Hey, What's In Your Bag?

FEATURE ARTICLE

Hey, What’s In Your Bag?
By Felicia J. Browder

While road warriors will take a break during the third week in November, everyone else will hit the highway or hop a plane to spend a few days with their family, making Thanksgiving the busiest travel time of the year.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the number of people traveling at the end of November always increases, but that’s no sweat for the world’s busiest airport which serves an average 230,000 people a day – more than the population of Macon, Georgia.

This year, however, officials at the Atlanta Airport are concerned. Not about the influx of passengers, but about what is in their bags; carry-on bags, that is.

After a total ban on liquids and gels in carry-on bags in August, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently revised the rules and now allows these items in small quantities. But with specific guidelines for carrying the liquids through the security checkpoint, some travelers have been somewhat confused.

To make things simple, the TSA has rolled out its 3-1-1 campaign to remind travelers what is required if they want to pack liquids in their carry-on bags:
3-ounce or smaller containers in 1 clear, re-sealable plastic bag, and only 1 clear, re-sealable plastic bag per person. The plastic bag also has to be placed on the conveyor belt separate from their carry-on to be screened by the X-ray machine.

Always focused on its mission to be the World’s Best Airport by exceeding customer expectations, Hartsfield-Jackson is doing its part to help travelers by placing signage around the terminal and on its Web site, as well as providing additional Customer Service representatives at the checkpoint to assist holiday travelers.

For additional information about security and other holiday travel tips go to: www.atlanta-airport.com.