What stress? I don't have any problems or stress at airports any more than if I were taking a bus. I don't fly that often but I haven't had all those problems the media invents for people to get upset about. People are primed for trouble and they look for it when they get to an airport.
Here are my tips for you. Don't go. Flying is a miserable experience. You're better off not doing it.
3
Three Ways are all that's needed:
1) Get TSA Pre-check or GOES if you travel overseas)
& 1.5) get your PASSPORT (6 months + left before expiring)
2) WEIGH your bags (buy a suitcase scale) -don't overpack-overweight -review your permitted cayrry-on and checked items.
3) Get to the airport EARLY. 3 + hours.
--Follow ALL airport instructions (TSA, Gate Agent, Flight Crew) without comment or complaint.
====
That's all you need to do and two-(& 1/2) of them take place even before you leave the house; 1-1/2 of them even before you plan the trip.
2
Global Re-entry is a huge boon for international travelers. Here in New York area airports, passport control lines can be hours long, which is especially debilitating after an 8 hour flight. For a hundred bucks and a background check, including fingerprinting, you can zip through in five minutes. It's also good for TSA pre-check.
1
The noise in terminals is terrible. Background music is almost never pleasant. Announcements only worsen the situation; they are rarely intelligible despite being loud enough to overcome all the other noises.
Greater effort should be made to reduce noise. Announcements could be posted on dedicated screens and delivered through text subscriptions to mobile devices. Until then, keep the NC headphones on or earbuds in.
3
Read a book.
3
For me its the cramped spaces, first on line with the check in, then around the gate, then on the plane.You're pressed against people from start to finish, strangers at that, all with different needs and preferences.
My solution is to find airlines with larger seats-Jet Blue for example, or fly business or premium economy. At this point in my life I'll throw down the extra money if its a long haul flight.
The other big bonus is the private lounge areas insulating you from the pre boarding crowds. As long as I can afford it, I do it. I know many cannot.
3
Get there early. Bring a book. Bring acceptable snacks.
Then people watch. Ignore the rest.
15 words. No stress.
7
#1 stress for me on international arrivals: After sitting for 13 hrs, walking down the arrival terminal toward a checkpoint with a long line, what do you if that walking makes your G.I. tract wake up? At Brussels and Heathrow and Dallas, is it just me, or are there no restrooms until after the checkpoint?? Are they afraid people will try to flush contraband?
Take a small piece of Xanax as soon as you arrive.
1
I think more people need to consider checking bags. People's "carry on + 1" have reached epic proportions. Hauling those things thru security and then onto the plane just looks stressful. You have people flipping out figuring what to remove at security, stressing to get on in time to get an overhead bin, getting angry about gate checking, whacking other passengers because they are two weak to heave the bag into their bin, clogging up the exit process because their jumbo duffle is 8 seats back.
Just check it. If you can't carry it (not roll it), just check it. Airlines are to blame for this nuisance for charging people to check a bag. Just roll that cost into the ticket and make everyone's life easier.
5
The article that stood out to me the most this week was "18 ways to navigate stress at the airport" by Elaine Glusac, published June 27, 2018. Being at an airport can be very stressful for many people. The thought of even being on a plane can be just as stressful. I think some of these methods use to reduce stress won’t be effective.”Another way is to buy your way out of the lines with T.S.A. PreCheck. “ I don’t think this is an effective method to relieve stress from security. Many have probably never even heard of “ T.S.A. PreCheck” and don’t want to pay a fee of $85. “Or seek a therapy animal, if you didn’t bring your own. (An accompanying animal generally requires a prescription from a mental health professional.) As used in airports, therapy animals are said to raise spirits, reduce anxiety and improve communication by being available for travelers to pet and interact with” is another method stated in this article. Not everyone has a pet, and if they do they probably can’t bring it with them. Not all airports have “therapy animals”.
Might sound a bit traditional....but always have a good book and learn to go with the flow. Arrive early, expect everything to go wrong...so when things go smoothly its a pleasure. Above all don't rage for any reason, it simply ruins not only the trip, but everyday after that.
10
I travel quite a bit - and I agree that "passenger attitude goes a long way to what the screening experience will be like" -
However, in my experience and observations over my 20+ years of having to fly (particularly since 9/11) ... it usually is not the TSA agents who are impolite, but a passenger going through the line and many times it is a passenger who escalates and harasses TSA officers, not the other way around.
The big problems - (1) Individuals who don't want to get to the airport at least an hour before their domestic flight and take it out on TSA officers; (2) parents hiding juice boxes in their carry-on luggage and getting upset when the TSA officer tells them that they can not bring these juice boxes through security - yes, I understand that these are for your kids, but ... it's what we have to go through when we travel.
Traveling is not a right - it is a privilege even when you are paying for a ticket. You still have to follow the rules. If you don't like it, then don't fly. I certainly would appreciate it.
4
@K I travel way too much, and my experience has been that TSA agents are usually very polite, with the notable exception of New York City/New Jersey. At JFK, LGA, and EWR, TSA agents will literally yell at and berate passengers, entirely without cause. It's bizarre and unprofessional.
1
Drugs (prescription), a good book, music selected in advance as a calming playlist, and wear sunglasses all the time once past security--then more drugs before boarding. . . .
1
Many long distance buses in Mexico are far nicer than US planes. They are clean, much more comfortable, have audio and movies, and generally very pleasant, polite, efficient staff and crew. AND of course they are much cheaper.
7
For years I've been flying to Florida during the winter months. The airport routine and cattle drive atmosphere is a turn off. More and more though the whole state of Florida is like a permanently jammed up airport. I95 is impossible and most Publix grocery stores are wall to wall people. Decent restaurants can be a 90 minute wait. When I went to Florida for the first time in 1970 there were 7 million people living there. Now? 21 million people. As much as I dislike Midwestern winters, they're almost easier to deal with than the many hassles of visiting Florida and negotiating the expense and predictable congestion.
I have been flying endlessly for 40 years, now at 4.8 million miles on one airline.
I know every trick, belong to every SkyClub, am TSApre, and am elderly, treated with respect.
To suggest someone who is on their 5th, 10th, or 30th flight might find suggestions like, "find a calm space" useful is journalism expected from the likes of AARP.
I would, as a physician, suggest people consider getting a script for a mild tranquilizer, like Ativan, etc.
The article doesn't mention 8 hours in coach on a transAtlantic flight, or 12 trans-Pacific.
Consider talking to a physician and getting chemical assistance, not alcohol.
