Changes at Airport Security Checkpoints

/PRNewswire/ -- There are three things that are all but certain during the winter high-travel season: family gatherings, plenty of food, and strict security at the nation's airports.

To improve the safety of passengers, the federal government has introduced advanced imaging technology at some of the country's airports. These are machines designed to screen people for weapons, explosives, or other items that might present a security risk.

Here is some information to help you learn more about how this technology works, as well as tips to help you prepare for the busiest travel season of the year.

How Advanced Imaging Technology Works

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has installed two types of body scanners with advanced imaging technology at dozens of airports across the country. These scanners are:

* Millimeter Wave Unit: This machine uses electromagnetic waves to create a black-and-white, three-dimensional image of the passenger
* Backscatter Unit: This machine emits x-rays to create a reflection of the passenger's body


Advanced imaging technology is optional, although 99% of passengers prefer this type of screening, according to the TSA. Passengers who do not want to go through these machines can opt for a pat-down inspection by an official.

Measures to Protect the Privacy of Passengers

The officer who is assisting the traveler never sees the images produced by these machines. Instead, these images are sent to a separate room where they are evaluated. The officer helping the traveler will then receive the results of the scan via a wireless headset.

To protect the privacy of passengers:

* Faces of passengers subjected to the Millimeter Wave Unit are blurred. The Backscatter Unit blurs or modifies the entire image to preserve the anonymity of the passenger
* These machines cannot store, print, transmit or save images
* TSA officials are prohibited from entering the room where images are inspected with electronic devices such as cameras, camcorders, or cell phones


Advanced Imaging Technology Is Safe

The technology used by these machines is safe for all passengers, including children, pregnant women and people with medical implants. To compare it to other situations where individuals are exposed to radiation, TSA notes that:

* The energy generated by The Millimeter Wave Unit is thousands of times less than a cellular phone transmission
* The Backscatter Unit emits a level of radiation equivalent of two minutes of flight on an airplane


Tips For Going through Airport Security

Body scanners are designed to detect metallic and non-metallic items that a person might have hidden under his or her clothes. To move quickly through the airport security checkpoint and to avoid leaving items behind:

* Remove accessories such as wallets, belts, jewelry, keys, and cellular phones from your pocket
* Place these and other items in your carry-on bag before entering the security checkpoint

Travelers Willing to Trade Convenience for Security But Are Not Sold on New TSA Rules

/PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's most trusted source of travel advice, today announced the results of its Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security guidelines survey of more than 1,100 U.S. respondents. Although recent incidents have spurred new security guidelines and concerns, 96 percent of respondents are still planning to fly this year. Only eight percent of travelers said they have changed their 2010 flight plans at all in light of new security guidelines.

Familiar, But Not Feeling It

Seventy-two percent of travelers said they are either completely or mostly familiar with the latest TSA airport security guidelines. When asked if the new measures are appropriate, though, 42 percent said yes, 34 percent said the TSA was overreacting and 24 percent said the new guidelines are not strict enough.

TSA Doesn't Get an "A" from Travelers

Despite new security initiatives being undertaken by the TSA, 50 percent of travelers believe the agency is not doing a good job of increasing security. Twenty percent of respondents said the TSA was doing a good job, while 30 percent were unsure. About a third of respondents (33 percent) think the TSA should focus on improving airport security by providing better training for staff, while 25 percent cited increased coordination with foreign airport security officials.

Suspicions Rise

Eighty-two percent of respondents support the security "profiling" of certain passengers based on their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, and subjecting them to additional airport security screenings.

Security Over Convenience

Seventy-seven percent of travelers said they would rather have enhanced airport screenings, even if it meant longer lines at the airport. Thirty-five percent of travelers said they would favor a ban on carry-on luggage if it would make flights more secure.

Excited About Deals, But Dreading Delays

When asked what they were most excited about in air travel for 2010, 41 percent of travelers said great online airfare deals, followed by 15 percent for in-flight Wi-Fi and eight percent for increased airport security. When asked what they were most concerned about in air travel for 2010, 28 percent cited longer security lines, 23 percent higher airfares and 22 percent more airline fees.

Ready to Act

Ninety-nine percent of travelers said that they would take action if they observed suspicious activity on their flight. Ninety-one percent would alert a flight attendant to the suspicious behavior, while nine percent would take matters into their own hands.

Erring at Airports?

Ninety-six percent of travelers think that the level of security varies from airport to airport across the U.S. Only 37 percent of respondents think that U.S. airports are more secure than foreign airports.

