Make sure your feets don't stink, you have to take off your shoes at security.
I've been through dozens of airports since 9/11 and haven't experienced more than 15-30 min. wait time in security queue areas. I try to get to the airport at least 2 hours before departure. The attitude of the TSA agents has been polite and professional for the most part. But notably, JFK agents seem to be the most obnoxious.
Also worth mentioning...last connection in Charlotte won it the prize for dirtiest airport.
Good luck.
For a trip no longer than that ....
Thanks for all the advice guys. I appreciate it.The advice about the carry on is very helpful. I will carry as little as possible, and put everything in my carry on.
I live just north of Memphis. I have a business meeting in Jefferson City, Mo. on Friday. I have to be in Charlotte NC Saturday morning to help teach classes. I will be flying home Sunday afternoon, and back at work on Monday morning.
My wife and two friends will be flying out of Memphis on Friday for the conference. I will fly out of St. Louis early Saturday morning, and arrive in time to help teach the classes.
Driving is not an option. This is a volunteer organization (AYSO Soccer), and I don't have the time to take away from work to add the extra two days driving. My wife has been off work a month with no vacation, so she cannot take any more days off work.
The flights and rooms are paid for by the organization because we are teaching classes at the conference.
I found a hotel close by the airport, with a free 24 hr shuttle to the airport.
Thanks again,
Jimmy
All good advice, I travel quite a bit for work and it isn't bad, EXCEPT for the people who don't fly much and have no clue. Easy on / off shoes are a plus, I wore my work boots a couple trips ago to cut down on baggage weight and free up some space, pain in the rear to take those off and on fast!
My very biggest pet peeve is the loading gate rush, hey, you are going to get on if you are at the gate, wait for your seats to be called and otherwise get out of the way!
I do wish that airlines would curb the carry on abuse, stuffing 50 pounds of stuff in a 20 pound bag and then expecting it to fit in the overhead just because you are too cheap to check it is the worst part of boarding, people trying to stuff that in the overhead really hold up the boarding process, BUT I guess we live in a ME ME ME world now.
The advice about taking EVERYTHING out of your pockets is good, a couple trips back, the TSA guy thought he had a real live one when my chap stick showed up in the full body scan, LOL. I was so used to only taking out the metal I forgot that the new scanners see ALL. Have lost a Swiss army knife or two also, plain forgot (:
Enjoy your trip.
SHG
> Speaking of checked bags, avoid if possible.
Unless I'm on a very short trip -- like an overnight -- I'll have a backpack for my carryon and a full-size suitcase to check. I don't like having to be without my stuff, and the baggage check-in and retrieval is just a minor nuisance.
I endorse the put-it-all-in-your-carryon strategy for the security line, though. It saves a lot of mucking about with scanner trays.
A few years ago my extended family went to Brazil. When we arrived in Rio and settled into our apartment, my 13-year-old nephew discovered an all-metal full-size toy gun in his backpack. A friend had given it to him at school, and he'd forgotten to remove it before the flight. The TSA scanner operator didn't pick it up. (So much for security.) My cousin's husband put it in their suitcase for the trip home, but as we were waiting at the gate to board the plane, we heard him being paged on the P.A. He was met by security, who took him into a room. "Are you aware that you have a gun in your suitcase?" they asked. It took him awhile to explain the situation, but the agents reluctantly allowed him to pack up the suitcase and get it onto the plane. The remainder of the trip home was uneventful.
For a trip no longer than that ....
Good Luck and happy travels..
If you get arrested in St. Louis and need to be bailed out, give me a holler.