6
Fly your own airplane. A open cockpit biplane, not in a hurry, and stress is a thing of the past!
Air travel is inherently stressful, raises cortisol levels, and contributes to all of the "diseases of civilization" that are killing us modern humans. The science has been in for many years now but good luck finding it in the NYT, God forbid in an article on reducing "stress" in airports, parking garages, long lines of strangers, in noisy industrial buildings, in security lines, and in crowded airplanes. Unless, of course, you're in the 1% and can skip what the average traveler has to put up with, or the 0.01% and have your own plane, like Trump and his buddies. What a silly article, by an author who has not idea what stress is or that it is responsible for all of the diseases that are killing us. Stress R Us
4
That cushion may vary, based on the size of the airport and your own comfort level, but should be at least 90 minutes for domestic flights and three hours for international.
Nonsense
1
@Reader In Wash, DC So what do you recommend?
5
@Reader In Wash, DC You're right. If you're flying internationally from Israel, give yourself at least 3.5 hours. I arrived at Ben Gurion Airport three hours before my flight to NYC, and after a half-dozen layers of security, I made it to my gate with no more than twenty minutes to spare. And if you're flying domestic within the US just before Thanksgiving or Christmas, you definitely want to give yourself at least 2 hours.
1
Airlines are selling their product as cheaply as they can to as many people as they can. Airports are the intersection of that product, various airport administrative services, various governmental services, and millions of people from various cultures and different languages. The cheaper people expect to fly (hey lets go to Miami for two hours pay) the more crowded things become.
Add to the above inexperienced travelers vying for attention, crowding gates, and being mis-prepared for security, immigration, customs, and baggage, well, things can get nerve-racking.
If you buy this product, you get this product. You get from A to B cheaply. Its not a bad deal.
This article fails to offer that there are completely different products and services available.
I fly frequently and buy a different product.
Two weeks ago on my Flight from Newark to Mulhouse, France, I checked in on the first class line in 5 minutes. No wait, no stress.
I went through expedited security, where I had slip on shoes, no belt, and all of my things arranged appropriately. I walked right through. No conversation.
I went to the Concorde Lounge. Had a scotch, then the buffet. Read the paper.
Flew to London business class while I slept 5 hours fully stretched out. In London, at the Concorde Lounge, I had breakfast, massage and shower. And, off to France.
No Stress.
Point is, there is absolutely a different way with a willingness to pay for it.
2
This sort of thing is happening a lot since the NYT disbanded the dedicated proofreaders.
This sort of thing is happening a lot since the NYT disbanded the dedicated proofreaders.
Surely you mean "a willingness AND ABILITY to pay for it". Not everyone can afford business class, much less first class.
14
"Find a quiet space" ? There's no such thing in an American airport. Compare with many European airports, where there is no cable news blaring at every gate. Why do Americans put up with this commercial noise pollution in crowded spaces? It's beyond me.
9
European Airports? Quiet? Frankfurt? de Gaulle?
Every single airport in the world has a quiet space....Geez, Bangalore, Newark, name it. Last week it was Concorde Lounge at EWR with an excellent buffet off to the Concorde Lounge at LHR where I got a shower and massage and on to a regional French airport.
Point is, you can have anything if you are willing to pay for it, or earn it with loyalty.
Security? Its a breeze if you dress thoughtfully and prepare by putting all your junk into your bag.
Want trouble? Crowd the gate when you are boarding group 5 carrying plastic bags and handfuls of junk.
If you want to travel between continents for a couple days pay ... thats the treatment you purchased.
2
In a word - Xanax - smooths out EVERYTHING mentioned in this article and then some. I use it only for this - no big deal. I regret not asking my MD about it sooner.
2
@Peter Xanax? seriously? Terrible as so addictive..my son is hooked on it now...and not easy to stop..a serious problem!
2
Travel with kids.
Then travel without them.
Done
6
A lot of times, one has to fly - no choice. So be nice to yourself. In most airports, food selections have improved markedly in the past decade so eat at one of the (sit down, no fast food) restaurants if you have time, or else buy something that you like to eat on the plane. If you drink, get a glass of wine at the airport or on the plane. Buy a chocolate bar. Get yourself a trashy magazine. Don't forget your own earbuds or headset - noice canceling if you have them. Watch a movie. Bring a soft pashmina or blanket. Learn mindfulness meditation. Treat this as "me time" and don't buy wifi on the plane. Speaking as someone who has been a high level flyer on more than one airline, change your attitude and stop feeling put upon. You'll be a lot happier.
6
How long will the airlines and airports get away with mistreating their source of income? Until there are other travel choices like trains. Its bad in Europe, just worse in USA. I take trains whenever possible. Non-Americans are mistreated upon arrival, herded into 'holding' areas upon arrival till the USA citizens pass thru. During Obama's presidency there were welcome signs, we were 'visitors' now we are 'aliens' again. I love the USA, but hate getting there.
5
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are wonderful. What did slow us down however was the Ibiza sea salt I was bringing home for cooking (can be used for bomb-making, I was told) and when my contact lenses in their original foil packaging, when x-rayed sideways look like knives. Oh well, happy for the security, even though we missed our flight and had to spend the night in Charlotte.
1
Just stop flying. It will help the planet and yourself. Also stop traveling, especially on big tour boats specifically on those disgorging thousands into Venice on a daily basis.
4
@Floodgate Everyone's situation is different. For me, "Just stop flying" = "Just decide that my parents won't get to see their grandchild again", so no.
1
Wear ear plugs or sound-muffling headphones. Put them on as soon as you get thru security, and again as soon as you have boarded. While not totally blocking noise, they immediately provide a more tranquil environment...
6
First, watch the movie "Up in the Air". George Clooney gives a tutorial to Anna Kendricks on how to fly through airports. It's in the opening 30 minutes, but stay for the whole movie. It's perhaps his best.
5
Airports differ in staff attitude and rules. You might as well just laugh about (unless you're about to miss your plane). I had a funny experience about 7 years ago when I was leaving Hong Kong to fly to Beijing. At security I took off my shoes and got a demeaning look from the lady overseeing the procedure and she said "This Hong Kong, not USA" and looked at my shoes like they were dog poop--cracked me up. Alternatively during a connection in Madrid, we had to go through security again (seriously) and they detained my husband for a lengthy discussion (don't know why) and we almost missed our plane home.
Get to the airport early. Expect long lines. Cooperate with the TSA. Only buy food and drink after clearing security. You'll pay airport prices but it eliminates those food hassles with TSA.
