On a more serious note, I’ve just completed a week trip to Austin, Texas for the SXSW Interactive festival. To get to Austin, I had to fly there. Now, I’m no stranger to air travel, with last year racking up 20+ flights, but I still find it interesting watching people go through TSA security checkpoints. Most people know what to do: take your shoes off, take you laptop out, put metal objects in the bin, and so on. But there are some people who, despite the various signs and placards, haven’t a clue what to do. The media constantly talk about getting to the airport early, they ALWAYS broadcast new TSA policies regarding air travel, and the TSA has a handy-dandy website where you can get all the information you ever needed (or didn’t need) to know about your trip. They also have a blog (who knew!) where they keep us up to date on the day-to-day goings on inside the TSA, and how it affects you. So why don’t some people follow the rules and make everyone’s life easier by putting their liquids in a zipped baggie and having their boarding passes and IDs out?

I know there are those that don’t travel often. I’m fine with those people, I used to be one of them, but make sure you prepare as best you can:

• Carry-on luggage is king. It’s probably the best thing you can do to make your life easier. No need to wait at baggage claim, and no risk of it getting lost.
• If you’re checking luggage, carry on at least one pair of clothes. A friend of mine just found out his bags were sent to San Francisco instead of Des Moines, his actual destination. Now he doesn’t have a week’s worth of clothes for immediate use.
• Pack light. You don’t need 7 sets of clothes for 7 days. A few shirts and a few pants/shorts will do you good. You can hand wash them in the hotel bathroom you’ll be at, and even save money!
• Be early, not on time. Sure, chilling at the airport can be boring, but I’d rather be bored than nearly miss my flight because of unexpected delays at security or even slow traffic.
• If possible, wear sandals. Ew, gross. I know. But again, it’s a time saving measure and they actually feel more comfortable on the plane than your tight shoes.
• Get TSA-approved luggage locks. With these, they won’t have to cut them off and discard them. And who knows, maybe you’ll get a nice letter from them thanking you for allowing them to (easily and without your knowing) search your luggage.

The list goes on and on, but that right there is a nice summary of what you need to make life for you and your fellow passengers a bit easier. Now… where’s my connecting flight at?