Barefoot at the airport will get you there faster

By now, most travellers are wise to the realities of post-9/11 travel. We go barefoot through security checkpoints, are learning to live without such frivolities as toothpaste and shampoo and arrive at the airport before the Starbucks opens. We've got the drill down pat.

Or do we? Did you know that packing books or chocolate in your checked luggage increases its chances of being singled out and opened by screeners? Or that it's a good idea to e-mail a copy of your itinerary to yourself before you set out?

In these days of cancelled and delayed flights, stricter security restrictions and heightened awareness, it's more important than ever to be your own best advocate and increase the odds of making your trip go as smoothly as possible. Here are post-9/11 survival tips learned over the past five years.

Pre-trip prep

— Sign up with your airline to be automatically notified of flight time changes, cancellations and gate changes. Most airlines will send text or voice messages to your cell phone or PDA. But...

— Don't depend on the airline to keep you informed. Before going to the airport, check the airline's website for changes in the flight's departure time, or call and talk to an agent about probable flight delays. If it is hours long or the plane is stuck in another city, try to change the flight to the next morning (this happens a lot with thunderstorms).

— Make sure someone you know has a copy or knowledge of your travel plans, especially your flight and hotel information.

— Ask your doctors for spare prescriptions for regular medications and take them along; you never know when you'll get stranded.

— Preprint your boarding pass 24 hours before your flight if your airline allows it. It will get you through the check-in line quicker and, if you're not checking luggage, will allow you to go directly to the gate.

— Crowded flights mean it's more important than ever to know your rights. Check your airline's website for its “contract of carriage,'' or find links to them at sites like Consumer Travel Rights Centre (www.mytravelrights.com) or OneTravel (www.onetravel.com). Familiarise yourself with the rules and print a copy to take to the airport, since ticket agents don't always know their airline's policies.

— To determine when to leave for the airport, check with your airline for the recommended time — generally two hours before a domestic flight and three hours for an international flight, but certain airlines and airports have significant exceptions. Then check the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website (www.tsa.gov) to determine average waits at security lines, and add that to the airline's estimate.

Documents

— Set up at least two free e-mail accounts (Gmail, Hotmail, etc.), since an account that works in one country may not work in another. You can keep the same account for every trip as long as you access it once every 30 days. Set up your accounts before you leave home so that your contacts will have your e-mail addresses.

— Scan your main passport page, visa and any paper tickets and e-mail them to yourself and a friend. Keep a copy of your itinerary in your e-mail account.

— Pack a photocopy of your passport's main page in a separate bag. At the very least, memorise your passport number. You need that code more and more on international trips these days, from immigration documents to hotel check-ins. And it's the starting point for replacing lost passports.
Packing

— Pack light and leave behind every possible electronic product whose wires could alarm a security officer.

— Spread throughout your checked baggage any thick or heavy objects, such as books, chocolate or peanut butter, that might be difficult for X-ray machines to penetrate. This may keep your luggage from being opened. For a list of permitted and prohibited items: www.tsa.gov.

— If you're travelling with a friend, split your toiletries and clothes into two groups, then combine one another's stuff in two pieces of checked luggage. This way, if either bag is lost, you'll have at least half your stuff at your destination.

— As a favour to officials who might have to paw through your luggage, carry clear plastic bags for storing dirty clothes at the end of a trip.

— Bring medication in its original packaging, including the label with your name on it. Make sure the name on the label matches the one on your ticket.

— To get around the liquids-and-gels restrictions in carryons, buy solid versions of products usually sold in liquid form, such as shaving soap and crystal deodorants; buy pre-moistened towelettes containing sunscreen and insect repellent. Consider ordering toiletries ahead of time and having them delivered to your destination from companies such as Drugstore.com (www.drugstore.com).

— To prevent leaks in checked luggage, pack liquid and gel products in resealable freezer bags. Use leak-proof bottles for shampoo and lotion (leave room at the top of bottles for expansion). Pack bubble wrap to cushion liquid souvenirs, like olive oil.

At the airport

— More than ever, don't check in bags if you can avoid it. This lets you sail right from your taxi to the security line clutching your preprinted boarding pass, with no stop — and wait — to hand over your luggage.

— Women travelling through airports that use the new “puffer'' bomb detection devices should consider wearing pants and a close-fitting top. Skirts and loose-fitting shirts tend to fly up in the breeze. Preferably dress down.

— Since you never know when you might get stranded, travel with a supply of food, such as power bars, nuts, trail mix, baby carrots or cereal. Take an empty water bottle that can be filled up on the plane (but not from the lavatory sink).

— If a flight is delayed or cancelled, immediately call the airline from your cell phone for alternative options. This will spare you from having to fight the crowds for the attention of the desk person.

— Invest in an iPod. You can pack a lot of distractions in it.

— Be genuinely polite to everyone, from security personnel to flight attendants. The lines are not their fault.

In the air

— Really pay attention to the flight attendant when he or she gives the security briefing.

— To combat dry airplane air in the absence of hand lotion, use premoistened towelettes or bar forms of lotion.

Trains and subways

— On subways, stand near the door for a quick getaway.

— Never ignore a bag left in the aisle or at a seat. Get out and inform a security official immediately.

— Pick cars at the far ends of the train, since they will be less crowded (everyone heads for the centre cars).

At your destination

— Once on the ground, keep alternate plans on hand for getting around. Ask your hotel's front desk how to get to restaurants or other venues by public transportation.

— Find the nearest pharmacy to your hotel so you can buy any toiletries you left home because of the liquid ban.

— Tune in to the television, radio station or newspaper at your destination. They can alert you to any local security concerns.

And finally ...

— Be more observant, but never scared - and never stay home for too long.