., but DS went as a walk-in when he was picking up a houseguest at the airport in late December, and he got his TTID later the same day. He spent all of 10 minutes in the DHS office, which is land-side here. Actually, those offices are land-side at every airport where I've seen them, including both TPA (near red baggage claim 13) and MCO (A-side level 3 near SunTrust).

The idea behind this to remove dense items from the bags so that the rest of the content is easier to scan, but I have a feeling that TSA will find the proposed procedures too cumbersome and time consuming, and will roll them back fairly quickly. The only way they are going to consistently get "loosely-packed" carryons is by forcing the airlines to roll back checked baggage fees, and I just don't see that happening in today's unregulated environment.