Author |
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 8:44 am
It's certainly not that I haven't asked friends and co-workers about this, but some answers / opinions here would be good too. I have not flown or been in an airport since October '01. (I flew about one month after 9/11.) It is not because of fear of anything. Financial reasons no flying vacations. Now, maybe this year. So what are airports like now: checking in with airline, security, etc., etc.? Are there long lines and big hassles? Does "checking in" take long time? Prior to 9/11 always told to lock your luggage. (I don't believe in carry-on. I check my luggage for the most part.) I guess now you don't lock it? It is / may be opened and searched after given up at check-in and then some kind of semi-strong safety band is put on so you know it wasn't otherwise "broken into" by baggage handlers? I'll be flying out of and into big(gest?) airport -- O'Hare. And if I go to my usual vacation spot -- fly through Hartsfield / Atlanta. Appreciate any info / opinions.
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Kaili
Member
08-31-2000
| Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 9:03 am
Personally I don't think it's that bad. I flew international out of O'Hare last year and it wasn't even bad for that. I went in and out of security a few times so the lines aren't seriously forever long. At the main check in area at O'Hare- you know that's always packed...get there early (even though if you're running late they'll usually move you up through the check-in line). Don't lock you're stuff. not sure about O-Hare but I know in Phoenix and a few other places they no longer take your baggage when you check in- you have to take it to another line where they send it through the x-ray thing or whatever it is. They may search it there. So you dump off your stuff then head toward your gate. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off because you're really better off taking them off and putting them in the basket to go through x-ray no matter what they are. I refused to take mine off one time (I had 99 cent plastic flip flops on) and because of that they went through the whole wand thing on me. They don't do that to everyone. Anyway- that's it. The lines are a little longer time wise but overall it's not that slow. Consider this: before, everyone went through security- so maybe 5 people went thrugh to drop off one person who was flying. People going through to meet people at their gates. The process is longer now, but way less people are going through. BTW- my mom got to Hawaii- she'd gone through the wand and the carry on bag search in Minneapolis- got there and opened up her bag- there was her Swiss Army knife that they never noticed and she ddn't realize she had in there.
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 9:48 pm
I've flown 6 times in the past 6 months and didn't have any troubles. No, you can't lock your bags so keep anything valuable in a small carry on. I agree about the shoes -- they'll make you take them off even if you tell them you just saw two people go through with theirs on! LOL! I never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes to check in or to get through security. I always did get to the airport quite early as I'm not one to risk missing a flight. The new "rules" for security are a bit dumb and lacking flexibility and common sense. My daughter who was under age 2 had to walk through by herself. She bumped into the equipment, which they told me made her beep. They didn't wand her but did a physical search which made her cry. It was ridiculous! W/out wanding her, what good was patting her down? I could have had a weapon in her diaper. Enjoy your trip!
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Brenda1966
Member
07-03-2002
| Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 9:49 pm
Forgot to mention, the patting down of my daughter was at the Atlanta Airport. Idiots.
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Sunrvrose
Member
08-13-2001
| Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 12:17 am
My poor sis flew from Portland, Or to Boston with a stop at Minn. No probs at all. Went to Airport to fly back to Portland, puts all bags, purse, etc thru security, and WHAMMO, red lights and sirens (well maybe not exactly, but close) The Boston Security people hold up her keyring and say, "What is This?" She is looking at it and has no idea, then she realizes she has this little advertising specialties letter opener on her keyring. She says, "I forgot I even had that, it is a letter opener." They say, "IT IS A BOX CUTTER, THIS IS BOSTON, AND YOU ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.!" My poor 5'0", 60 yo, and extremely "white" grandmotherly sister almost fainted. The security people take her into a room and question her. Then they call in their superiors, who also question her. The superiors call in the regular cops, actually one very tall and good-looking cop dressed like a storm trooper, who also questions her. She just kept telling them that she forgot it was on her keyring, that it was just a cheap advertising gimmic, and that she was VERY VERY happy that they were making such a fuss about it. With only 15 min before her flight is to leave, they finally let her go, of course keeping the letter opener/box cutter, all 1 inch of it, and she runs madly to get her plane...gets to the last check in area, as you can imagine in full panic mode, and at the last second, they announce that the flight is CANCELLED due to the snowstorm. Northwest Airlines then gives her and the other passengers shuttle service to a very nice hotel, pays for the hotel and dinner and books them out on a flight the next day. Thank goodness that she had forgotton, so wasn't worried at all, till I reminded her, she had worked in Saudi Arabia for American Hospital Corp in the early 80's. She was there for 1-1/2 yrs. And comically, she and her husband got arrested in Saudi...but that's a whole nother story. (They were taking a picture of a bank, the Mulahs thought they were spies) So, I'd say you are safe flying out of Portland, into Minn and into Boston, but if you are flying out of Boston, don't carry anything more threatening than mush with you.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 12:43 am
