Orlando International Airport plans to vote on whether or not they should privatize their airport security during a meeting later this month. The airport has seen a lot of growth the past few years, and is now ranked as Florida's busiest airport, and…
Security/TSA
New TSA Pre-Check Airlines: Air France, Brussels Airlines, KLM, & More!
The two innovations of the past several years that have made the US travel experience substantially more pleasant have been TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry. As a reminder, TSA Pre-Check allows eligible travelers expedited security screening, where they…
Serial Stowaway Found At Chicago O’Hare Twice Within Days
I first wrote about Marilyn Hartman, also known as the "serial stowaway," in 2014. At this point she has been found trespassing at airports dozens of times. Often she has successfully managed to get past security and even board flights without tickets,…
TV Crew Arrested For Taking Fake Explosives Through TSA Checkpoint
Yesterday was quite an eventful day at Newark Airport. First ex-governor Chris Christie made the news for being denied access to the VIP entrance at Newark Airport, though that isn't the only eventful thing that allegedly happened at the airport yesterday.…
TSA Agent “Accidentally” Brings Gun To Work
Ugh, don't you just hate when you accidentally pack a gun in your lunch box when going to work? CBS Boston is reporting how a TSA agent at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport packed a gun in his/her lunchbox last Friday. This was only discovered when…
My Interesting Experience With Secondary Security At Ben Gurion Airport
Yesterday my trip to Israel came to an end, and I flew EL AL first class from Tel Aviv to London. I'll have more on that very interesting flight shortly, but in the meantime I wanted to share my experience with security at Ben Gurion Airport, which is…
My Experience With Security & Immigration Flying EL AL To Israel
Yesterday I shared my experience flying EL AL's new 787 from Newark to Tel Aviv, which was a pleasant surprise. One of the things I was most apprehensive about was how the security screening process would be. I wasn't worried because I have anything…
Charlotte Air Traffic Controller Charged With Having A Weapon Of Mass Destruction
I have a lot of respect for air traffic controllers and what they do to keep our skies safe, and tend to think that there are "bad apples" in every industry. So while the fact that he's an air traffic controller may only be tangentially related to what…
The TSA Is Improving, Only Failing ~80% Of Tests
It continues to blow my mind how ineffective the TSA is. Back in 2015, the TSA failed 67 of 70 tests that were conducted around the nation, which involved undercover officers smuggling banned items through security. That's right, they have a ~95% failure…
New TSA Pre-Check Airlines: ANA, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, And Korean Air
The two innovations of the past several years that have made the US travel experience substantially more pleasant have been TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry. As a reminder, TSA Pre-Check allows eligible travelers expedited security screening, where they…
New Security Measures For US-Bound Flights From Asia Coming Next Week?
In late June we first learned about new security measures being introduced for US-bound international flights. With the increased risk of terrorism to aviation, the government wants to do more to prevent it (well, other than actually have a professional…
Video: Singapore Changi Airport Has A Simulated Terrorist Attack
Airports are always preparing for the "worst case scenario," though typically the preparation happens behind the scenes. Well, in the case of Singapore Changi Airport they did a simulated terrorist attack training exercise early this morning, and it's…
CLEAR Is Now Available At 7 LAX Terminals
In July I signed up for CLEAR, which I've fallen in love you, and find to be well worth the membership cost. Just for being a SkyMiles member you can get a membership for $99 per year, and you can add family members for $50 each, so it's quite a deal.…
Is CLEAR Worth It?
Just under two month ago I signed up for CLEAR, which lets you bypass the ID check at many airports around the country. If you haven't yet read my previous post about CLEAR, I'd recommend checking that out first. Instead of lining up to have your ID…
TSA Pilot Program Allows Non-Passengers To Clear Security
9/11 prompted a lot of changes to the airport experience. One of those changes was that only ticketed passengers could clear security in the US, meaning that it's generally no longer possible to clear security if you don't have an outbound boarding pass.…
Experiencing Saudia’s Enhanced Security Screening Post-Electronics Ban
In March the US implemented an electronics ban for flights from select Middle Eastern countries to the US. Under this ban, passengers had to check electronic devices other than phones into the cargo holds of planes. This whole thing seemed pretty poorly…
Man Claims To Need Groin Surgery After Rough TSA Patdown
I'm not a fan of the TSA, and generally don't give them the benefit of the doubt, given their track record. However, this is a situation I'm a bit skeptical of, to put it mildly. NBC 5 Chicago shares the story of a man who claims that he had such an…
Testing CLEAR Airport Security
CLEAR, which lets you cut the line at airport security, has been around for years. However, it hasn't been available at most airports I frequent. CLEAR recently started operations at LAX, which I fly in and out of pretty often, so I decided to take the…
New TSA Screening Restrictions On Electronic Devices
The TSA and DHS have been introducing new security screening measures for flights, given the (apparent) increased risk to aviation security, especially as it concerns explosives. While we've seen the TSA test some new screening practices on domestic…
The TSA & United Disagree Over TSA Policy
Comic-Con took place in San Diego this past weekend, and not surprisingly, many attending the event left with comic books. However, those booked on United were told to remove all comic books from checked bags. There were signs at the airport stating…
New Security Measures Are Being Implemented For US-Bound Flights Today
As we first learned in late June, new security measures are being introduced for US-bound international flights. Not surprisingly, the Department of Homeland Security wasn't especially transparent in sharing what this would entail, though they said that…