Tagged: security

Disruptions to Airplane GPS Systems Are on the Rise—What Passengers Should Know

If there’s one thing most of us take for granted in boarding a commercial aircraft, it’s that the plane is headed where we expect it to go. If you’re flying from New York to Miami, it…

Don't Scan a Fake QR Code! Scammers Can Steal Your Personal Info

An earlier version of this post has been updated with new information.We know QR codes are convenient, allowing quick access to the website or payment portal of a restaurant, parking…

Scam Alert: Passengers Report Fake Airline Phone Numbers Are Listed by Google

Over the weekend, as airports in the northeastern U.S. endured another 1,300 flight cancellations, reports surfaced of a complex scam operation that has allegedly compromised Google…

Can Kids Use TSA PreCheck with Their Parents? Sometimes. Here's How to Know

TSA PreCheck, that speedy blessing for frequent travelers, is also a boon for families. Nobody likes standing in line, least of all kids, and no parent looks forward to wrestling with…

Is the TSA's 3-1-1 Liquids Rule Ending Now That Technology Has Improved?

The days of bringing a full-sized bottle of water or shampoo in your carry-on bag for a flight are, by and large, a distant memory. In fact, some young travelers have never known such…

If You Use the Public Phone Chargers at the Airport, the FBI Has a Warning for You

It's awfully easy to run out of mobile phone power when you travel. The travel industry has offloaded lots of activity and paperwork to the smartphone in your pocket: Flight check-in,…

An Easy Way to Eliminate Long Global Entry Interview Wait Times

It’s shaping up to be another busy summer in air travel. So far in 2023, the TSA has already logged 9 of its 10 busiest days since the start of the pandemic, and we haven’t even…

Amid Record TSA PreCheck Enrollment, Here’s How to Get Through Airport Security Faster

If you’re a TSA PreCheck member and have noticed more company in the line at airport checkpoints lately, you’re not imagining things. New numbers show the TSA is seeing interest in its…

If You Have Old Traveler's Checks Lying Around, Here's Why You Should Cash Them ASAP

For a long time, the standard advice about traveler's checks has been conditional: You can still buy them, but be prepared for them to be refused at many places. Traveler's checks hail…

Peru’s Machu Picchu Reopens to Tourists—but Is It Safe to Go There?

Machu Picchu, the world-renowned Inca citadel in the Andes of southern Peru, reopened to tourists this week after a nearly monthlong closure due to antigovernment protests. Peruvian…

Did You Know You Can Enroll in TSA PreCheck at Staples Stores? Here’s How

Because I'm a frequent traveler, I know I should have enrolled in TSA PreCheck long ago. But I'm also a writer and therefore a chronic procrastinator. So even though the U.S.…

A Rare Fee Reduction! The TSA Trims the Cost of PreCheck

You don't see this very often these days: prices going down. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration and its enrollment partner IDEMIA, eager to get more travelers signed up…

TSA PreCheck Will Come to You Now: How to Find the Mobile Enrollment Truck

Enrolling in TSA PreCheck is getting more convenient in cities across the U.S. this fall. Thanks to the expanded IdentoGO mobile enrollment push, travelers who want to join the…

How to Skip Long TSA Lines for Free—Without TSA PreCheck

Last Sunday, more than 1,000 passengers missed flights at Ireland's Dublin Airport because of epic security lines caused by staffing shortages. Anyone who has waited in one of the…

Which U.S. Airports Have the Longest Security Wait Times?

If you need to fly out of South Florida at any point this summer, you might want to leave for the airport now. Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood…

6 Crucial Things Parents Can Do to Childproof a Vacation

Once parents have planned and booked a family trip to a new destination, the next thing they should do is ensure every step will be childproof. That starts with using an approved child…

LOOK: Belgium's New Passports Feature the Smurfs and Tintin

Belgium's new passport design, which debuted earlier this month, pays tribute to the country's rich history of comic strips. The 34-page travel document features illustrations of…

The World's Safest Places to Go in 2022

There’s always some degree of risk when you go on vacation. That’s why we have airbags, travel insurance, and those scratchy money belts you’re supposed to wear under your clothes to…

TSA Lowers PreCheck Renewal Fee (but Here's How to Get It for Free)

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decided it's time to lower the charge passengers pay to renew PreCheck memberships. TSA PreCheck is one of the federal…

Apple Users in 8 States Can Soon Use Their Phones as ID at Airports

A lot of Apple customers will soon be able to leave their IDs in their bags when going through airport security. Earlier this month, the company announced that eight U.S. states have…

If Your Bank Freezes Your Card, Here's How to Get Money from It Anyway

It's a text or phone call that can ruin a vacation. Dear cardmember, we have detected potential fraud on your account and have placed a hold on your account. Years ago, an alert like…

Wanna See the Future of Airport Security? Go to Vegas.

Las Vegas is famous for being a place to try out stuff you don't do elsewhere, whether that means playing blackjack at four in the morning or consuming your weight in jumbo shrimp at…

TSA Is Training Fight Attendants to Take Down Unruly Passengers

Coffee, tea, or a clock-cleaning? That'll be the new menu aboard the major U.S. airlines soon. Following a spate of antisocial behavior by passengers, the Transportation Security…

This Year, You Finally, Really, Truly Need Real ID to Fly

Update, April 27, 2021: Guess what? The government delayed Real ID yet again. Click here to read about the new deadline.We really mean it this time: Real ID becomes mandatory at U.S.…

TSA Rolling Out Self-Scan I.D. Checkpoints That Don't Need Boarding Passes

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has converted 100% of its security checkpoints at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to accept self-scanned identification…