Don't Tinker with In-Flight Toilets

Seventy-six percent of travelers do not think airlines should ban in-flight bathroom use during the first and last hours of flights, as was the case on some flights following December 25, 2009. Twenty-two percent of respondents would support the ban as long as there were reasonable exceptions in place, such as for travelers flying with young children.

Dressing for Airport Security Success

Sixty-four percent of respondents said they dress differently when going to the airport in order to avoid setting off the metal detector. Despite the precautions, however, 70 percent of travelers said they have set off the metal detector at the airport.

More Screenings, But Still Flaws

Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they have made it through security with a prohibited item. Seventy-two percent of travelers said they have been selected for additional screening at an airport security checkpoint, with eight percent of those respondents reporting their secondary screening took place after December 25, 2009.

"Despite recent events and airport security changes, the vast majority of travelers aren't changing any flight plans for 2010," said Bryan Saltzburg, general manager of new initiatives at TripAdvisor. "Travelers appreciate the need for increased security at airports so they can have safe and enjoyable flights. Ideally, enhanced security won't come with added hassle at the airport."

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FlyersRights.org Supports TSA Efforts, but Cautions That New Procedures be Implemented Carefully

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, FlyersRights.org, the nation's largest non-profit airline consumer advocacy group, applauded the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) efforts to improve airport security in the wake of this week's incident aboard a Northwest flight bound for Detroit. However, the group warned that a large number of its members have expressed concerns that the new TSA procedures, including the 'one-hour rule', may place an undue burden on passengers.

"Obviously, safety during air travel must be the number one priority for everyone. However, we caution the TSA to fully consider the ramifications of these new rules, and take all steps necessary to ensure they are implemented with common sense and respect for the dignity of passengers. While it may seem obvious that airlines would implement these rules with a liberal dose of common sense, history has proven otherwise," said Kate Hanni, spokesperson for FlyersRight.org.

Our membership is concerned that the new procedures could so infringe on basic passenger needs that some travelers will find it necessary to avoid air travel altogether. In particular, we are concerned that the newly implemented "one hour rule", which severely restricts passengers' activities in the last hour of a flight, may pose health and safety risks for many people. Activities potentially banned during the last hour of a flight include: using the restroom, giving formula to a baby, taking vital medications, and stretching one's legs to avoid blood clots. We caution the TSA to restrict passengers' in-flight activities sparingly, and only when such restrictions have a direct and measurable correlation to improved safety.

Continued Hanni, "We can restrict passenger behavior ad infinitum in the hopes of preventing some future catastrophe, but, at some point, we will lose our identities as Americans. When it gets to the point when we can no longer feed a young child or access our handbag, we have to ask ourselves who is really winning this battle."

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TSA and Continental Airlines Expand Paperless Boarding Pass Program at SJU

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Continental Airlines announced today the expansion of the Paperless Boarding Pass pilot program at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU). The program will allow passengers to receive boarding passes electronically on their cell phones or PDAs, which will then be scanned by Transportation Security Officers at the checkpoint and eliminate the need for a paper boarding pass.

"The deployment of the mobile boarding pass highlights TSA's ongoing commitment to innovative technologies to further enhance security," said Jose Baquero, TSA Federal Security Director for Puerto Rico. "We are pleased to be able to partner with Continental Airlines to provide travelers with this option."

Each paperless boarding pass will display an encrypted two-dimensional bar code along with passenger and flight information that will identify the traveler. TSA Travel Document Checkers will use scanners to validate the authenticity of the paperless boarding pass sent to Continental passengers. The new technology heightens the ability to detect fraudulent boarding passes while improving customer service and reducing paper use.

TSA created the concept of how to scan the paperless boarding passes and Continental Airlines developed an implementation plan that involved encrypting the paperless boarding pass to ensure authenticity. Continental is the first U.S. carrier to test paperless boarding passes and offers the service now at 37 airports.

"We are very pleased that Puerto Rico has been selected as the introductory market of the mobile boarding pass program in the Caribbean and Latin America," said Rigoberto Alvarenga, Senior Director for Continental Airlines in the Caribbean. "Our customers surely appreciate this new technology as an added value when traveling. This program saves time and allows them to take more control of their travel experience."

The TSA Paperless Boarding Pass pilot program is currently operating at approximately 40 airports. The pilot is consistent with the global standard of the International Air Transport Association for bar coding of passenger boarding passes. TSA will continue to expand the use of electronic boarding pass scanners at the pace of participating airlines.

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