Add relaxing downloads to your laptop or phone. I like recordings of forests, birds, or rain. They're cheap anti-stress therapy.
People watch. It's fascinating and free. You'll see characters you'll never see again.
Hydrate before your flight.
Locate your gate well in advance of your departure. Knowing exactly where it is will lessen worry.
4
@andrew
This is good advice except for anyone with dietary restrictions. I'm vegan so I have to bring my own food. I buy premade sandwiches from the local food coop. Last time I flew, TSA checked my sandwich for bomb residue.
If you're coming back to the US, turn off biometric unlocks on your phone, opting for a PIN or password. CBP can compel you to biometrically unlock your phone, but they cannot compel you to hand over a password or PIN. Encrypt devices and hard drives.
4
Bring food and an empty water bottle...your food will be way better and cheaper than airport or airplane offerings and there are water bottle filling stations/water fountains at the airport.
Make sure there are no questionable items in your carry on, such as a nail file, pen knife, lotion bottles, etc....these will be flagged delay you through security.
9
1. find bar
2. drink
3. repeat
10
I suggest the "inject 'em, stack 'em, ship 'em" method.
Administer anesthetics, stripped nude for security, no meals, movies, complaints. Fit more into a smaller plane.
We are treated like baggage anyway, why not pay that way?
I will not do air travel unless absolutely necessary, and know many others who do the same.
3
To the traveler looking for a quiet space: find the chapel.
To the traveler having trouble with obnoxious TSA agents: be kind, and try to empathize with a poorly paid employee who has to deal with an unhappy, and sometimes clueless, public every working hour of every working day.
To the patted-down people: laugh with the security agent; the situation is ridiculous, and he or she knows it. A sense of humor is the only way to go.
To the general traveler: help others around you. If you see some poor mother struggling to manage the diaper bag, the folding stroller, and the baby, offer to help. At least smile at the children.
To the citizens of the United States: get out there, and vote for a candidate who will force the airlines to provide tolerable seat pitch, honest pricing, and decent passenger treatment. If you can't find such a candidate, run for office. I'll send you a check.
44
Resign yourself to being unimportant, and that the process is all. (This also helps in hospitals.) Expect that no worker, from TSA agent to Flight Attendant, will have any interest in you or your feelings. Go into "travel mode" which is akin to autopilot. Rather than look around, look up because that's where the information is. Have all papers handy. Don't bring any food or drink into the airport. Be prepared to overpay. Finally, never leave the secure area once in it, or you'll have to endure the screening process again.
5
"412 people died as a result of aviation accidents in 2016 versus 37,461 in automotive accidents"
Thanks a lot. I'm trying to get over my fear of driving. I have no fear of flying! :-)
2
I had to have a body search, because of a piece of metal that was put in my breast during a biopsy, and subsequent lumpectomy.
2
That's weird, must have been a really strong detection system to find that. I have the metal piece that's about the size of a small bb and have had no problem.
How awful! I'm sorry you had to go through that.
The overall line of advice appears to be: "when the authorities confront you with an unpleasant situation, blame yourself." This somehow reduces your stress and increases your control.
Examples:
- “The passenger attitude goes a long way to what the screening experience will be like.”
- "Being polite in the face of impoliteness”. Agents “have the ability to make your life miserable if they want.”
- “We encourage locating the problem in yourself and not in the industry. That empowers the individual.”
In this way, if you and your loved ones have a miserable experience on your trip, you are empowered to add to it a sense of guilt, since you have yourself to blame.
Keep those tips coming.
15
Would you like the TSA officials to be more polite? Try "Good morning, how are you?". It works wonders.
12
I love JFK, the staff are the best! Well, I am originally from Queens so it is very easy.... and no more Ag Dept checks for my coffee, chiles and tortillas I brought in the other day.
My tennis racquets were forcefully taken from me and not returned as I passed through security while leaving Cuba last month. I still can’t believe that American Airlines did not help me to get my racquets back. Having carried my racquets to over 80 countries around the world this outraged me more than any security issue I’ve ever had.
I mean what did they think I was going to do? ....swat my fellow passengers with a racquet???!
I immediately called for American Airlines to come and help me but they never came. Shame on them.
So Tennis players: Do not take your racquets to Cuba and definitely don’t fly American Airlines.
1
If you were leaving Cuba, was not your tennis racquets being “forcefully taken” the actions of the Communist government of Cuba? How can the airline intervene in such cases? Even if it happened in America and TSA took them, the airline has no power or authority to countermand any of that? Sounds like you’re placing the blame in the wrong place.
7
Sadly, when one travels to a totalitarian run country, be it Cuba, China, etc., the country can do anything they want. If one wants to still visit those countries one has to be prepared for them to do either things you don't like or just not go. I choose not to go.
1
l missed my favorite strategy: arriving early and, if there is time left,going to the airport lounge.They are pretty Quiet
you can relax or get work done. Several ways to get access.
Lounges have been so crowded recently...
6
Most of this article is about how to minimize stress in dealing with the various types of security and control agents in US airports. Another, perhaps much more effective, option is to avoid using US airports as much as practically possible. A lot of business travel can be avoided by using the internet, and for holiday-makers or seekers of cultural experiences starting from outside the US, there are a huge number of international travel destinations worth visiting, not to speak of all those within the US reachable by highway or railway.
7
to enter the US as a tourist is such a humiliating experience that it beats me why anyone should or would. All of us non-US citizens are treated as if we were 19 th century immigrants with really humiliating questions to fill in for the passport authorities on arrival. Do we arrive in order to engage in immoral activities yes or no or intend to harm to the President yes or no let alone all other ridiculous ideas. What is the point of insulting visitors?
33
The rudest experiences I have at entry have been in Canada, where you are grilled in the most accusatory terms of where you’re staying, going, WHY are you here (usually asked at least twice), etc...hardly welcoming either.
11
It's not just non-US citizens! I'm a US citizen who was living abroad for several years. When I flew back to the US for a job interview, I was asked the purpose of my trip by a passport agent. I was honest - job interview - and he then proceeded to give me a hard time for entering the US to look for a job.
15
Entering Belgium and Ireland for a US passenger is not much better.
Delhi airport has a policy of "no announcements" and it works. What bliss. And for all of those people who are too lazy to check times and therefore miss miss their flights: tough.
6
Find a quiet place at the airport? You must be kidding. This is always my main goal, but rarely possible to achieve. Airports generally do not provide. And even if you’re willing to pay the costs of airline lounges, these are really not very quiet with all the cell phone calls and fairly high numbers of people. I used to rent out a small conference room in the lounges just to have some privacy and peace and quiet (for> 1 hr wait), but most don’t do anymore. Amazing that even lounges don’t provide a quiet area.
