Tips for Making TSA Less Annoying

I love the airport, even during the holidays. I’m a weirdo, but I like shopping/browsing and trying the different places to eat. I love the fact that I’m going to go somewhere. I like to people watch and I enjoy checking out the airport art and other cool things they have that other airports don’t. These last two months I’ve been to the airport six times. Twice to come and go and four times to pick up or drop off. I’ll pay $3 to park so I can wander around. Sometimes I find awesome stuff there, plus Portland International is America’s Favorite Airport four years running. How can I resist that?

Anyway, if you want to make sure that you actually make it onto your flight to go somewhere fun (or at least to visit friends and family), then you’re going to want to be prepared for what TSA has in store for you.

Get to the airport early

This is a must! Security lines are longer than ever during the holidays, even on the slowest days. Just plan to wait in line twice as long as you usually do. You never know what’s going to happen and traffic sucks from November 1-January 2. Allow yourself time for all the inevitables and surprises and plan to get to the airport at two hours before your flight if you’re traveling domestic, and at least three hours if you’re traveling international. Bring a book, a battery back-up for your phone or tablet and a game. This way you’ll have something to amuse yourself in line and at the gate if you get there with plenty of time before you flight. Remember: flights generally board 30 minutes before take-off, so you’ll want to get there before that window opens.

Wear easy-on, easy-off shoes

Do you want to spend 20 minutes untying your hiking books to take off and put in the security bin? Probably not. Also, the people behind you do not want to wait for you either. Make sure you wear shoes that can easily be taken off and put back on, so you can make security procedures that much less painful for you and everyone else involved.

Do not wrap your gifts 

TSA is all about seeing everything in your bag. Even if you only have one gift in your bag, don’t wrap it. You will have spent all that time and energy making it look pretty and then getting it into your bag, only to have an agent rip your paper to shreds to find out what you packed. Bring small gifts that can be packed without boxes and wrapping paper. By all means, bring those staples with you to wrap at your destination if you have room in your bag.

Have your photo ID and boarding pass in-hand 

You can’t even get to the security conveyor belts and scanners if you don’t make it past the TSA agent in the line. Make sure to be prepared and keep the line moving, by having your photo ID (or passport) and boarding pass at the ready. Nobody wants to wait for you to dig around in your bag to find it and you will just make enemies of those people in line behind you. Even better, download the airline app and use the e-ticket to check in and get through security. You can use your phone to show the passes of everyone in your travel group, as long as they have their identification out.

Have your 3-1-1 bag out 

Don’t wait until you get to the airport to start rummaging around in your toiletry bag and finding all your liquids and gels. Buy a TSA-approved 3-1-1 bag online or at the store or pick up a box of 1-liter zip-top bags and fill it up before you leave home. It will make you less stressed and you’ll know that everything fits in there.

Make sure your laptop is easily accessible 

If you’re bringing a laptop, netbook or iPad, make sure you can quickly access it and slide it in and out of your carry-on. It will make the security line that much faster when you have to dump all your individual things into a bin: shoes, jacket, purse, pocket contents, laptop, 3-1-1 bag. The quicker these things can be put into a bin, the faster you can push them towards the X-Ray machine and make room for other travelers’ items and bins on the counter. (Another way to make this easier is to get a checkpoint-friendly bag, like this Travelon one.)

Don’t stuff your bag

Before I got Pre-Check (see below), I was always singled out for “random” bag checks and extra security. I don’t really care. I have nothing to hide and I don’t get embarrassed by my underwear being handled by strangers in front of a bunch of other strangers, but a lot of people do. Also, if you have Tetris-ed your bag so well that everything inside only fits in one way, it’s going to suck when you have to shove it all back in there (or are mortified when the agent tries unsuccessfully to do it) and it doesn’t fit again and you can’t zip it and half your stuff is hanging out on your way to your gate where you can try to get it all back in some order like before. Note: it never works. You’re going to end up shoving a pair of pants in your purse because they somehow no longer fit.

Go left

Most people head to the right after their ID or passport has been checked. Go left instead (if you have the choice) and you’ll likely get through the line faster. Another tip for choosing the best line is to look for one that has the fewest children. Nothing against them, but they are slow and their parents are basically trying to do the job of a cat wrangler while also doing all the security procedures. Don’t blame them. Parenting is hard. But that doesn’t mean you have to get stuck in the slow line behind them.

Get Pre-Check (or Global Entry)

If you travel a couple times a year, then this is a great investment. For $85, you can leave your shoes on and everything in your bag and just breeze past those other suckers waiting in line at security for 40 minutes. It’s like FastPASS for your travels. Read more on my post here.

Stop rushing the gate

You’re checked in, you have a seat. Nobody’s going to take that away from you. Unless you have a small child and you need extra time to get settled in, just chill out. While everyone else is freaking out and crowding the poor gate agent to get on the plane, you can skip the stress and just hang back until the crowd thins out. It might even help you get in the good graces of the crew to help you with this next tip:

Board last

This is one way to get a free upgrade, because when you’re the last passenger on the plane, you have a choice of any available seat, maybe even a first class seat if you’re really lucky. It helps if you only have a small carry-on with you that can fit under the seat. I’ll tell you why: there will likely be no overhead bin space left and having to wait longer for you to either find a place to put your bag or check it to go under the plane will not win you any friends and everyone will blame you when the plane leaves late.