As you may know, I have travelled a LOT in the past few years. Um, let's see. Get to the airport two hours ahead of time nowadays for domestic flights and three hours for international. You most likely won't need all that time, so bring a book or something to while away the time at the gate. Put anything that might conceivably be considered a blade in your checked luggage. If I take a corkscrew, I put that in checked luggage. I learned this last flight that cuticle nippers count as a blade. Put those in checked luggage. I also put metal fingernail files in checked luggage. They want your checked luggage to be unlocked nowadays. I have always pretty much flown with unlocked luggage anyway. Makes it easier for them to get in if anybody wants to steal anything. Don't put anything in there worth stealing. DO carry one carryon for anything of value, your camera, prescription medicine, etc. It can be a small piece of luggage. We also put our toilet kits and a change of underwear in the carryon just in case the checked luggage gets lost. If you want to lock your luggage, get some of those small plastic electrical ties that you stick one end in, and pull it through and it locks on itself. If airport personnel need to get into your checked luggage, they can cut it and put another one on. Buy them in the electrical department of Home Depot or hardware store. Along that line, though, if you do that, you need to carry a fingernail clipper in your carryon luggage to cut those ties off when you get to your destination. Tha airlines are not confiscating fingernail clippers as long as they don't have a sharp file attached. Lines to check luggage might be pretty long, but they usually move fast. That is part of why you get there two hours early. That is all I can think of now. If you have more concerns, ask. I probably know the answer.
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 10:32 pm
I agree with Juju. I travel a lot (in fact, I flew through Chicago yesterday) and you're OK as long as you are there early enough, don't have anything sharp in your bags, don't lock them (plastic garbage twist-ties work too because security can get in them if they need to, but someone nefarious couldn't get into them quickly enough to steal something unless they really took a lot of time). Also, if you have anything that MIGHT make the metal detector go off -- a belt, watch, change, zippers on your shoes -- take them off and put them in the tray and run them through. It's much less hassle to do those things ahead of time than to walk through, beep, and then get searched with the wand. Here's the way I take flying -- air travel stinks. It really does. Airline staff are often rude, planes are often late, and I think overbooking should be criminal. But for me, understanding that it's probably going to stink makes it better somehow -- I'm more prepared for the stinkiness of it all! Also, if it doesn't stink, I'm pleasantly surprised. The security measures are often dumb and bordering on ridiculous, but if I am taken aside to be searched or asked a dumb question about something I have (for me, it's usually something electronic), I just give them the answers, quietly let them look through my stuff, wand me, look over my oh-so-stylish-boots, and try not to take it personally. I watch people getting really irate and yelling and getting mad sometimes because their bag is being searched, etc., and I somehow think it just makes the entire process worse. Sometimes I get searched, sometimes I don't. But if I've gotten there early enough, I try not to let it bother me. Like Juju, if you have any other specific questions, just ask! Yankee
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 12:33 am
Agree with Yankee about just submitting calmly if they call you out for something. Remember: YOU are not a terrorist, so you have nothing to panic about. Also agree that while you are standing in line waiting to go through the metal detector, use the time to go over in your mind if you have anything at all metallic upon your body. If you do, take it off/out and put it in the tray or put it in your purse and send it through the detector.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 6:48 am
BTW, most places won't require you to take your shoes off. They'll ask, though. But I wear a pair that never ever set off the detectors (leather mary janes) and I tell 'em I'll make it thru without a beep, and they laugh at me and let me go. I'm not sure I agree with the 2 hour get-there-early thing. Call the airline or your airport as your times may vary. I can't tell you how many times I sat for 2 hours in an airport. If the security lines are not long, and you're ticketed, and check in lines are not long, you'll be fine at 1.5 (or even 1). If you fly one of the airlines with self-check-in's, do it. Unless there's some sort of terror alert, there's nothing much different about traveling now. You'll see different people, and more of 'em, as you go thru the line to get to your gate. You'll see big whomping pieces of equipment that they use to scan your luggage. But other than that, most airports are fairly "normal" these days. Just enjoy yourself! Have fun, don't stress!