3
We were flying AA through Miami and went to the Admirals Club. We found a couple of seats in the “Quiet” section and began napping between flights.
About 15 minutes into our reverie, the man seated near us pulled out his iPad and started loudly FaceTiming with his wife & kids back home. His wife, seeing the Quiet Lounge sign on the wall behind, pointed out that he should move & go elsewhere during their FT visit. He replied “no, it’s ok, nobody here minds” ..... Pfft .....
13
As others may have pointed out, Dr. Pike’s explanation of hyperventilation is backwards:
“This deprives the body of oxygen and forces you to slow down,” Ms. Pike said. “You can’t make yourself relax but you can starve the body of oxygen and force it to shut off.”
Hyperventilation (“respiratory alkalosis”) is actually caused by a drop in the healthy levels of carbon dioxide. The problem is not connected with too much oxygen. Too much rapid breathing (while not exercising) blows off too much carbon dioxide.
While the “too much oxygen” is a common misunderstanding, Dr. Pike’s advice to slow down breathing by holding your breath for a few seconds IS the accepted method of treating hyperventilation syndrome.
Note that rapid breathing due to a mad sprint to your gate will not cause hyperventilation — when you exercise, you are almost guaranteeing your blood levels of carbon dioxide will be sufficient. In fact, my wife (also a clinical psychologist) additionally recommends to her panic afflicted clients to run up a flight of stairs, if convenient.
4
It is truly a sign of Trump World that people must engage lawyers in advance of arriving in the US and line up Congressional backup to protect one's self from border officials' thuggish harassment. We are moving toward Trumpian fascism. The border officials have been given the Presidential dog whistle that any heavy-handed treatment will be celebrated in the White House, and there will be no punishment.
18
The idea that this applies to anything but a tiny fraction of Americans returning home is nonsensical.
3
Reading this article stressed me out.
29
Gate Guru app has not been updated in 5 years. It is currently worthless and the info is so outdated as to make app useless.
4
Three hours before an international flight? You’ve got to be joking.
5
No joke! The circus that is JFK or LaG?...you bet, 3 hours!
7
No, not the Jeff in the article. But as a frequent traveler I must say that my fellow travelers are the most stressful element. It’s been over 15 years - most of you act like security is a surprise. Men, put everything in your carry on or jacket and put that on the belt. Women, put everything in the purse. It’s a cattle car. You don’t need any jewelry. Men, you have a phone. Ditch the watch. That dinner plate belt buckle will set off the machine. Is there anything in your pockets? You should read the signs and WATCH the people ahead of you. See the ones that sailed through? Do what they did. As far as TSA is concerned, you would be grumpy too after the 500th time some idiot left change in their pocket and said, “It’s just change.” You are the problem 99% of the time.
39
Well said Jeff. Thank you. I fly frequently and find many passengers cause their own problems and slow down the process for others. Also, leave the dog at home.
7
Also, unless you really just have one "right size" carry on and one small hand item, just pay the fee and check the 2 giant duffle bags you are trying to "carry on". Then you don't need to take forever to get thru security, you don't need to shove to the front of the boarding line and people don't have to glare at you as you try and shoehorn your junk into the overhead bin.
Bring along your sense of humor, and patience. Remember that for a custom's official in a small country, going through a foreigner's possessions is often the only entertainment during a long, boring, poor-paying day.
6
Hey Alan, long time no speak! I'm just down the road from you. Anyhow, your post reminded me of the time my mom and I went on a tour to Russia, in 1985. The custom agents seemed to find American arrivals particularly entertaining. I had a baggie of laundry powder, white, of course. They all got their jollies sniffing it, taste-testing it, passing it around to their buddies, etc. In the end, I think they were disappointed that it wasn't something illegal.
2
In the sentence about anxiety on flight “hurdling” x miles per minute, the word you needed to use is “hurtling”.
23
'Customs and Border Protection agents are not required to disclose the reasons for a traveler’s detention to anyone awaiting them. American travelers concerned about this may request a privacy waiver form from the congressional representative in your district, execute it in advance and give it to family or colleagues in the district. The form will enable those relations to contact a congressional representative who can then approach the authorities and learn the reasons for a detention.'
This is Orwellian. No one else has an issue with this?
46
This was the most horrific part of this story. It underscores that we are on the cusp of fascism in our nation.
19
Cusp? It's here. Three year old children are on trial. And within a few years, women will be imprisioned for their reproductive choices. America has its first dictator and perhaps, last President.
1
Why would you recommend getting to the airport 3 hours early for an international flight—twice as long as for a domestic one? Flying internationally from US airports does not involve any more steps than flying domestically. You can be heading for Syracuse in Sicily and you’ll have gone through exactly the same procedures as someone getting on a flight to Syracuse NY at the next gate.
The advice about longer lead times for international travel is applicable in other countries, where you might have to go through passport control, and you’ll be in an international terminal with a rather different pace of life, but not in the US.
5
Three may be a bit long but two is a minimum - there are more paperwork checks, such as your passport both when you check in and at the gate before you board. Flying to certain destinations, say Israel for example, will frequently have additional security screening at the gate, adding more time.
Finally, much international flying is done on wide body aircraft with two or three times the number of passengers as a domestic plane - it takes longer to board that many people and boarding will start early. And if you miss an international flight(such as by being too late for check in or for closure of the gate before departure) there may only be one flight per day to your destination, meaning at least another day of delay - domestic may have multiple flights per day to put you on that same day.
On short - a more involved process with less room for error.
14
Dani Madigan when I was leaving on Korean Air last November there was a long line to go through TSA control. I agree with you about the immigration departure control but I think maybe TSA control seems to take the place of immigration departure. Before my passport would be checked by the airline check-in at baggage. Then I would go through security screening and that's it. But now TSA combed through the passports of everyone who was departing.
2
In my (admittedly limited) experience, international flights board a lot earlier than domestic flights. On the domestic flights I've taken, the plane boards a few minutes before departure, and the crew harangues everyone to get set NOW so the plane can leave. On international flights, the pace feels slower and more relaxed, and passengers have time to get organized and settled with blankets, reading material, toys for children, and so on. I don't think I've ever boarded an international flight in less than 2 hours before departure.
5
I've taken ativan since 9/11. At first I took it just before boarding, but now I take it before I go into security. Makes it all flow a bit better...and I'm not really afraid of the flying portion of the trip anymore.
