while we are talking about carryons - Dulles

[woodstock]

has anyone flown out of Dulles recently? How bad is security? Next Thursday (not this) I am flying to Savannah through Dulles and wonder how much time I should allow for security. I can print out my boarding pass ahead of time which helps immensely but security is the wild card.

Dulles is usually pretty speedy, and this is Thursday afternoon (wheels up 5 PM) so I don't know if I should get there at 3 to be safe or just plan on 4 PM as long as I get my boarding pass ahead of time. It does gall me to be there at 3 PM for a 5 PM flight... that will land at about 615-630 max.

sigh.

 

[woodstock]

I just answered my own question - I saw this on a travelers' forum:

www.flightstats.com

and for Dulles:

http://www.flightstats.com/go/Airpo...,+DC,+US&airportQueryDate=2006-08-20&x=9&y=12

 

[wsuffa]

Beth, I've been through 3 different airports (including BWI) since this nonsense started. My experience has been that the screener lines are, on average, about the same as before, maybe a tad longer, but the check-in/bag check lines are much longer.

The screeners in some places are applying their own rules (at BWI, I saw them confiscate baby food from a mother with baby in arms, although it is explicitly permitted per the TSA's website).

They are also doing gate checks again, where they ransack your bag looking for contraband. They don't pat you down, however, at least not in the ones I've observed. That'll delay you actually getting on the plane, but shouldn't keep you from getting on board before departure.

So, if you're very careful not to have any liquid or gel - or anything close - and you can pre-print the boarding pass, you should find the lines to be within the normal, day-to-day variation at most airports. IAD may be different, but I wouldn't expect too much difference.

I'd probably allow a few extra minutes... last week I allowed about 45 extra minutes at SAT, BWI, and HOU, and found it to be overkill (but it did put me nearly first in line to board on SW).

 

[woodstock]

sounds good Bill, thanks. I now make a point to print the boarding pass, especially for United. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they suck. Their customer service does anyway.

I may give myself 1.5 hours anyway since I don't mind sitting in the terminal with a little extra time - there's a Harry's Tap Room in one of them now and I think it's near United.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

sounds good Bill, thanks. I now make a point to print the boarding pass, especially for United. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they suck. Their customer service does anyway.

I may give myself 1.5 hours anyway since I don't mind sitting in the terminal with a little extra time - there's a Harry's Tap Room in one of them now and I think it's near United.

Sounds like it could be a good idea to print out the NSA restricted substances for the odd screener in need of seeing them if you'll carry any liquid substances in the classification of the baby food mentioned above.

 

[wsuffa]

Sounds like it could be a good idea to print out the NSA restricted substances for the odd screener in need of seeing them if you'll carry any liquid substances in the classification of the baby food mentioned above.

Except for this:

Some solid or powdered cosmetics items are permitted past the checkpoint; however, this is left to the discretion of the Security Officer.

In the end, it's all at their discretion. If you get a b*** buster, then you get nothing through. And some of them don't take kindly to being questioned.

THe following statement is contained in the article on their website:

We also ask that you follow the guidelines above and try not to over-think these guidelines.

I read that to mean "be good little sheeple and don't question our authority".

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Except for this:



In the end, it's all at their discretion. If you get a b*** buster, then you get nothing through. And some of them don't take kindly to being questioned.

THe following statement is contained in the article on their website:



I read that to mean "be good little sheeple and don't question our authority".

Yeah, I know it's a thin line. If I was doing it, I'd say very politely, "I just read right here on the official TSA website printout that.... is OK, did I read it wrong??? ...is that the basis of your proposed confiscation (or some such)?"
I'd certainly be ready to relinquish the substance to continue the flight.

 

[wsuffa]

Yeah, I know it's a thin line. If I was doing it, I'd say very politely, "I just read right hear on the official TSA website printout that.... is OK, did I read it wrong??? ...is that the basis of your proposed confiscation (or some such)?"
I'd certainly be ready to relinquish the substance to continue the flight.

There is a true story floating around another internet board about someone who had the TSA declare his Audi flip-open car key at an airport as a "switch-blade weapon". No amount of discussion or arguing convinced them. And they wouldn't let him check it or mail it home. Confiscated as illegal. They wrote him up and, iirc, tried to fine him.

Worst of all, it cost him over $300 to get the key replaced and the car security code changed by the dealer. And significant money for a cab ride home when he returned to the airport.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

That's so bad, it's probably true.

There is a true story floating around another internet board about someone who had the TSA declare his Audi flip-open car key at an airport as a "switch-blade weapon". No amount of discussion or arguing convinced them. And they wouldn't let him check it or mail it home. Confiscated as illegal. They wrote him up and, iirc, tried to fine him.

Worst of all, it cost him over $300 to get the key replaced and the car security code changed by the dealer. And significant money for a cab ride home when he returned to the airport.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Reminding the screeners of what the rules are will do nothing but p*ss them of and INSURE you get selected for every kind of extra screening, pat downs, strips searches and what ever else they can come up with. They'll beat you down until you bleet happly along with the other sheep.

Sounds like it could be a good idea to print out the NSA restricted substances for the odd screener in need of seeing them if you'll carry any liquid substances in the classification of the baby food mentioned above.