Pass along these tips to your clients for a speedier trip through the airport

November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving air travelers could be hit with a double-delay whammy. New Transportation Security Administration search procedures send passengers through a time-consuming pat-down if they are randomly selected or trigger an alarm in the full-body scanner machine. To protest both the new scanners and the more invasive hand searches, several grass-roots Internet groups are encouraging passengers to request a pat-down and intentionally slow the process even further. TSA Administrator John Pistole said in a statement Sunday afternoon he would try to make airport screening "as minimally invasive as possible."

Prepare your clients for delays, though, by passing along these tips for a speedier trip through the airport:

• Check in online up to 24 hours before scheduled departure, and print your boarding pass at home.
• Avoid checked-bag procedures and fees by bringing carry-on luggage only.
• Arrive two hours early (three hours for international travel).
• While waiting for security, slip off your shoes and coat, empty your pockets, and place your laptop in a separate bin.
• Don’t wrap gifts.
• Be patient. Be positive.