5
Instead of spending $30 on a meal, get an airline credit card that costs $100 a year, and gets you into the lounges for the same price as the meal.
The lounges are quiet, comfortable, and food and wine, beer are included.
3
I think the first tip is key. Having been trained to get to the airport by my parents at least 2 hours before a flight, I am rarely stressed. My other tip is a commonly known one, pack light. Having less on your person means feeling less weighted down and less chance to lose items.
Above all I consider it a privilege to live in a time where I can easily go from one continent to the next in a few hours and a luxury that I have the means to do so. Long ago I decided - being in medicine -- if no one is dying or bleeding, I am not going to make a fuss!
12
When I fly I go into my zen mode. I accept it will be stressful. I accept it will be hurry up and wait. I accept it will be close quarters with strangers. I also accept that I will get through it and then forget about it. The alternative is to get all wiggie about everthing and then have a bad day. Flying these days is uncomfortable and unavoidable mostly and some airports still don’t get it. Arrive early and relax to the best of your ability
35
thanks and gratitude for an excellent response full of wisdom
2
Hurtling. Hurdling doesn't faze me. Hurtling - that's another matter.
15
"The prospect of hurdling hundreds of miles an hour . . ." Edwin Moses in flight!! Maybe "hurtling"?
14
I didn't see it mentioned here, but flying a charter from a private airstrip is probably the least-stressful option. The airlines better hope this stays secret!
4
Oh? And who has the deep pockets to fly like that?
11
I ‘ve flown more miles than I care to remember. When I was a kid it was my favorite thing. That’s why I find the current state of air travel intolerable. The last straw for me was in Hawaii when I was pulled out of Precheck because the Precheck line was longer than regular line. I was in compliance with precheck rules but suddenly I was not in compliance in the regular line due to the line change. That led to a shouting TSA agent and a partial strip search in front of other passengers in line. That was it for me. I don’t have to travel by air anymore so I spend my life doing things I like to do instead.
27
Of course in NYC you can never count on TSA Precheck. La Guardia closes theirs frequently so it is often not available, and the international terminal at Newark doesn’t have it. Welcome to 21st century New York.
17
I am puzzled. I go through the Tsa Precheck at Newark airport 8 to 10 times every year.
3
They may shut down the PreCheck screening line, meaning don’t have to take off shoes, etc., but your carry-ons must be 3-1-1 compliant.
A tip for their suggestion, "Have your answers ready for the border agent":
Agents often use the trick question, "Other than this trip, when was the last time you were in <country>?". If you don't have your complete travel history in your head, it's easy to flub that answer, or hesitate, leading to lengthy questioning and delays. They're, of course, sitting there with your complete travel history on their computer, so they know the answer. Look it up before you leave.
9
Why pay for TSA Pre check when the airlines almost always give it to you anyway?
5
Because they are being phased out due to not having the same level of checks (eg fingerprinting) as the paid ones. After relying on my airline issued one for the last few years I’ve finally applied for a real one because I’m now missing out on the short queue for at least half of my flights. Most of the credit cards that gave you tsa pre will now give you some sort of rebate on the fee.
@Pat, Its marketing. Sooner or later, trust me, you will stop getting it for free, you will angst about the loss on several trips, and then bite bullet and get it, probably reimbursed, if you have a premium credit card. It is worth it.
TSA could contribute significantly to reducing stress associated with flying by a few simple steps that would have zero impact on whatever "security" (a debatable amount) they provide. Start off by following their published requirements. Example I have per-check but notwithstanding this article and TSA published procedures on recent US domestic flights I've had to remove a MS Surface PC and Nexus 7 tablet from my carry on. Follow up by firing "aggressive security agents". There no excuse for employing such persons any more than there is an excuse for aggressive cops. End barking commands that are often unintelligible to those with hearing aids not to mention stupid barked commands. Example the recent barked "order" I was given to pick up my driver's license from on the desk 3" in front of the initial screener's hand and place it in her hand. Apparently picking up an ID is not in the TSA job description or capability. I'd go on but TSA has no interest in improving service.
29
Why would you place your license on the desk when the screener is right there with her hand out?
If you were standing in front of the cashier while checking out in a supermarket, what would be your reaction if your change was slapped on the conveyor belt instead of handed to you?
Now multiply that by thousands of times a day.
13
I fly quite often, to destinations in Europe, the UK and Republic of Ireland. My recent trip to London Heathrow presented the more miserable airport experiences in memory. After a lengthy flight of 10 hours, we were forced to stand in line for over 2 hours before reaching a customs agent at passport control. Depressingly, I noticed multi-packs of water bottles placed at the end of most of the switchbacks where the lines of people were herded back in the opposite direction. Analysis: easier to provide free water to weary travelers than to offer more airport border security officers to process the flyers. Many many trips to LHR with nowhere near this level of inconvenience!
6
Yep, that's the UK way alright. They have no qualms about making people miserable. Their citizens are pretty inured to that kind of treatment. Beat down and too proud to acknowledge something isn't right
3
Please don’t advise people to bring therapy animals on a plane!!! There are so many fellow travelers who are allergic to animal fur or dander which makes flying in a closed atmosphere unbearable. Also, animals need a place to defecate/urinate which a plane lacks. No therapy animals!!!
96
@JR
Therapy animals are properly trained and have been walked, peed and pooped by their responsible owners before and after boarding.
I have one, and have been flying with her for 13 years.
Never an accident. I also make sure that I am not sitting near someone who has allergies. I am seated in the bulk head...which is reserved for traveling animals, or people with disablities.
There are places in most airports to take the animal to defecate outside.
2
No, please do not bring a therapy animal. You do not have the right to transfer your stress to other people. Ask your psychiatrist to up your medication instead.
119
The glorified mall cops of the TSA should not be "barking" at anyone! If any of them does, they should be reported.
29
“If you want to fly, you have to comply,” said Jeff Price, a professor in aviation and aerospace at the Metropolitan State University of Denver and the co-author of “Practical Aviation Security.”
Sorry, Jeff. You'd be better off spending your time noting that the whole process is useless. A recent IG report stated that the TSA clowns miss 90% of contraband. It's a bloated bureaucracy: what those of us in the know call "security theater." "Practical aviation security"? It doesn't exist in this country. I suggest you travel to Europe and see what real aviation security is.
The agents have to overcompensate for the fact that they don't get to carry guns, so that increases their need for thugish behavior.
I'm retired and I fly about once a year and that's enough.
