Passengers Now Need a Boarding Pass To Go Through Security Checkpoints; Gate Check-in Has Been Eliminated
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has consolidated passenger screening at the security checkpoints at Sea-Tac. Basically, this means that security checks that had been performed at the gate are now conducted at the checkpoints where TSA staff and equipment are concentrated.

Effective 1/7/03:

• Passengers must have a boarding pass to access the security checkpoints. Tickets (printed and e-tickets) and ticket confirmations, such as travel agency or airline itineraries, are no longer accepted.
• Passengers at checkpoints must show a government-issued photo I.D. before they pass through the metal detector. You don't need to show your I.D. when entering the checkpoint line, so you can take it out while you wait.

Depending on the services offered by your airline, there are four ways to obtain a boarding pass:

• Go to your airline's ticket counter
• Use curbside check-in
• Use your airline's self-service kiosk, if available
• Print a boarding pass from your airline's website.
  This service is not provided by all airlines.

New Security Measures for Checked Baggage in Effect - Travelers Should Be Prepared for New Procedures and Possibly Longer Lines

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) implemented new screening procedures for checked luggage on January 1.

As with any new procedures, travelers should be prepared to be flexible and patient. Procedures will vary from airline to airline and may continue to change over the next few day and weeks. Some travelers will be asked to have their luggage hand-inspected; others will be asked to wait in a special area until their bags are cleared. There may be longer than usual lines. Travelers should definitely plan on arriving at the airport two hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours before international departures.

These new security requirements mean that travelers need to change the way they pack for air travel. The TSA has updated its packing tips for checked baggage:

• Leave checked bags unlocked. Otherwise, any bags that require further inspection may be forcibly opened.
• Do not pack food or beverages in checked baggage. Due to their organic contents, foods like cheese, chocolate, or fruitcake can be mistaken by bomb detection machines for explosives.
• Put personal belongings, such as toothbrushes, in clear plastic bags to reduce chances of a TSA screener having to handle them.
• Pack shoes on top so it's easier for screeners to hand search luggage.
• Do not stack books, spread them out. Bomb detectors can't scan books that are clumped together.
• Pack all film and cameras with film in your carry-on baggage. Checked luggage can be subject to very powerful x-ray screening. The x-rays used at security checkpoints aren't as strong and shouldn't be a problem for most film, except very high speed 800+. Travelers can ask to have their film hand inspected at security.
• Put scissors, pocketknives and other sharp items in checked bags, never in carry-on.

More Items Now Permitted in Carry-on Luggage
The Transportation Security Administration has published a new list of items permitted and prohibited in carry-on luggage. Items allowed after they have been screened include:

Cigar cutters • Corkscrews • Cuticle cutters •
Diabetes-related supplies/equipment • Eyeglass repair tools, including screwdriver • Eyelash curlers •
Knives (round-bladed butter or plastic) • Nail clippers •
Nail files • Personal care or toiletries with aerosols, in limited quantities • Safety razors (including disposable razors) • Scissors, plastic or metal with blunt tips •
Tweezers • Umbrellas • Walking canes • Knitting and crochet needles

More information is available on the TSA Web site.

No More Security Questions at Check-in
For the past 14 years, air travelers have routinely answered these familiar questions when checking luggage: "Has anyone unknown to you asked you to carry an item on this flight?" and "Have any of the items you are traveling with been out of your immediate control since the time you packed them?" But, no more. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has told the airlines they can eliminate these questions.

James Loy, undersecretary of transportation for security, said new and improved security procedures have made the questions obsolete. "They no longer contribute to the safety and security of the flying public," he said.

Have Latte, Will Travel - Passengers Can Once Again Carry Their Drinks Through Airport Security Checkpoints
Coffee lovers no longer have to hang on until they clear security to buy those double talls - they are now allowed to carry their drinks in paper or Styrofoam cups through security checkpoints. Travelers will not be asked to drink any substance in their containers.

Passengers carrying drinks in plastic, metal or glass will only be allowed to take them through security if they are in unspillable containers that can be placed on the x-ray conveyer.

Travelers Can Now Mail Home Items Prohibited in Carry-on Luggage
It's easy to forget that pocketknife or pair of scissors in your carry-on bag, but if you try to take them through security, it will be confiscated. Now passengers have the option of mailing home those prohibited items they've inadvertently forgotten to leave at home or to put in their checked luggage.

Ken's Baggage, on the Baggage Claim level near Carousel 9, offers a mailing service. For $3.00, Ken's Baggage provides an envelope, postage and mailing for up to four ounces. A complete list of items prohibited in carry-on luggage is available on the Transportation Security Administration's Web site.

Express Lines Available at Three Security Checkpoints

Express lines are currently available at the checkpoints for the C and D Concourses and the North and South Satellites.

C/D Checkpoint Express Line for:

To make your luggage easier to identify once you get to your destination, use a special tag or marking to make it stand out.

North Satellite Express Line for:

Got Your Laptop?

With new and more stringent security procedures, it's easy to get sidetracked and leave your laptop behind. Take a moment to check that you have retrieved all your belongings before leaving the checkpoint area and heading for the gate. And should the worst happen, you can retrieve any forgotten items from the airport's Lost and Found Office.

Curbside Check-in Is Available
But No Parking or Waiting Is Allowed

Travelers on many airlines have the option of checking in curbside on the upper airport drive, but need to be aware that vehicles are allowed to stop on the drives only for picking up or discharging passengers or loading or unloading luggage. Travelers cannot leave their vehicles unattended, even while they check their luggage. As part of the airport's heightened security, Port of Seattle Police are patrolling the drives at all times. Vehicles left unattended, even if the driver is nearby, will be ticketed and towed.

Strategies for Travelers with Special Needs

New security procedures at airports impact everyone. Travelers with special needs - whether it's a child traveling alone or a traveler with a disability - should do some advance planning and strategizing.