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American Morning
America Recovers: Few Tips to Keep You Moving Along at Airport
Aired October 16, 2001 - 09:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: If you're planning on flying anytime soon, be prepared for some changes.
Pauline Frommer joins us with a few tips to help you keep moving along, despite possible long delays when you're checking in.
Pauline, good to see you.
PAULINE FROMMER: Good to see you.
ZAHN: You are very smart, because you came armed with some very specific dos and don'ts for travelers this morning, and I would just love for you to go through that with us this morning.
Let's start with some of the dos. We are going to see them on this screen over here. Show up early.
FROMMER: Yes, for domestic flights, you're going to have to show up at least two hours early. For international, about three hours early.
ZAHN: You really can't cut that; you really have to be there that early.
FROMMER: No, in certain airports, the lines are that long.
ZAHN: Call airline in advance?
FROMMER: Yes, airlines...
ZAHN: Well, that's hard; they don't always answer their phones.
FROMMER: Well, unfortunately, they have cut about 20 percent of their flights right now to save money, so your flight may not be happening. So it's a good idea. The airlines have to call millions of people to alert them to these changes, and people are falling through the cracks.
ZAHN: And your travel agent might not necessarily not get the update, the latest update.
FROMMER: Absolutely. So you want to call in advance. If you bought your ticket online and you have e-ticket, you have to bring a confirmation, which has the flight number on it. And you are going to need that not only to get your boarding pass, but to get through security. You're going to need a picture ID. That can be a passport, or it can be a driver's license, and they have loosened up a little bit on the -- what you are not allowed to bring in your carry-on luggage. You are now allowed to bring nail clippers and tweezers, but no knives of any kind, No cutting instruments of any king. if you need to bring syringes for medical purposes, you need to bring a doctor's note with that. No knitting needles either.
ZAHN: Wow.
Let's move on to the don'ts now. Let's see what heads up the top of that lists. As you just said, knives prohibited, no wrapped gifts in luggage or carry-on.
FROMMER: Yes, if you are traveling for the holidays, wrap when you get there, because they will hold you up definitely, and you're gifts may be unwrapped. As well, you're only allowed now one piece of carry-on luggage and one personal item.
Surprisingly, the personnel items can be as large as a laptop computer, or a diaper bag or a purse, but don't go overboard. You know, there are long lines, people are checking the bags, try to pack as lightly as you can.
ZAHN: But you know, I hear reports that people are really trying to push it, and then they get to sent back to back of line again, because like I said, that's the last time they do it. That was very helpful. We should mention that of course people probably recognize the name that you're associated with frommers.com, which is a Web site, and you're father of course has written travel books for many, many years.
FROMMER: Yes, many, many.
ZAHN: All right, Pauline.
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