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Kaili
Member
08-31-2000
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 7:20 am
I think each airport is a little different- as far as i can tell anyway. There isn't a whole lot od consistency when it comes to the smaller details. Minneapolis is pretty strict about the shoes. They're also big on drinks. I had a layover there, and they picked me to pull out of line at boarding for a carry on search. I had an opened bottle of water in it. I was forced to take a few drinks of it before I was allowed on the plane. In Phoenix they'd make you dump your drinks/food from the food courts before going through while Minneapolis will just wand your drink. There really are a lot of differences- I think 2 hours is two much personally but out of Chicago I guess I can see it. I fly out of a little regional airport usually then switch planes in Minneapolis or Chicago. There, I honestly don't have to be there more than 45 minutes early (they don't board until 15 minutes before takeoff).
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 7:44 am
Being "wanded" or searched doesn't bother me a lot. I flew to Europe annually in the early '70s -- when all the plane highjacking started. I remember being frisked before getting on a Swissair flight in Switzerland. I missed BY ONE WEEK the Swissair flight that was highjacked, flown to some place like the Gaza Strip, and burned. Sometimes I think I imagined that, but I worked with someone (Swiss) whose father was an executive with Swissair and he remembers that happening.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 9:41 am
OK, folks....about time to get to the airport. Go to the website for the airport and check their recommended check in times. Often I'm ok at Pittsburgh or Cleveland with an hour for domestic and two hours for international. I've been in HORRIBLE security line messes at Denver...I'd say 2-3 hours early for domestic is needed there. The airport website (often as a link from your airline) will tell you when the peak hours are and how long your need for check in. If you are flying during peak hours, you will be looking at long lines! You also have to get in an additional line at many airports to XRAY your checked bags, but it usually isn't as long as the security line. If you carry on, it's a lot shorter, especially if you use the e-ticket kiosk to get your boarding pass. I'm tired of running through airports for connections....especially Philly and Chicago! If you fly earlier in the day you have a better chance of being on time than later in the day. You can go to the airline's website and track your flight for the last several days to check whether it is "on time" or not. Plan on taking your shoes off. Sometimes they let you through if you have sneakers on. Some airports have floor mats with shoeprints on them and you can check to see if your shoes have metal in them. Laptops go in their own bin. DON'T use a bin that has red or yellow tape on it or other markings. These are signals for a hand search. I've found that I have to put my scanner and printer in bins as well as they were triggering a hand search. Good idea to take out the cords or electric adapters as well. I never travel with other electrical items. Sometimes the metal detector will buzz even if you don't have ANY metal on at all. This is a "random". Be polite to the people working there. They have a stressful job and lots of passengers yell at them. I agree with Yankee that flying really STINKS! But on the up side, I haven't seen the security line when you BOARD the plane, as was common in the past year or so. Better safe than sorry.....better early than running through the airport and missing your plane!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 12:47 pm
Two hours for domestic, three hours for international is just a general rule of thumb if you want to be sure not to miss your flight. Before 9/11 the rule of thumb used to be one hour and two hours respectively. I HAVE been in check-in lines that took an hour and security lines that took 45 minutes. As Schoolmarm suggests, if the extra hour is important to you, you can check for each individual airport. I have never missed a flight and probably never will. I have a relative who HATES to get to the airport too early and "be bored." That relative also has a track record of missing flights. Seems kind of stupid to me, but to each his own.
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 1:27 pm
Denver can be really fast. Or it can be really really slow. I follow the two hour rule for domestic flights. Most of the time I end up having an hour to kill. But there have been a few times when I barely have time to get to the rest room before we board. I agree, better safe than sorry! United at Denver used to have a rule that said you cannot check in less than 30 minutes before your flight. If you get there, say 25 minutes before your flight, they won't let you on. Now that rule is ONE hour at DIA! So, you have to be there at least an hour before, and if you spend any time waiting in line to check in, you could be screwed, even if you are there! At DIA, they told me that you don't have to remove your shoes if they have very flat heels (they said they were looking for explosive-filled shoes!). They always ask me to remove mine, they assume I'm wearing heels cause I'm so tall. Then I show 'em, and they laugh, and say "go ahead and wear 'em." You should be careful about any prohibited carryons, letter openers, and nail files, and no little emergency repair scissors if you have one of those tiny emergency sewing kits. Also, if you travel with a laptop, you will have to completely remove it from your carryon and put it thru the security screen separately. Finally, find an easy place to store your photo id and ticket, since you'll be getting them out 2 or 3 times in the process. Can't remember which trip or which airport, but last year I went somewhere and got hauled out for special screening. Not just wanding, but they went over all my carryons and stuff with some special pad used to detect explosives. It was a bit amusing and a bit intimidating. Probably just cause I spell my first name wrong or something. 