Hopefully, these tips will allow you to get through security with minimal stress and get you on your trip faster.

What are your favorite security tips?

The Best Christmas Markets in Europe

So, you want to travel this winter, but you also need to buy Christmas gifts. I get it. Why not accomplish both at the same time and make your gift recipients feel special because you've actually bought them a souvenir of your trip. Who doesn't like that?

If you're heading to Europe, maybe one of these 10 destinations will rock your world, plus allow you to hit up one of the best Christmas markets out there:

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Brussels, Belgium

Though this market is fairly new (est. 2002), it has quickly become very popular. The Winter Wonders guest of honor is a great way to get a little pseudo-vacay, too. Each year, a new international guest is invited to set up a mini market in the market to share their traditions and local goods. Awesome, right? While you're there, don't forget to get in on some traditional Belgian foods, watch the nightly sound and light show, and shop from worldwide artisans. 

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Copenhagen, Denmark

Browse among the many lighted Christmas trees and pick up locally-made crafts from the many vendors. You can also walk along the lighted lakeside, fill up on æbleskivers (iced doughnuts with black currant jam) and glogg (spiced wine). Look for the town crier that visits each weeknight between 5 and 6pm.

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London, England

London is definitely for shoppers. Regent Street is decked out in amazing lighted "art" and markets and holiday decor take over the whole city. You'll find the city's largest ice skating rink in Hyde Park, carolers, a giant Ferris wheel and a traditional German Christmas Market, but also several smaller markets can be found elsewhere in the city. In early December you can watch racers balance fruitcake on spoons during the Great Christmas Pudding Race. When you're not shopping or taking all the pictures of the holiday awesomeness, make sure to do some other sightseeing, possibly by purchasing a London Pass to skip queues and do more touristy things for less. 

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Munich, Germany

An 85-foot Christmas tree is the center of this amazing market. There's no shortage of delicious local foods and drinks, but there are also several smaller markets dotted around the city, which all have their own themes, like the Medieval Market. There's also a Christmas tram that doles out spiced wine and gingerbread. Yum!

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Prague, Czech Republic

Find a wide variety of goodies to bring back home. Among those things on offer are crafts, handmade jewelry, wooden toys and Bohemian crystal. There's tons of sweets, too, which you may want to return home with. December 5th is St. Nicholas Day, where you can see St. Nick wandering town with an angel and a devil in tow, tallying up the naughty and nice.

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Rome, Italy

If you love nativity scenes, then you'll love Rome at Christmas. The city sets up scenes all over. There's also carnival games, giant doughnuts and more variations of peanut brittle than you can eat. In early January, for Epiphany, the Christmas Witch comes to visit to bring even more presents after Santa.

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Salzburg, Austria

Dating back to the 15th century, Salzburg is home to one of the oldest (though smaller) markets. Fewer than a hundred stalls come together to sell furry slippers, pewter crafts and more, so it's much easier to see everything there is on display while munching on roasted chestnuts and gingerbread. Don't forget to look for the advent calendar (one of the world's largest).

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Strasbourg, France

This town was just recommended to me by a friend, so it's now on my wish list. The oldest and best Christmas market in France is based here and you can drink mulled wine out of a boot mug, watch nativity plays, listen to carolers and shop the many wooden stalls for beautiful things to bring home. Look for the city mascot that you can take back to the kiddos in the form of stuffed white storks.

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Stuttgart, Germany

Home to a massive Christmas market that dates back to the 17th century. Almost 300 stalls are part of the market, so there's no shortage of options for gifts and souvenirs. Sheepskin clothing, wooden toys and nutcrackers are just a few of those things you'll find.There's plenty for the kids to do, too, including candle-making workshops

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Vienna, Austria

Home to one of the most popular markets, you should be ready for the crowds. After a couple glasses of "Christmas punch" and you're unlikely to care too much. Stay somewhat sober though, so you can enjoy the traditional ambiance of the market, because you won't see many tacky stalls here. There are over 30 advent season concerts throughout the market, so make sure you work some of those into your visit.

Are you traveling for Christmas? If so, where are you going?

Review: Travelon's Anti-Theft Classic Plus Convertible Weekender Backpack

As a frequent traveler, I know that different people like different bags for their travels. And, if you're like me, different trips call for different bags, though some bags are great for all trips, including this new weekender backpack from Travelon. It can be used as a weekender, but you can also use it as a briefcase or commuter bag. It has so many uses and so many different ways to carry it. It's a powerhouse of a carry-on and I can't wait for you to see everything it does.

If you're looking for a classic looking bag that'll work for a variety of situations and can carry your giant laptop (or a smaller one), you need to look into this backpack, because spoiler alert, it doesn't have to be worn as a backpack!

