17 Ways to Keep Safe and Secure When Flying

Here are 17 ways to keep safe and
secure when flying domestic or
abroad. Air travelers need to keep a
sharp eye and an ever present focus
on what's going on around them.
Even though it has been a few years since the September 11th 2001
hijackings, the threat of terrorist
actions against air travelers is still ever
present. Not to mention with the
hustle and bustle of a busy airport.
This is a prime place to be potentially burglarized by a professional thief or
criminal. 1. Keep Your Photo Identification
Handy. If you do not have photo
identification, make sure you have two
pieces of some other form of
identification, one of which must be
issued by a government authority.
Minors are not obligated to have identification. Failure to have proper
identification may result in additional
security inspection and search. Some
airlines may also prohibit you from
boarding without proper ID. For
international flights, airlines are required to collect your full name and
ask you for a contact name and phone
number. 2. Give Yourself Some Extra Time
During busy hours, or when traveling. With elderly or disabled passengers,
young children or infants, give
yourself more than enough time to
maneuver through a busy airport or to
make necessary arrangements with
airport personnel. 3. Do Not Park Your Vehicle and Left
Unattended in Front of the Terminal. The airport parking rules are being
strictly enforced and your vehicle may
be very swiftly ticketed and towed. So
make sure to park in well-lit,
designated areas. Find a parking
garage or lot you are comfortable with and is well populated. 4. Know What You Have with You. Watch your bags all throughout the
airport terminal, shops, and lavatories.
Don't accept packages from strangers
or persons who you might have a
casual conversation with. Be prepared
to answer questions about who packed your bags and whether you
might have left them unattended at
any time. Focus carefully and answer
honestly-previous history has shown
terrorists and criminals use unaware
passengers to carry bombs or other dangerous devices on board an
aircraft, either by deceiving
passengers into carrying packages or
by slipping items into unprotected
bags. If you're unsure, make it known
to airport security personnel. 5. Beware of Unattended Packages. If you see an unattended package,
bag or piece of luggage in the
terminal, report it to the airport
security staff or other airport
personnel immediately. 6. Don't Fool Around. Don't joke about having a bomb,
firearm or weapon with you. Security
personnel are trained to react when
they hear these words. Punishment
can be harsh and can include the
possibility of time in prison and/or large penalties and fines. 7. Anticipate Having Your Bag and
Luggage Searched. Both carry-on and checked bags are
subject to being hand-searched,
especially when airline security
personnel cannot determine by X-ray
machines the contents of one. Keep
gifts unwrapped until after you arrive at your destination. Airline security
personnel will open it if X-ray
machines are unable to identify the
contents. 8. Leave Behind Firearms and
Hazardous Products at Home. Many hazardous products are not
allowed on aircraft. Don't pack or carry
firearms, fireworks, flammable
materials, household cleaners, or
pressurized containers. Violations of
hazardous materials regulations can have harsh civil penalties, as well as
possible national legal action taken
against you. 9. Be Aware of Your Surroundings. When you are in an airport terminal or
on an aircraft, take notice of your
surroundings, and those around you.
Especially, if activities or situations
don't appear to be of the norm. 10. Report Strange or Odd Activity. If you see anything in the airport or on
an aircraft that looks out of place,
unfitting and unusual behavior or
potential security violations, inform
either a law enforcement
representative or security personnel. 11. Have No Bias About the Who May
Pose a Threat. If someone is intent on perpetrating
violent acts against the air transport
system, that person can be of any
gender, age, or nationality. You should
not presume any specific type of
person is likely to do damage based on outward appearances. 12. Keep Away from Suspicious
Circumstances. If you are exposed to a potential risk
in the airport, move away from the
situation before contacting someone
in authority. If necessary, inform
others in the vicinity. Examples of
these are; unaccompanied packages, suspicious behavior, or an unusual
disturbance. 13. Leave Your Seat Belt Fastened
While in Flight. When you are seated, keep your
safety belt securely fastened through
your flight will provide extra
protection if the plane is in
unexpected turbulence. 14. Focus on What the Flight
Attendants Are Saying. The number one reason flight
attendants are on an aircraft is for
safety, so if there is any kind of
emergency or potential crisis situation,
look to the flight attendants for help
and assistance. 15. Remember the Basic Rules for
Wireless Devices. In the U.S., cell phones, pagers, and
other wireless communications
devices may be used until the
passenger entry doors are closed
prior to takeoff. Do not use these
devices for routine communications until the passenger doors are opened
at the end of the flight. Rules vary
around the world, so check with your
airline. 16. Emergency Use of a Wireless
Device. In the event of an in-flight emergency,
you should take stock of the situation
before using any communications
device, including the aircraft's
seatback telephones. If a situation
calls for it, use your cell phone or other personal to contact help. In the U.S., a
helpful number to call is the FBI at
1-866-483-5137. If you are a flight
attendant or other airline employee,
contact an appropriate office or
department of the airline. 17. Work Together. If circumstances on an aircraft have
the potential for danger, it is usually
better to share information and work
together with crew members and
other passengers. By taking the necessary precautions
when you fly, you can travel with a
piece-of-mind and have your security
on 'high alert' and ready for anything.