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 6:12 pm
I am often at the airport early with nothing to do. But I have also stood in security and check-in lines for hours and barely made my flight. But, like Juju, I've never missed a flight. I too subscribe to "better safe than sorry." (Also, Karuuna - I've been pulled aside probably 8-10 times for special screening -- searching bags, removing my shoes, etc. -- I think it's often random.)
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, March 22, 2004 - 6:27 pm
Wow, Karuuna, United's one hour check-in before flight at DIA is pretty outrageous. Seems like lots of people wouldn't make that.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 12:58 pm
okay, i haven't flown in a long time, don't have a DL, will an expired passport be good enough ID for me to fly?
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Mak1
Member
08-12-2002
| Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 2:56 pm
This doesn't answer your question beyond a shadow of a doubt, but it's the best answer I can find at the National Transportation Safety Administration's site. TSA Proper Identification If you have a paper ticket for a domestic flight, passengers age 18 and over must present one form of photo identification issued by a local state or federal government agency (e.g.: passport/drivers license/military ID), or two forms of non-photo identification, one of which must have been issued by a state or federal agency (e.g.: U.S. social security card). For an international flight, you will need to present a valid passport, visa, or any other required documentation. Passengers without proper ID may be denied boarding. For e-tickets, you will need to show your photo identification and e-ticket receipt to receive your boarding pass. There are four ways to obtain a boarding pass: Go to your airline's ticket counter at the airport Use curbside check-in Use your airline's self-service ticket kiosk in the airport lobby Print the boarding pass from your airline's website Dipo, the site also gives you guidelines for air travel...things like what you may expect at security screening, banned items from carry-on luggage, etc. The airline you choose should be able to answer your question.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 3:16 pm
Dipo, if you don't have to fly before Monday, you might be able to go to Department of Motor Vehicles and get a photo i.d. that looks like a drivers license, but is not a drivers license. You probably should have one of these anyway. Only reason I know about those is because the crooks all got them to cash stolen checks. You could call and see if they are issued on the spot. That would be under State of CA, Dept. of Motor Vehicles, I believe. And you might be able to use your expired passport to get that i.d. Failing that, I have an idea the expired passport will do if they can reasonably tell you are the same person as in the picture.
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Schoolmarm
Member
02-18-2001
| Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 12:23 am
ok, I'm going to gripe about flying here. Bear with me, as I am EXHAUSTED! On Thursday, I drove 2 hours to Cleveland to catch a flight to Chicago/St. Louis for a job interview. Went to the e-ticket kiosk and whisked my way through security with no problems. At the gate, my flight showed as "delayed" and the flight supervisor said about an hour due to "air traffic" in Chicago. (This is one of several reasons why I hate flying through Chicago!) This would put me in St. Louis after the rental car place closed, and would strand me in St. Louis and cause me to miss my 8am interview as well. I stewed. I saw a flight attendant ask the supervisor about the crew (pilots) since they weren't there and it was time to board. No pilots. Now we are delayed to 10:40 pm (over 4 hours late!) and the flight doesn't show getting out of Chicago and down to St. Louis at all. However, they told us to stay in the terminal because "at any minute" they could call us to board the plane. I saw the flight attendant leave and there were no pilots there. I am fearing the worst. I get my ticket refunded and DRIVE to Carbondale, Ill. I slept for 3 hours and then did a 7 hour non-stop interview. I then drove 4 hours to my parents to pick up a "fresh driver". I slept in the car as my Dad drove the next night. We arrived at 8am Saturday, just 30 minutes before the piano festival that I'm in charge of started. I'm exhausted. Tomorrow, I take Dad to Pittsburgh so he can catch Amtrak back to Central Illinois. Flying......I have NO WORDS for it right now! The people who live in Chicago said that they thought that the "air traffic" line was a tactic because the mayor wants a new runway, and if enough people complain, then they will get it. I understand delays because of weather, mechanical problems, crew shift changes, etc. This "Air Traffic" line takes the cake. I will be avoiding Chicago at all costs for quite some time!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 11:38 am
It purely sucks, Marm. Good thing you are a guerilla.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 11:53 pm
