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All air travelers need to be aware of the new security procedures as well as common sense travel precautions. Stay aware of what is going on around you. Be observant and report any unusual or suspicious activities to law enforcement personnel. Air travel is safe, and getting safer - you are part of the safety precautions.
All domestic airlines have worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that airport facilities and aircraft meet all the security requirements.
BE INCONSPICUOUS WHEN TRAVELING
The less you stand out from the rest, the more likely you are to be safe. The same goes for your luggage. Safety begins when you pack. To avoid being a target, dress conservatively you don’t want to be marked as a tourist.
Plain, inexpensive clothes
Sensible travel outfits don't wear jewelry or anything that sparkles. Wear inexpensive, plain clothes, a throwaway watch, a fairly sturdy shoulder-strap pocketbook.
Luggage? Go for the utilitarian plain stuff. Make it look as though there is not much worth stealing in it.
Inside add a baggage tag with your name, address and telephone number and your itinerary. The outside tag should have only your last name and a neighbor's telephone number.
Itinerary
Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends at home in case they need to contact you in an emergency.
HOW TO PACK
Airport security screening procedures will be significantly more stringent than before. Items in your luggage and carry-ons that may have passed through before may not be accepted onboard aircraft today. Examine everything that you normally pack in your suitcase and evaluate whether an object could be scrutinized by airport security. (This includes items found in manicure kits, etc.) Consider removing anything that could be perceived as threatening, or may raise suspicion at a security screening checkpoint. No knives of any size will be accepted. Avoid over-packing so that carry-on luggage and checked suitcases can be opened and closed with ease. Keep your contents organized for easy inspection, unpacking and repacking.
TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS
Treat your Visa cards and Visa Travelers Cheques as carefully as you would cash.
Do not keep all your methods of payment in the same place.
In crowds, hold your bags close to your body and, if possible, use a money belt.
Place a rubber band around your wallet, as it is then more difficult for a pickpocket to slide the wallet out without you noticing.
Regularly check that you have your Visa card(s) and Visa Travelers Cheques with you.
When traveling by car, do not leave your valuables in the trunk or glove compartment, carry them with you.
Do not reveal any personal information, such as your Social Security number, when you use your credit cards.
WHAT NOT TO CARRY ON BOARD
Even though they may seem benign in the home or workplace, many everyday items can prove dangerous when transported by air. Shifts in elevation, pressure, and temperature can spark fires, cause products to leak or explode, or generate toxic fumes. To avoid these and other serious hazards, be aware that it is illegal and extremely dangerous to carry on or check any of the following items:
Aerosols and other compressed gases--polishes, cleaners, tear gas, oxygen cylinders, full scuba tanks, self-inflating rafts. (Each passenger may bring one personal-protection type spray, which must be packed in bags carried in the aircraft cargo compartment.)
Corrosives--acids, lye, mercury, wet-cell batteries (electric wheelchair batteries may need to be dismounted).
Flammables--paints, thinners, lighter fluid, liquid-reservoir lighters, adhesives, cleaning solvents.
Poisons--weed killers, pesticides, insecticides, rodent poisons, arsenic, cyanides.
Infectious Materials--medical laboratory specimens, viral organisms, bacterial cultures.
Explosives--fireworks, sparklers, flares, signal devices, loaded firearms, gunpowder, ammunition, blasting caps, dynamite.
Weapons--Unloaded firearms may be transported in checked luggage if declared to the airline agent at check-in and packed in a suitable container. Handguns must be carried in locked containers, while boxed small-arms ammunition for personal use may be transported in checked luggage. Knives with a blade length in excess of four inches are not allowed on board aircraft in the United States. Weapons such as throwing stars, swords, or other items commonly used in martial-arts competitions are also prohibited. Rules in other countries will vary.
Miscellaneous--large amounts of dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide), gasoline-powered tools, camping equipment with fuel, chemical oxygen generators (either used or unused).
In certain instances, there are exceptions to the hazardous-materials rules (oxygen tanks, for example) only when personal care and medical needs are at issue. In these cases, check with the airline's freight department to see if transportation arrangements can be made. Otherwise, carrying hazardous items carries serious civil and criminal penalties.
Bon Voyage!
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