45
Exactly right! Mr. Price is going to have to give a better explanation as to why we have to "comply" with hordes of blue-shirted malcontents who were probably un-hirable everywhere else and who mostly stand around talking to each other while I'm being treated like I'm already a suspect. Abolish the useless TSA!
24
Call me crazy, but I love airports! I remain amazed that I can get on a plane at night and wake-up in a completely different part of the world the next day. It is nothing short of a miracle.
I feel (and am) much safer in a plane than in a car.
Have a drink, put some good movies on your iPad, take noise-canceling headphones and smile. Like everything else, travel is a state of mind.
83
Noise-canceling headphones, an inflatable plush-covered neck pillow and a lightweight shawl (cashmere or down sweater) make all the difference for me.
6
@Jen Once I get through security, I really like airports too. They're the only places in the US where I feel like I don't have to worry about getting shot.
I thought I had posted this earlier but I guess not. I signed up for TSA pre check and it has paid dividends on my last four trips, likewise Mobile Passport Control has paid dividends in returning to the states. Especially on the last trip when mom and I spent less than a minute at the checkpoint. I've learned to put my wallet, watch, ring, and belt in my carry on after I've cleared the TSA pre check, I'm able to walk right on through. I'll come to the defense of TSA agents. I've learned that a "Good Morning, Mr./Ms Jones" goes a long way as well as a thank you. Even when singled out for a pat down, I go along with the drill. When traveling with mom (91 years young) she has been treated with the utmost respect and dignity. I would suggest that TSA adopt a uniform level of sensitivity for their metal detectors, seems to vary greatly from airport to airport. My observations generally show those folks who want to make fashion statements and hold up the line are the ones that give the TSA agents a hard time. Likewise the traveler that shows up a half hour before departure, joking and smiling, thinking they are entitled to special treatment and then scream at the TSA agent as well as the airline agent when told they have to wait their turn. I have four more trips planned this year, I'll get to the airport early, clear security, and then head to a bar and enjoy another stress free trip.
15
I fly domestic east to west and back a few times a year. Because I rarely find a direct flight, I find the chapel that is available in most airports to get away from the noise and chaos
during lay overs.
4
A few readers recommend noise-canceling ear or headphones. I agree, and one extra step: I have downloaded onto my cell phone and laptop a very long recording of synthetic or real rain. Effectively it is white noise, but more relaxing.
7
Try listening to the enchanting master oud player Anouar Brehem — his music and my noise-canceling Bose headphones saved my serenity on a recent flight as the high-powered (arrogant, insufferable) attorney in the next seat did business on his cell phone at top volume as we sat on the tarmac in Michigan for hours due to storms at OHare.
2
I'm surprised that the article doesn't mention using noise cancelling headphones. Use them in the gate area, the airplane itself, the baggage claim area, the airline tram or anywhere else to reduce the ever present low frequency rumbles of machinery, air handlers, and rolling concourse jitneys.
There are many lower cost options than the $300+ brand name, heavily advertised ones. We found our current headphones at Aldi, of all places, after using a few options from the early days of noise cancelling technology. The quality has improved greatly from those early days.
We put on our headphones and say, "Ahhhh." Better than looking for a non-existing yoga spot or traveling off airport for a $25 gym. Our noise cancelling headphones are the #2 important items in our travel kits -- surpassed only by our passports!
16
My biggest anxiety at airports is finding my way to the right gate, especially in large airports with multiple terminals. Any adivce on that?
7
Yes. Read posted signage and ask for directions when baffled.
6
If I’ll be traveling in an unfamiliar airport, I check an online airport map before the trip so I have some idea of the layout and where to go.
11
Download the GateGuru app.
Travel a hassle? Sure! But I try to keep perspective. I work with young people in the US and Palestine whose economic circumstances and political conditions make it impossible to board a plane more than perhaps once in their life. My city is filled with people whose jobs and (lack of) leisure plans will rarely take them to the airport. Each time I am accosted with airport noise, surly people and all that, I think: lucky me.
44
The best way to manage airport stress is to avoid the New York airports. They are terrible.
12
And how would the 10 million of us that live in the NY Metropolitan area feasibly and realistically do that?
7
Don’t ever forget to thank a stewardess, bag check person, even a security agent if they are actually NICE to you. It does happen, and like a domino effect, positive karma can influence others, make for smoother sailing, start interesting conversations. We all have to get where we’re going in the moment...thinking of others as well as oneself might make the journey easier.
66
"Actually nice" should be table stakes for flight attendants, security agents, bag check folks, etc. - acting as though they deserve effusive praise and gratefulness from the traveler for doing quite literally the bare minimum is pretty ridiculous. The rest of us have to be pleasant and behave like adults at work - why can't they?
2
I think that "if you want to fly, you have to comply" sums it up. N0 a frequent flier, but on two long trips over the last year, I ended up being wanded - US and taken out of line for a full check ( not in the US). I wasn't anxious because I had enough time, and could just accept it as a necessity. And I try to be courteous, so that I don't elevate TSA's of other checkers - stress levels. I'm in the line and out - they are there for a full shift.
It alleviates my stress when the security check areas - and customs - operate with order and efficiency. It elevates it when it feels like passengers are treated like cattle headed for the slaughterhouse. I remember once going through a double security check in Frankfort - (a surprise second one was added due to threats) and being amazed at how smoothly it went.
7
TSA needs to adjust to the increasing numbers of travelers with TSA Pre-Check. The Pre-Check lines are sometimes longer than the standard screening lines. This was the case last week when I traveled, and people who left the Pre-Check line emerged from screening more quickly.
TSA has never explained why, after arriving in the US on an international flight and connecting to a domestic flight, we must go through the full security screening despite having never left the secure area of the airport. All this seems to accomplish is to take away water bottles that passengers have acquired on the flight - and delay connections.
68
Well, I can explain... TSA has no reason to accept the screening standards in a foreign airport as adequate for the US. (You could argue that TSA itself is not necessarily the gold standard, but that's a whole other discussion.)
Because many of the transfer passengers have had access to their checked luggage.
Hi Dee, I can answer that for you. According to my airline sources, the security of a flight ends once the doors of a flight are opened. So once you disembark, even if you are in the same room, you must still go through a security screening. I used to often take a flight from Australia to Dubai, stopping in Singapore. We only stopped to refuel, but we had to all hop off, go and line up again and be rescanned, with our bags. It is a bit over the top, but that is life. I just read today that here in Australia now we must also have a limit to the number of powders we carry internationally, and they must be submitted with liquids and gels. Slowly they are adding to those lists.
