During my eight years as a Transportation Security Officer, I personally confiscated well over 250 duty-free bottles of alcohol. Every single one of those passengers thought they had done everything right, and most of them had. What they didn’t know is that doing everything right isn’t always enough. If you read my piece on Yahoo about the hidden BLS clause, this goes deeper. These...
While traveling recently, I witnessed something at a TSA checkpoint that instantly took me back to my days working as a TSA officer. A passenger asked to speak with a supervisor after becoming frustrated with how her bag was handled during screening. The officer told her a supervisor was on the way. A few moments later, another TSA officer arrived, listened to her concerns, and the interaction...
If you’ve ever bought a TSA-approved lock thinking your bag is safer, there’s something you should know, and TSA isn’t exactly advertising it. Airports have two distinctive security checkpoints: passenger screening and baggage screening. I worked in TSA’s baggage department for a period of time. TSA officers with experience in both areas are called Dual Officers...
I spent eight years as a TSA officer before going viral for educating travelers about their rights. Now I run Gate Access, the insider travel publication sourced from active flight attendants, gate agents, and aviation professionals.