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I don't think that the security should be too relaxed, one thing I would never bring on an airplane is a large sum of cash, that would draw suspicion towards the security and the police, I would rather bring a small sum of cash (up to $1,000) and bring my credit cards instead.
I was watching the news the other day and it was about Osama's latest video or voice message he had left. I thought it was interesting when they said something to the effect "The reason there hasn't been any major attacks in America since 9/11 isn't because of the stepped up security, it is because we are still in the planning phase."
I know they "check" everything now when you are going through security. But the past couple of times that I have gone through, the people that are supposed to be watching the x-ray screens have been there laughing and talking to fellow co-workers. This isn't something they did for a second or two and got back to work, it was the entire time that I was waiting in the line.
I'm not saying anything bad about all airport security, I'm just saying maybe the ones who are hired should be watched more carefully to make sure they are doing their work properly.
Thousands
Standing
Around
The only improvement IMHO is the "new" cockpit door. IF you isolate the pilots from the herd it buys you time to get it on the ground.
If I was to purchase a plane ticket I would buy them within a month or so before I leave, do you recommend me buying them off of the internet?
I buy mine on the net.. but find that orbits and whatnot are not any cheaper then going direct to Delta (or whomever) buy then as early as possible... but check prices every so often, because if they lower a price then they still give you the higher rate unless you change it with them.
And I don't believe there's any such thing as "random" screening. My wife and I were flying to the east coast once and had to change flights a couple of times. Each time we changed flights, as soon as the person at the gate saw our tickets, we were pulled out of line and search. That isn't random. Were both in our fifties, I'm military and my wife looks like a grandmotherly schoolteacher. Which she is.
There is a code on your boarding pass that identifies you for random screening.
On the boarding pass there is a code that looks like squares (Southwest Airlines) and this is what they look at to pull you for random screening. I know this because I had an ex-employee who now works as a screener at the KC airport for Southwest. I was talking to her prior to boarding and she looked at my ticket and showed me the code. She was nice enough to get me to the front of the line and let them search me.
saw our tickets, we were pulled out of line and search. That isn't random
It actually is Random, Its printed on the ticket, When our party of 12 was at the airport and i was "selected", the TSA agent showed me what was on my ticket but not the rest of our parties.
as far as buying them online, I've used both travelocity and american airlines. I'd suggust it to anyone, I love being able to pick my seat
THe amount of time it takes to get through the screening depends on the time of your flight. If it's "prime time" when everone else is flying it could take quite awhile. But even at the busiest airport it shouldn't take more than an hour
The time of your arrival to the departing airport is based on their recommendations. Some require you to be there 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours early for domestic/international flights respectively.