AirportSecurity

Yesterday I presented my passport card to a TSA officer as I normally do, and it was scanned as usual. However, the officer said the system returned a message indicating “photo not on file, use different ID” or something similar. I have used this same passport card many times,...

I am flying from Manchester to Florida for Star Wars Day at Galaxy’s Edge and would like to bring my lightsaber with me. Does anyone have advice on the best way to get it through airport security? I have made a padded sleeve for the blade, and the hilt can be detached. However,...

I was lining up for the carry-on security screening at the airport when a young couple moved ahead of us with their bins. They had noticeably more items than we did and were not ready to go through as quickly as my wife and daughter. It felt like they were just trying to skip...

I was flying with Lufthansa from the United States to Rome via Frankfurt Airport when I accidentally left my iPad in a security screening bin. By the time I realized it was missing, I did not have enough time to go back through passport control to retrieve it. I immediately...

I had an early flight from Phoenix to Houston and was extremely tired going through Transportation Security Administration screening. I forgot to remove my laptop from my backpack, so my bag was pulled aside and sent through again with the laptop placed in a separate bin. After...

If you’re flying with United Airlines out of Frankfurt Airport, it might be a good idea to carry a printed boarding pass. On a recent trip, I had to go through an additional security screening that was unusually intense. The staff asked multiple detailed questions about my job,...

Im a 20F, Tan eastern european, brown eyes and hair. Everytime travel with family or solo my hands get checked, I get pat down, my bag gets selected and rubbed with a swab - always gets moved to be searched but they never search it. Why me? Is it my jeans? My looks or demeanor?

I had an unusual experience at the airport and wanted to get some perspective. I was flying out of IAH and, after smoking outside, went into the restroom before heading through security. While in a stall, I used a small amount of perfume. As I was washing my hands, a TSA agent...

I’m flying tomorrow from Düsseldorf to Munich with Lufthansa and noticed something unexpected on my boarding pass, it mentions Fastlane security access. I only have Frequent Traveller status (FTL) and booked the Economy Light fare, so I wasn’t expecting this at all. From what I...

Always hear about crazy TSA lines at places like ATL or Houston, but LAX somehow stays pretty chill once you’re inside. From my experience it’s true too, getting through security is usually quick, even when the airport feels busy. Seems like it’s mostly because each terminal has...

Been seeing more posts like this lately and it’s honestly hard to tell what’s real and what’s just rumor. This one says the TSA funding issue is tied to forcing ICE agents to remove masks. No idea how accurate that is, but the fact people are even talking about this stuff shows...

Flew out of STL with my 4 month old and had a rough TSA experience. Got flagged for extra screening and they said my bottle of thawed breastmilk “tested positive” for something. They made me either throw it out or go back through security again, which wasn’t really an option...

First time flying out of JFK Terminal 7 and a bit confused by what I’m seeing online. Our plan is to fly into Newark (EWR), take an Uber to JFK, and then depart internationally from Terminal 7. We usually use LaGuardia, so both of these airports are new to us. When checking wait...

I saw the story about her sneaking onto a transatlantic United flight and not being noticed until later. Apparently this isn’t even the first time she’s done something like this. What I don’t get is how someone can repeatedly get through security and onto a plane without a valid...

I would be standing there like… what? Flying from Chile to Montreal and suddenly the rule is you can’t have over 100ml because the plane crosses US airspace? That sounds completely new. I’ve flown over the US tons of times on international routes and never had anyone care about...

Last week I asked what frustrates people most about travel and the answer was basically… other travelers who aren’t prepared. So I’ve been thinking. What if airports had a prep table before the security line with very clear signage specific to that checkpoint? Laptops out or...

Every airport feels like a guessing game. Some want laptops out. Some don’t. Sometimes it’s shoes. Sometimes just boots. Belt? Maybe. Jacket? Depends on the day. I try to be that person who’s fully prepped by the time I get to the front. Empty pockets, laptop ready, liquids out....

When boarding my flight, I opted out of the biometric scan and chose manual verification instead. Rather than scanning my passport in a reader, the gate agent took a photo of my passport with her personal phone. I asked why, and she said this was per her supervisor’s...

Posting this as a warning. My Alaska Airlines account was hacked this morning. I got an alert saying the email and phone number on my account were changed. That wasn’t me. The problem is once the email is changed, password resets only go to the new email, so I was instantly...

In December 2025 I left my bag at Luton before an 8 day trip. Found it in Luggage Point’s system and picked it up when I got back, paid the £15 fee, no issues at the counter. Got home, opened the bag, and realized $250 cash was missing. Went straight back and was told that if a...