The Frequent Flier

While it may be embarrassing to set off a metal detector at airport security, it’s much worse to be called aside to for a secondary X-ray search. Aside from the obvious problems associated with being late for your boarding call and missing your flight, problems getting through airport security can be frustrating and time consuming.

Despite the exponential growth of airport security guidelines, dressing for air travel is actually a lot simpler than it seems, though many people insist on opting for the more difficult route almost every trip.

Casual Travel Attire

This is probably the simplest way to dress for a flight, not to mention the most comfortable. If I’m not headed directly to a conference or a meeting, I will almost always opt for flip-flops, jeans, a t-shirt and my carry-on bag. The key items of note on this air travel dress code are:

• Never wear a belt
• Always opt for shoes without laces
• Carry absolutely nothing in your wallets
• Wear no jewelry

Aside from that, it’s a pretty simple process dressing for casual air travel.

Business Travel Attire

Let’s pretend that you’re not trying to impress your cohabitants on the plane and genuinely have to be dressed for an important meeting on the other end of your flight. Business dress does not require you to have a difficult time at airport security.

Carry your dress shoes in your carry-on bag and opt for flip-flops or other slip on shoes for travelwear. If you have leather shoes that require polishing, you can wrap them in Saran™ Wrap to prevent scuffing.

Belts, tie clips and cuff links should be carried in your carry-on bag. Car keys, coin change and metal ink pens should join them. When you arrive at your destination airport, it should take you less than 10 minutes to don your shoes and other accessories.

Preparing for the Security Check

While it may seem that different airports treat certain things differently, there are a few guidelines that will make your security check go much smoother:

• Laptops must be pulled out of carry-on bags and placed in a separate tray to be X-Rayed
• Other electronic devices (cameras, iPods, voice-recorders and GPS units should be pulled out of your carry-on bag but may go in the same tray as your bag
  • Keep electronic items in an easy to access compartment so that you can be prepared to pull them all out at once when it’s your turn at the airport security line.
• Shoes should also go in a separate tray, in front of your other two so that you can start putting them on while security is checking your laptop and carry on bags for prohibited items.

n addition to the above items, large metallic items not pulled out of the carry-on bag might result in a bag check. I have an engraved white and yellow gold money clip I often carry in my bags that will almost always trigger a bag search if I do not pull it out with the electronic devices.

Also, I do not wear jackets through security and instead opt to stuff them in my carry-on bag. I have never had a bag searched because of a jacket inside as the X-Ray machines can easily see through these items.

Lastly, keep your pockets empty except for your wallet. Even if you don’t have any metallic items that might set off a metal detector, you may be asked to empty your pockets during a secondary search which can be time consuming.

Items That Often Trigger Metal Detectors

While some of the below items may not trigger a secondary search, it’s always better safe than sorry. Be sure to avoid wearing/carrying items such as:

• Hair clips
• Clothing buttons
• Tie clips
• Money clips
• Cuff links
• Belt buckles
• Jewelry
• Watches
• Military dog tags
• Pocket change
• Hat buckles
• Underwire bras
• Fancy pens
• Lighters
• Personal electronics
• Body piercings
• Pins, plates and other metal in the body
• Contraband (This is a joke. Don’t fly with weapons)

Types of Carry-On Bags

The bottom line with carry-on bags, much like dressing for airport security, is that if you follow the below guidelines you will probably not board your flight any faster. However, you won’t be the guy who the flight crew is waiting on to find a place for his carry-on luggage because he can’t find a place in the overhead compartments for his baggage.

Bookbags Always Best

In my line of work, you can carry a backpack with padded laptop compartment and still appear pretty professional. Some people still opt for bags with handles and wheels but this still shouldn’t translate into unnecessary bulk.

Samsonite makes several good carry-on bags that carry a bit more than a bookbag but will still fit under your site. If you’re looking for a rugged, urban backpack that will accommodate your electronic gear such as laptops and mp3 players, I wouldn’t look much further than the North Face Surge Backpack. 2150 cubic inches of tough yet surprisingly functional carry-on space that can easily be stuffed under your seat or thrown onto your shoulders for boarding/exiting the airplane.