1
I have never applied in advance, filled out a form, made an appointment, or paid a fee, yet I usually find a TSA Pre-Check mark on my boarding pass whenever I check in for a flight departing a US city. Other cities where I travel are better staffed and have quicker lines, so it’s no benefit overseas.
Not sure why that happens, so I assume it is a two-tiered system,
and those who can pay, will pay for any extra advantage. The private company that runs it probably tries to make as much money as they can with paying customers, but they still need to fill up the Pre-Check queue if there are not enough customers.
2
I was once very late for a domestic flight. When I explained why to the ticket agent at the baggage drop, he nicely put TSA Pre-check on my boarding pass so that I would make my flight. It has never been taken off, so whenever I book with the same airline, there I am at pre-check. Don't worry; I'm not going to tell them!!
1
My top three recommended solutions to reducing stress at airports and on flights are: earplugs, earplugs and earplugs.
20
If possible, consider trains. May be longer but the convenience of avoiding airport traffic may make up for some of the addtional time.
Sadly, this is only an option on the DC to BOS corridor. In Europe, the availability of fast, regular trains from most downtowns and airports makes it easier.
Also - hound your congressman. If many Americans voice support for modern rail, it may be in place for our grandchildren.
38
The Koch brothers are ensuring that modern rail will never be a reality.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/climate/koch-brothers-public-transit....
7
If I have a connecting flight, I always make sure I have at least two hours to make the connection. I would rather take a relaxing break than try to make a close connection.
21
This is good advice. When making an airline reservation with connections that involve changing planes or terminals, be careful! I’m dumbfounded that some flight schedule allow for less than an hour between flights.
4
The airlines need to review the gate announcements — so many are too loud, unnecessary, unclear and too long. The airports in France and England are much better and American carriers and airports could learn a lot. Similarly, so many of the announcements on planes are too loud, too frequent, far too often about marketing a product (credit card offers, for example). Who really cares if you can see Cleveland from the window? Who really wants to sign up for a credit card? Way, way too many much chatter, usually loud and disturbing.
56
They should all take a leaf out of Changi Airport's book. The best airport in the world has no announcements. Everyone must look up the boards. It makes for a very tranquil travel experience. I have been in transit in that airport for up to 6 hours and it's been an absolute delight. It's like a giant mall.
8
With you about many of the announcements, but personally I would love to hear about Cleveland out the window, along with Air Traffic Control chatter and everything else. I find it endlessly interesting. Different strokes for different folks. I just wish it were available as an in-cabin audio stream for those with headphones, so as to not bother everyone else.
4
Yes, gate area announcements are too long- ask George Carlin about that... .
However, I don't get to fly often enough, and I really miss the pilot (clearly) announcing what can be seen below- Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, rarely seen haloes, and so many other wonderful sights- even the aurora. I've been told by flight attendants that they don't do that "because of nine-eleven. Nonsense.
More and more fellow passengers get upset if I leave the window shade open to look out and see nature by day or by night. All they want to do is sit in the dark and stare at movies while falling asleep.
We are becoming a more and more impatient society.
5
The author’s suggestion to arrive three hours prior to international flights (as opposed to 90 minutes prior to domestic) makes absolutely no sense in the US. The security and pre-flight experience is almost identical - there’s no immigrations procedure to board a departing flight, and you go through the same security line as you would if flying domestically. Yes, there is a quick glance at your passport when you board the flight, and boarding may begin 10 or 15 minutes earlier than a domestic flight...but that’s certainly not enough of a difference to warrant an extra 90 minutes.
Show up three hours before a flight, and you’re going to end up sitting in an airport for two plus hours before your flight.
21
Risk assessment always involves two factors: odds of some bad event occurring and gravity of that event. It may be true that, for any given cushion, the odds of missing your flight are not all that different between domestic and international. However, the consequences of missing an international flight tend to be much worse, which makes most rational people want to minimize the odds.
14
Airports are easy-peasy compared to the stress of being squeezed into the sardine can formerly known as economy class.
50
Pre check never protects you from extra screening at any airport. They can and do randomly and routinely pull people from Pre lines for just this purpose.
6
Heads up at Pearson International Airport in Toronto... departing flights are now listed in numerical order according to departure times on the monitors , instead of alphabetical order according to cities... I find this new departure listing style confusing and stress inducing.
6
You missed some real practical advice:
1. When lining up for security, have nothing in your pockets or hands. You would’ve already provided your boarding pass and ID, so you can tuck these into a bag as well. Everything goes in a bag.
2. Have your boarding pass on your phone- one less thing to carry or think about. Just make sure you have enough juice.
3. Have slip on shoes and don’t wear a jacket or sweater. If you need to, have it already packed in the bag before security check in
4. Go to your gate first, then look for food or shops. That way, you know where you need to be and won’t stray too far.
5. Have a plan. Know if you’ll have enough time to grab food or eat while you wait.
88
Comments 1 and 2 are inconsistent. When lining up for security you better have your boarding pass and ID in your hand as you WILL be asked to show them both. Having boarding pass on phone may be ok but I'm awfully tired of standing behind folks looking for the boarding pass on their phone or fumbling with the boarding pass reader trying to get it to recognize same.
6
I like all this advice except 4. In many airports outside the US, there is an additional shuttle between the area where all the shops are and the gates or, in some cases (e.g. Frankfurt), exit passport controls. If I went to my gate first in Frankfurt, I would be deemed to have exited the country and would not be able to double back to get a snack or buy duty free. The airside food options in Frankfurt are bad enough, without limiting yourself to the vending machines available in the gate area.
5
I think NYLA is referring to the actual scanning process, after the TSA agent has confirmed your boarding pass & ID. So many people still hold their boarding pass while trying to go into the screening detector. Or worse yet, put it in their teeth. Ugh!
Airplanes now are simply Greyhounds with wings. Now that the airlines try to cram every single inch of space with a paying passenger, flying is an exercise in seeing just how far they can push all of us until we inevitably snap. It’s no wonder that the behavior of both passengers and crew members is degrading by the day. On my last flight, a passenger got on his cell phone and made a call—while we were still about 30 minutes away from our destination. Hubby and I alerted a crewmember. She sighed and told us she had to “pick her battles” these days. She didn’t want to take the chance that he would become outraged at actually having to follow the rules. Everyone is on the ragged edge, and just about anything can throw people into a tirade.
58
Bus travel is much better than train travel. Don't have to allow 2-3 hours for check-in, seats are more roomy and you can stand up and walk around. Or better yet, take Amtrak.
