Department of Airport Security

Successful navigation of airport security is all about preparing before you get to the airport.

Wait Times

First, try to get a handle on wait time. With the exception of Hartsfield Atlanta Airport's Trak-a-Line Security Checkpoint Tracking System, there are no real-time sources for this information.

However, the TSA just launched the next best thing, a Web site that posts 28-day historical averages for security checkpoint wait times at every domestic airport. For example, on Tuesday mornings at 6 a.m., LaGuardia concourse C has a nine-minute average wait time and a 17-minute maximum. Two hours later at 8 a.m., you will be zipping through the same line in two or three minutes. On the West Coast, you'll find that at 6 a.m. on Tuesdays, Seattle-Tacoma's concourse C has a sleepy 21-minute average wait time and a 31-minute maximum. Luckily there are plenty of Starbucks and, yes, you can carry your cup through security.

Packing and Dressing for Airport Security

The first step in minimizing check-in hassle is knowing how to pack. Not in terms of cramming as much stuff as possible into a smallish bag, but rather in managing your possessions to best navigate the airport's multiple security checkpoints.

Your goals for packing -- and dressing -- for airline security are to avoid having your baggage and body searched, as well as to avoid having your possessions confiscated or disturbed.

The Travel Security Administration publishes a list of permitted and prohibited items on its Web site. You can also find an abbreviated list in Appendix A of the Business Travel Almanac.

Common sense would dictate that items such as weapons, explosives, and incendiary devices are prohibited in carry-on luggage. However, there are seemingly harmless item considered by the TSA as "dual use" items -- that is, items that could be used as weapons -- such as Swiss Army knives, metal scissors, strike-anywhere matches, and straight shaving razors. You can pack these items in your checked baggage, but not in your carry-on.

If you have concerns about an item, your best bet is to place it in your checked baggage or get authorization from the airline. If the item is confiscated at the security checkpoint, you won't get it back -- and you could be criminally or civilly prosecuted. Increasingly, airports' Paradies Shops and the TSA are offering shipping services to travelers who may find themselves with a banned item such as a pocket knife. Just step out of line and bring your item to a pre-security store. They will mail your item to you for about $5. You also get a receipt that lets you return to the front of the line.

Tips for Carry-On Baggage

Here are some tips on what you should and shouldn't pack in your carry-on bags:

• Remove all prohibited items -- such as pocket knives, scissors, and tools -- from your carry-on baggage.
• Screen your bags before you travel; you may have forgotten a pocket knife or similar item stuck in the back flap six months ago.
• Do not carry on wrapped gifts; the security screeners will have to unwrap them to examine them.
• Bring the right size carry-on bag. The FAA mandates that passengers are restricted to one item of carry-on baggage that does not exceed 10-by-16-by-24 inches (45 linear inches), plus one smaller personal-type item (for example, a purse, briefcase, or laptop computer case). Many airlines add a weight limit of 45 pounds.

Metal Detector Dating Tips

For the most part, items with a small amount of metal -- such as rings and bras -- will not set off the X-ray machine. However, some machines are more sensitive than others. Be aware that any metal detected at the checkpoint must be identified. If you set off the alarm, you will be required to undergo a secondary screening, including a hand-wanding and pat-down inspection.