Scan-Dalous Three types of passengers that airport security
hate to see – and the biggest mistake travelers can make.
MANY travelers will hate the hassle of having to go through
security but there are also three types of passenger staff hate to deal
with.
Fliers may be frustrated by hold-ups and delays having everything
checked but security staff say there are things you can do to minimize
the time it takes to be cleared.
The one mistake many travelers make is to be simply
underprepared for the trip.
A traveler who is stressed and mentally unprepared can hold things up
as they search for their passport, lose their wallet or simply miss
their flight.
While it’s easy to get flustered, some passengers are more bothersome
than others.
Eric Guthier, an advisor with the US government agency Transportation
Security Administration, has revealed to Travel + Leisure, the types of
passengers who slow the whole process down.
The
Rule Breaker
Top of the list for any security staff is the rule breaker.
Anyone trying to break the rules, such as carrying a pocket knife or
even oversized liquid containers and bottle openers, are going to have
their bags searched.
Guthier said: “More bag searches [mean] slower lines for everyone.”
Carrying a firearm, he explained can mean the “temporary closure of an
entire screening lane.”
No one wants that to happen.
To avoid inadvertently bringing something prohibited onboard, Guthier
said travellers should do a once-over before heading to the airport.
He said: “Travelers taking a few minutes to methodically go over what
they have in their bags would go a long way toward ensuring they have
maximum efficiency in getting through the checkpoint.”
The
All-over-the-place/Impatient Passenger
The biggest mistake Guthier has to deal with is the person who is
disorganized.
He said travelers should have everything in order before they even join
the security line.
Guthier said: “We prefer when passengers arrive with plenty of time to
spare, are organized, [and] have their documents ready.
"When passengers are frenzied, worried, and disorganized, they tend to
do things they wouldn’t normally do such as sending their pets through
the x-ray.”
Equally annoying for security personnel is the impatient person.
Guthier recommends travelers simply practice patience.
He said: “We wish travelers would keep in mind that we are there for
their safety, as well as the safety of everyone else in the airport… At
the end of the day, we are people who go home to our families, just
like they do.”
Faulty
Luggage
Simply having faulty luggage can cause a major headache for security
and cause delays as staff grapple with zips that don’t work or
overly-stuffed suitcases.
Guthier said: “[Those with] missing zipper tabs may cause
problems.”
While sometimes travelling with a broken bag might be unavoidable,
there is an easy and quick fix.
He recommended using zip ties as temporary pull tabs.
Meanwhile, UK airports are slowly ditching the the 100ml liquid rules
which should see security wait times slashed.
Once in place, the new scanners will allow passengers to carry much
more liquid in their hand luggage, putting an end to the strict 100ml
liquid rules currently in place.
Last year, the Department of Transport implemented a deadline
of June 2024 for airports to have the new scanners in place.
However, some places are facing delays until as late as 2025.
This is due to installation issues with the new security equipment, as
well as the need to keep security in operation while bringing the new
scanners in.
Liverpool, Bristol and Birmingham are all expected to hit the deadline,
while East Midlands could also finish their instalment in time.
Edinburgh airport looks set to fall short, with work to change the
scanners there expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, London Heathrow has partially introduced some of the new
machines, but isn't expected to finish until some time next year.
Manchester and London Gatwick are also set to miss the deadline.
Elsewhere, onward travel from the airport can be expensive - but people
often pay much more than they need to.
At UK airports, buying tickets for train travel from the machines at
the stations is often much more expensive than buying them online.
It's always worth checking the prices online when you arrive before
buying the tickets.
Meanwhile, these two sneaky methods can help you avoid flight
cancellation chaos.
The Sun UK