Tag: security

This Is Why You Shouldn’t Use Your Phone In The Secure Area When Entering The U.S.

Getting off of an international flight has its own set of unique rules that are different for every country. For example, I was surprised when I saw that the United Kingdom allows you to use your cell phone while waiting in line to clear passport control, which was nice since the line at Heathrow for non-UK or EU residents was over 90 minutes long when we arrived. The only thing not allowed was the taking of pictures or video while in the secure area.

When entering the United States, the rules are quite different. You’re not allowed to use your phone or a camera AT ALL until you clear passport control, collect your bags and clear U.S. Customs. On my last flight, I found out what happens to someone who chooses to ignore that rule.

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United Scam, Mistake Fare, Wyndham Rewards Changes, Disney Imagineers Design Airport Restaurant, & More!

Happy Sunday to all of our travel friends, both near and far! Here are some articles we’ve read from other bloggers (and other sources) that we think you may like, as well, so we’re passing them along.

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New Travel Advisory For Citizens Of U.S., U.K. & Other Countries Going Overseas

Heads up, travel friends – the U.S. State Department has issued a new travel advisory that urges United States citizens to “exercise increased caution” when traveling to the Peoples’ China. Similar advisories are out for citizens of Algeria, Antarctica, Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Myanmar, and the United Kingdom.

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Our First Experience Using The CLEAR Checkpoint

We’ve had access to TSA PreCheck lanes at the airport thru our Global Entry membership for over five years and it is one of the most wonderful things we’ve ever signed up for. It  transforms the procedure of going through the security checkpoints from a cattle call to something closer to just a minor inconvenience. However we’ve noticed that while there never used to be any line at the PreCheck lanes, there now can be quite a wait just to get to the point to verify your ID. In Orlando, this is partially because of more people having PreCheck as well as people who don’t belong in the line (usually foreign tourists) waiting and then being told they’re in the wrong line and they have to go wait again in the standard line. At other airports, like LaGuardia in New York and O’Hare in Chicago, we’ve had to wait 10-15 minutes in the PreCheck line just because of the number of travelers and a limited number of check in lines available.

I’ve been going back and forth about enrolling in CLEAR. It’s a third party program that bypasses the normal check of your ID and Boarding Pass. You know, the part where you walk up to a TSA agent and hand them your ID and Boarding Pass and you awkwardly stand there while they look at the paper and look at you.

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Travel Safety Concerns? This Interactive Map Shows The Safest And Riskiest Places In The World For Travel

If you travel a lot, you know there are some places that may not be as safe as others. Your Mileage May Vary in terms of what you do with that knowledge. But whereas you may know that a particular country may have a high crime rate, you may not be so sure about how certain places rank if you needed emergency medical assistance or how safe their roads are. Well, there may not be an app for that…but there’s an interactive map for it!

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