So, I packed this thing up like Eric was going on a weekend trip, since his clothing is larger than mine and you can see how two pair of pants and two shirts fit within the flaps. You could probably fit another one of either in there without having to sit on it to zip it up. I love that it still has tie-down straps, plus the flaps make it impossible to get clothing stuck in the zipper when closing your bag, because that's the worst, right? Because there was so much extra side space when the clothing was "locked up", I just shoved a few pair of socks in that open space (which you can see in the lower right corner up there). If I were packing this for me, this is where I'd shove a pair of sandals and my flat iron. Obviously, you don't have to fill it with anything, but I like to fill in what available space I have if I can. 

While your clothing is not sliding around getting all wrinkled, you also have two nice pockets to use for undies, socks, ties, toiletries. One has a stretchy top to keep everything in and one is a mesh zipper pocket, which is where I have used for a large battery backup for charging a phone and a tablet at once. I love that the main compartment completely unzips on three sides, so you can lay your bag flat for packing and unpacking.

In front of the main compartment is a smaller zipper compartment  that has two smaller slot pockets, which are perfect for your phone or other little electronics or necessities. There's a padded slot pocket for your tablet and an RFID-blocking zipper compartment in front of that for your passport. It has card slots for your credit cards as well, so you're completely organized and no one can steal your info

And you know that no Travelon bag is complete without a tiny flashlight so you can find everything inside. You never know when you might need this elsewhere too, plus it's on a clip leash, so you can also always find your keys.

Behind the main compartment is a huge padded slot pocket for your laptop. I have a giant 17" one and it fits with room to spare. Awesome! Oh and you know what's twice as awesome? This bag is checkpoint friendly. That means you can zip it open and lay it flat on the conveyor belt to go through the x-ray instead of taking your laptop out and putting it in a gray bin. 

There's a little zipper compartment in the back that you can use for change or other items you want close at hand. It fit my laptop charger in there, which is nice, because there's often no place for it that's convenient. 

And in the very front is a great pocket for other necessities. Since you always need to be able to get to your 3-1-1 liquid bag easily at security, I put mine in this pocket. It fit! (Also, that means any spillage would be contained to one pocket and not ruin anything in your bag.)

Last, but not least, is the zip out beverage (or umbrella) holder. I have this huge thermos that I take everywhere, but it fit just fine. You'll always have hydration within easy reach.

Okay, now lets talk about the outside of the bag. The inside is large, bu the outside makes it seemlike it's much smaller, because it's very compact and isn't overwhelming, even when packed full. 

The backside of the bag is all business and convenience. It has a pass-through slot for your carry-on handle (yay!), a padded mesh panel so your back doesn't get all sweaty or beat up while carrying it, and a big pocket that hides your backpack straps (which clip to the bottom when you want to use them

#1 way to carry it: Like a briefcase with this awesome padded side handle. I love the look of it like this, and sometimes you just need to grab your bag and toss it in the overhead. 

#2 way to carry it: Like a backpack with the hidden straps. Need to run through the terminal, hike up the steps on the Underground or get down the tiny airplane aisle? This is the way to do it. Plus, now your hands are free for coffee and snacks...oh and your boarding pass or phone. Your straps are adjustable, so little people can wear it just as well as big people, plus you have strap belts for your chest, so there's no slippage if your bag's a bit too heavy.

#3 way to carry it: As a crossbody bag. For the most part, this is my favorite way to wear my carry-on, because I can get to things inside if I need to. It also distributes the weight better for me than a shoulder bag. The Classic Plus Convertible Weekend Backpack has a removable padded shoulder strap that doesn't hurt your shoulder or dig into your neck. Love it!

#4 way to carry it: As a shoulder bag. Your shoulder strap is adjustable! So, if you're tall or short or want to carry it this way or another way, it adjusts to suit you. That's pretty awesome, right? That means I can carry this comfortably at 5'1" and my husband can carry it comfortably at 5'10". 

Want to carry this backpack around your destination or just make it practically impossible for anyone to steal your goods while in the overhead? This bag has locking zippers all the main compartments: the large one, the laptop one and the smaller front one. No one's getting past those without some time to figure it out. The bag (and removable shoulder strap) also has slash-proof construction, so they aren't getting your stuff another way either. None of these features make the bag bulky or heavy. It's very lightweight empty, so the only bulk is going to come from what you add. 

Here's another great gift for the traveler on your list, or go ahead and put it on your own wish list. I'm headed to Las Vegas again in February, so this may fit everything I need for four days of conferencing and sightseeing. I'm not that strong, and even though I can lift my normal size carry-on into the overhead, I panic and can't do it when there are people waiting for me to get out of the aisle. This will fit right under my seat and I'll be a lot more confident in getting out of everyone's way. And hey! There's that awesome top handle for pulling your bag out of the overhead or from under your seat. So. Many. Convenient. Features.

More details:

Where to buy it: Travelon website or Amazon | check local travel retailers

How much it costs: $124-175

Colors it comes in: Black

Other specs: Size: 14"x20"x7", Strap Drop Length: 12” – 21”, water-resistant 1260 denier nylon with top-grain leather accents

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Disclaimer: I  received the Anti-Theft Classic Plus Convertible Weekender Backpack from Travelon for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.