Booking Your Flight.We booked/prepaid for our recent roundtrip flights with Delta(LaGuardia/Tampa--a 2 1/2 flight) online thru Orbitz. An email from Orbitz confirmed our Delta reservation. Luggage. If you need to purchase luggage, buy the wheeled, upright type with a retractable handle. (I printed out copies of the routes to and layout of each airport. Very helpful.) I hadn't flown since 2001, so all of the security measures were new to me. These are available online by airport, as well. I also reserved a rental car online. Online, you can compare costs and services. You can choose between cars ready for pickup at the airport (more expensive but certainly simpler) or those that offer a shuttle from the airport to their business. Print out your reservations and carry them with you, as well. We chose the shuttle approach and that turned out to be very simple. I picked up a phone at an airport 'phone bank' specifically designed for those with ground transportation reservations, spotted the name of the company I had used, and pushed the button for it. I was immediately connected to them. We found the place where ground transportation shuttles gather, and popped into the shuttle with another family. No problem with the rental, and it was the car I had requested. No changes. (A 4-door Kia, and it was moderately priced and very comfortable.) (We reserved our hotel room and baseball tickets this way, too. Always print out the reservation information and carry it with you.) On the morning of both flights, Orbitz called me on my cell with a recorded message confirming the flight was on schedule--(and reminding me about the recommended 2-hour timeframe for arriving at the airport before the flight). Nice service. Airport Arrival Times. We arrived 2 hours early at both airports and were glad we had, because there were long lines for the Security Check, as it turns out. But they moved very, very quickly. And people who arrived much later faced much longer lines. Worth it! Airline/Check-In/Baggage. Luckily, I had printed out the airline registration info and brought it with me (along with all the other online reservations, in a lightweight folder), because, as Mak1 says, that printout was requested by the curbside baggage check-in folks and made check-in a snap. DH and I had to show our photo IDs (drivers' licenses) at that time, too, so have yours handy and ready. These folks take charge of your luggage and give you your boarding passes--and tell you your gate number and flight (listed on your ticket). I must say that the Delta personnel was quite efficient, helpful and courteous. We tipped the individual who helped us. I was really glad we'd bought the tickets online because of the curbside check-in/baggage service. Walked right by everyone in line at the ticket counters, checking their baggage. Mark or tie on easy-to-spot colorful yarn ties or something to make your suitcases readily identifiable at pick up time!!! Our suitcases had several zippers and we locked only the biggest section in each. No one said anything to us about the locks, however, at either airport. Didn't realize they shouldn't be locked, but it makes sense. Picking up my luggage on the return trip home, I saw that security had placed a plastic (garbage-bag type) closure on my smaller, previously unlocked bag. The plastic tab featured initials TSA--we figured that meant the bag had been searched by security. Anyone know for sure? Mainly held my magazines (heavy!) and dirty socks!! Security Checks.I had to remove my sneakers both times. My DH wore deck shoes and had to remove them both times, too. No other problems, as I knew from jury duty to put my purse and everything metal into the basin provided for xray purposes. We had an hour wait in LaGuardia before boarding at the listed time of the flight. But we arrived in Tampa ahead of schedule. We had a shorter wait in Tampa; they boarded us a half hour earlier, but we arrived 15 minutes later than scheduled (planes stacked up). Flight Amenities. On the Delta (Song) flight, seats were 3 on each side of the aisle and are still as tight as I remembered. Coffee and soft drinks were free, but that was it. We were able to purchase food/drinks as desired from a nice selection offered. Flight attendants served and accepted both cash and plastic. DH and I each had a drink on the evening flight to Tampa. Monitors on the back of each seat offered the choice of (all free) about 12 TV channels, music-various genres, and a musical quiz game (play against others on the flight). Baggage claim areas haven't changed as far as I can tell. Picking up your luggage is still the worst part of traveling in my opinion. We forgot to mark our suitcases as I noted above, and my black suitcase looked like everyone else's. Good luck!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, March 29, 2004 - 9:44 am
Excellent pointer about marking the bags, Herckleperckle! Ours look like they belong to clowns, they have so many garish things tied to them. REAL easy to spot on the baggage carousel, however.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:34 am
 
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, March 29, 2004 - 4:06 pm
HP, you are so danged cute. How did we do without you for a week?
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Monday, March 29, 2004 - 5:07 pm
I'm with ya, HP, on your suggestions. I always put a big bold flourescent strap and tag on my bag -- marked with my initials in a magic marker. Flying is just hit or miss -- I flew east last week (connecting in Chicago) and my flights were delayed, service poor, people were very cranky. I flew back home Sunday (again connecting in Chicago), and people were pleasant, flights were on-time (both were actually early), baggage came out quickly and OK. I guess you never know...
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