Tagged: security

Your Personal Airline Data Is Secretly Being Sold to U.S. Homeland Security

Perhaps it surprises nobody that in this age of meaningless digital privacy protections, the U.S. government has been secretly buying up data about airline passengers.But that's what…

Does the Trump Travel Ban Mean Americans Can't Visit the Blocked Countries?

As of Monday, the Trump administration's new travel ban has taken effect. Foreign nationals from 12 countries, mostly in the Middle East and Africa, are barred from entering the United…

Kidnappers Are Targeting Dating App Users in This Tourism Hot Spot, U.S. Embassy Warns

U.S. government officials have issued a warning for tourists who use dating apps while on vacation. In a new security alert, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico reports that it has confirmed…

Make Sure This Common Electronic Device Isn't in Your Checked Bag—Now TSA Rules Forbid It

Amid all the brouhaha over the long-awaited launch of the Transportation Security Administration's REAL ID requirement at U.S. airports, you might have missed news of another important…

Flyers without REAL ID Asked to Arrive 3 Hours Early (Or Just Bring This Instead)

REAL ID is a case study of how constantly shifting politics in the United States makes it nearly impossible to get constructive long-term projects done. First developed in 2001 after a…

The 10 Worst Airports in the U.S.

The United States is where air travel was born. The United States is also where air travel grew up to become a miserable ordeal. Among wealthy nations, the U.S. has some of the worst…

Don't Have a REAL ID? You Can Use These Forms of Identification Instead

Update, December 1, 2025: As of February 2026, the United States government will charge its citizens a $45 fee to fly if they go to the airport without a REAL ID. Read more about the…

Can You Really Get Water Past TSA by Claiming It's "Medical"? Fact-Checking Social Media

An Instagrammer says he figured out how to get full-size bottles of water past Transportation Security Administration checkpoints."Here's the greatest travel hack of all time,"…

When Stuff Gets Left Behind at the TSA, the U.S. Government Sells It on This Site

Every travel blog and morning TV show seems to have unpacked every last detail about Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama. The store where your luggage might wind up for sale if…

12 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft When You Travel, According to Experts

Cases of identity fraud are at an all-time high, and all too often, it’s tourists who are at risk. The amount of personal information we’re asked to hand over when we’re traveling is…

TSA Bins Are Absolutely Disgusting, Says This TSA Agent

Here's another reason to hope that the social media trend of posting photos of artfully arranged airport security trays remains back in 2024 where it belongs. Turns out that using…

Dangerous Travel Destinations—and Where Risks Are Lower

As you plan international travel in 2025, it's wise to take into account the unusually high degree of volatility around the world right now. In addition to ongoing crime, armed…

Can I Take [Name Any Item] Through TSA Airport Security? 4 Ways to Ask from Home

The AAA, which tracks travel patterns, predicts nearly 8 million people will fly this upcoming holiday season. And 7.99 million of them will be in front of you, slowing down the…

Why Experts Warn Visiting Spain Now Poses a Huge Risk of Identity Theft

The Spanish government calls it Royal Decree 933/2021, but the tourism industry calls it something more sinister: Tourism Big Brother.On December 2, 2024, a new law took effect in…

The Caregivers' Guide to Traveling: How to Navigate Airports with Passengers with Special Needs

If you are a caregiver traveling with your care recipient, navigating the airport can be daunting. But with a little know-how and strategic planning, you can turn airport navigation…

Can I Bring Food Through TSA Checkpoints? Airport Food Rules to Know

Since Thanksgiving is such a food-centric holiday, it's safe to assume that many of the millions of flyers who will pass through U.S. airports at the end of November will be traveling…

Are TSA Liquid Carry-On Restrictions Really Relaxing Soon?

We're seeing a lot of speculation around the internet this week about whether the Transportation Security Administration is about to relax limits on the size of liquids that passengers…

Recent Art Vandalism Makes Visiting Museums Tougher for Travelers

London's iconic National Gallery, which receives some 3 million visits a year, has announced new security measures that will require more advance planning from travelers—and other…

Can I Fly Without an ID? TSA Rules for Lost or Stolen ID Cards

Needing to catch a flight after your ID has been lost or stolen is a scenario stressful enough to panic the coolest of cucumbers, especially if you're away from home and don't have…

Can You Really Fly with a Gun in the USA? Or Bring a Toy Gun on an Airplane? We Hate to Tell You...

In the first 9 months of 2024, the Transportation Security Administration intercepted more than 5,000 firearms at airport security checkpoints across the United States, the federal…

Exclusive: TSA Chief Reveals Huge Changes for Faster Airport Security—And Some Are Already in Place

With no fanfare, and with little public comment, one of the most dreaded aspects of air travel got faster, less intrusive, and far more pleasant. I’m talking about airport security,…

Don’t Have TSA PreCheck? In Boston, There’s a $3 Trick to Skipping Airport Lines

A blessing and a curse for travelers to and from Boston is that the city’s international airport is pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the action. Buttressed against the Atlantic…

Say Goodbye to Passport Stamps in Europe: New Entry/Exit System Starts Soon

Update, October 11, 2024: Authorities announced they will not meet the November deadline, and implementation of EES is delayed. The European Union's executive arm, the European…

5 Idiotic Viral Travel Hacks You Shouldn’t Bother Trying When You Fly

Some days, “air travel” feels like a shorter way of saying “global conspiracy to leave me bankrupt and bewildered.” So it’s no wonder internet users go in search of travel hacks to…

Bags Stolen From Baggage Claim: The Airlines' Big Luggage Security Problem

Many travelers won't know or remember this, but there was a time when airline passengers had to to present a claim check in order to pick up their luggage after flights.Until the early…