Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
30
Air Travel Security Measures
In the wake of the t errorist attacks of S eptember 11, 2001, the airline indus-
try implemented sweeping security measures in airports. Although regulations
vary from airline t o airline, you can expedit e the check -in process and allevi-
ate airport stress by taking the f ollowing steps:
•
Arrive early.
Times var y from airpor t to airpor t, depending on their siz e.
Figure on arriving f or check -in an ywhere fr om a minimum of an hour in
advance to at least 2 hours bef ore your scheduled flight.
•
Don't c ount on curbside check-in.
S ome airlines and airpor ts ha ve
stopped curbside check -in altogether, whereas others off er it on a limit ed
basis. For up-to-date information, check with the individual airline .
•
Be sure to carr y plenty of documen tation.
An up -to-date, government-
issued photo ID (f ederal, state, or local) is no w required. You may need t o
show this at various check points. With an e -ticket, you may be required to
have with y ou print ed c onfirmation of pur chase, and perhaps ev en the
credit card with which y ou bought y our ticket. This varies fr om airline t o
airline, so call ahead t o make sur e you have the pr oper documentation.
•
Know what you can carry on—and what you can't.
Travelers in the United
States are now limited to one carr y-on bag, plus one personal bag (such
as a purse or a brief case). The
Transportation S ecurity A dministration
(TSA)
has also issued a list of banned carr y-on items; for more information,
check the TSA w ebsite at w ww.tsa.gov. Your airline ma y ha ve additional
restrictions on carr y-on items, so call ahead t o avoid problems.
•
Prepare to be sear ched.
Expec t spot- checks. Elec tronic it ems (such as a
laptop or c ellphone) should be r eadied f or additional scr eening. Be pr e-
pared to place your jewelry, loose change, and any other metallic it ems on
your person in bins bef ore you go thr ough security.
•
It's no jok e.
I f an yone asks y ou securit y-related questions , don 't be flip .
The agents will not hesitat e to call securit y.
2
You can find the latest information on
both airpor ts at the city 's D epartment of
Aviation website:
www.ohare.com
.
one of the hotels (check with the bell cap-
tain). The cost is $21 one-way ($39 round-
trip) to or from O'Hare and $16 one-way
($30 round-trip) to or from Midway. The
shuttles operate fr om 6am to 11:30pm.
For limo ser vice fr om either O'H are or
Midway, call
Carey Limousine of Chi-
cago
(
&
773/769-0009;
www .ecarey.
com) or
Chicago Limousine S ervices
(
&
312/726-1035
). D epending on the
number of passengers and whether y ou
opt for a sedan or a str etch limo, the ser-
vice will cost about $100 to $150, includ-
ing gratuity and tax.
Airport Transfers
Continental Airpor t E xpress
(
&
800/
654-7871
or 312/454-7800; www.airport
express.com) ser ves most first-class hotels
in Chicago with its blue-and-white Air-
port E xpress v ans; ticket counters ar e
located at both airpor ts near the baggage
claim (outside C ustoms at the interna-
tional terminal at O'H are). For transpor-
tation to the airpor t, r eserve a spot fr om
