Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
38
Flying with Film & Video
Never pack film— developed or undev eloped—in checked bags , as the new ,
more powerful scanners in U .S. airports can f og film. The film y ou carry with
you can be damaged b y scanners as w ell. X -ray damage is cumulativ e; the
faster the film and the more times you put it through a scanner, the more likely
the damage. Film under 800 ASA is usually saf e for up t o five scans. If you're
taking y our film thr ough additional scans , U .S. r egulations permit y ou t o
demand hand inspections. In international airports, you're at the mercy of air-
port officials. On international flights, store your film in transparent baggies, so
you can r emove it easily bef ore you go thr ough scanners. Keep in mind that
airports are not the only plac es where your camera ma y be scanned: H ighly
trafficked attractions are X-raying visitors' bags with increasing frequency.
Most photo supply stores sell protective pouches designed to block damag-
ing X-rays. The pouches fit both film and loaded cameras . They should protect
your film in checked baggage , but they also ma y raise alarms and r esult in a
hand inspection.
You'll have little t o worry about if y ou are traveling with
digital cameras.
Unlike film, which is sensitive to light, the digital camera and storage cards are
not affected by airpor t X-rays, according to N ikon. Still, if y ou plan t o travel
extensively, you may want t o play it saf e and hand- carry your digital equip-
ment or ask that it be inspec ted by hand.
Carry-on scanners will not damage
videotape
in video cameras , but the
magnetic fields emitted by the walk-through security gateways and hand-held
inspection wands will. Always place your loaded camcorder on the scr eening
conveyor belt or ha ve it hand-inspec ted. Be sur e your batteries are charged,
as you may be required to turn the device on to ensure that it's what it appears
to be.
2
•
Continental:
Food served on flights of
2 hours or mor e. B reakfast 7 to 9am;
lunch 11am to 1pm; dinner 5 to 7pm.
•
Delta:
F ood ser ved only on flights of
more than 1,750 miles. B reakfast 5 to
8:30am; lunch noon to 1pm; dinner
6:30 to 7:30pm.
•
Northwest:
Food served only on flights
between D etroit/Minneapolis/Mem-
phis and the West Coast. Breakfast 6 to
9:45am; lunch 11am to 1:15pm; din-
ner 4:30 to 7:15pm.
•
United:
Food served only on flights of
more than 1,635 miles. B reakfast 5 to
9:59am; lunch 11am to 1:29pm; din-
ner 4:50 to 7:29pm.
•
US Airways:
Food served only on non-
stop, transcontinental flights. B reakfast
6 to 10am; lunch 11am to 1pm; dinner
4 to 7pm.
BY CAR
Chicago is ser ved b y interstate highways
from all major points on the compass. I-80
and I-90 approach from the east, cr ossing
the nor thern sector of I llinois, with I-90
splitting off and emptying into Chicago
via the Skyway and the Dan Ryan Express-
way. From her e, I-90 r uns thr ough Wis-
consin, follo wing a nor thern r oute to
Seattle. I-55 snakes up the Mississippi Val-
ley from the vicinity of N ew Orleans and