2
Neither Amtrak nor bus travel will get you to Honolulu.
And some companies have a "business class" buses with more room, direct to downtowns, snacks, etc. Example: look into Concord Bus for E.42 st Manhattan to Portland, Maine!
Speaking as a million mile flyer,
Materializing (a’ la Star Trek) can’t come soon enough.
40
Too many people get to security completely unprepared. They have their cell phone in their hand, pockets stuffed full of junk, bottles of prohibited water, jackets, jewelry.
Simplify everything by taking all that stuff and putting it in your bag. Close your bag so nothing gets dumped out. You’ll be much calmer and security will be much easier and faster the fewer things you have to worry about.
34
Noise canceling headphones!!
26
TSA PreCheck is a godsend. This year, I have taken 12 flights within the US, and passing through security has been quick and easy. I am surprised that this article fails to mention Global Entry (unless I missed it), which expedites return to the US. You need to apply in advance, pay a fee, and appear for an interview. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, so it's a two-fer. On returning to the US from abroad, you scan your passport at a special kiosk, which prints out a receipt that you present to a customs agent. After traveling on, say, a 15-hour flight, I welcome skipping the long line to clear customs. Look online for more info about who is eligible and the process.
40
Nowadays many TSA lines are longer than the regular lines because the government is too cheap to open more TSA lines.
2
NYC airports don’t all have TSA Precheck, so don’t count on it. But Newark has Mobile Passport which is almost as good as Global Entry.
1
Prior to 9/11 I traveled all over the world. Post 9/11, my travel by air has become almost nil because of the stress, the packed aircraft, impolite fellow passengers, surly flight crews and TSA personnel, long walks to the gate, screaming children, people yapping on cell phones - it's too much. While the suggestions in this article are good ones, if I don't have to fly, I will not. Friendly skies? I think not.
74
Agreed. I only fly now for work. Decided to spend the next decade road/train tripping around the U.S. and Canada.
4
Always be prepared to go through the regular line, even if you have Pre-Check. LAX in particular may not have a Pre-Check line. Pre-Check does not protect you from extra screening, either, at least not in Salt Lake City.
9
Or Charlotte-Douglas or Moissant, New Orleans. But Biloxi-Gulfport? Great! Love this airport.
2
Very true. Even in airports with Pre-check, it may not appear on your boarding pass. When I asked, I was told it’s not guaranteed even if you are qualified. At the Durango airport, which does not have Pre-check, they give you a yellow card exempting you from taking off your shoes, and the lines are very short anyway, a small compensation for having to walk to the plane and up the stairs.
2
I have flown on hundred of flights in the us and the UK and much of the world. For whatever reason in big us cities the us security officials are the rudest I have ever encountered. This is the case by a mile I have absolutely no idea what accounts for it. Heathrow is just as busy as JFK. Gatwick is as busy as La Guardia etc. Once out of the line shop and restaurant workers and information kiosks are all the same level of friendliness - as good or bad as anywhere else. It needs some real study to figure out A if it’s the case and then B what can be done. It does make flying in the US more unpleasant than anywhere else.
102
Woosh! I agree Jim Roth! I too have traveled everywhere and am always greeted kindly by the ground crew when getting off a plane in a different country. Always welcomed! They offer helpful information and make an effort to communicate in English. At JFK I am embarrassed by the people working around the baggage claim and others including officers at passport control. Frequently they are rude, impatient, and rarely helpful to foreign visitors. And, if you don’t speak English, good luck! No one is warmly welcomed to our country. It has improved in recent years but there is still a lot of work to be done.
52
I completely agree. I also fly internationally frequently. TSA is by far the rudest compared to security in other countries. After witnessing overt racism on the part of one officer, I went online to find a way to make a complaint, however without success.
2
I always do my best to be very polite and appear non-threatening, but in the security line you often get orders basically barked at you, which must seem frightening to people who don’t speak English or are not used to flying. It stands in contrast with the fact that Americans are generally helpful and friendly to tourists in the streets and shops in the US. And then just when you leave you get shouted at as if you were some mix between a malfunctioning robot and an uncooperative animal.
After traveling 40 hours to India from Chicago via London/re-routed to Delhi then to Chennai with two tweens(one of whom with autism), enduring a missed connection, 6 hour delay in London, diarrheal illness en route, lost baggage- I have achieved airplane nirvana or moksha. Nothing will ever faze me again. This too shall pass.
65
After imagining your ordeal, I'll never complain again!
13
Diddling with my cell phone relaxes me when the TSA line is too long, or not moving fast enough; when the boarding procedure seems like a cattle stampede; when people take forever to find their seats or get off the plane. I can keep an eye on the situation, but still play a game, check e-mail, read the headlines, or text friends. The airport makes everybody hyper alert and anxious, but listening to a podcast reminds me that nothing will go faster just because I want it to.
12
recently, i was flying alone and for whatever reason i was detained by a female tsa agent for additional body screening. what was unnerving was that she absolutely insisted on having me stand with by back to my luggage which was out in the open after going through the scanner, even after i told her very politely that i was afraid someone would walk off with it. she was totally unreasonable.
89
There are dozens if not hundreds of cameras monitoring the security clearance areas and airport in general. Your fears should be allayed by knowing that anyone attempting to "walk off" with your luggage and into the confines of the airport wouldn't get very far with it, very fast.
3
I had the same issue years ago. Especially since we've been told for years "do not leave your bag unattended" it's awful and stress inducing to require you to leave your bag unattended. I understand they have reasons to not let me grab my bag myself, but they refused to have anyone move my bag (including my purse) to somewhere more secure than just on the scanner. This was especially annoying since I'd gotten flagged after having issues getting through the scanner, which led to removing more clothing/items (before taking off your belt was standard) so my stuff was not even well organized on the belt. The fact there are cameras is not that stress relieving--given the time it would take for me to convince them to review them. . by then the person who took my stuff may have left. . on a plane.
19
I have an artificial hip joint, so I always need additional screening. Once at Kennedy Airport, I was locked in a glass cage for almost 15 minutes waiting for the additional screening, and all my things were on the conveyor belt, free for the taking. I must say, however, that a minority of the screeners are quite nice. One very nicely got all my things for me.
9
In that "Fear of Flying" section, there's a suggestion that the passenger might be stressed by the "prospect of hurdling hundreds of miles an hour in a metal tube...." Well, the simple solution here is to sit quietly in your assigned seat and forget all about running and jumping all over the place. And annoying the heck out of your fellow travelers, to boot.
19