Tampabay: Be careful what you pack for the holidays

TAMPA -- Those planning to fly over the river and through the woods this holiday season should expect some new security wrinkles. Air travel complications, already myriad, are escalating.

The biggest surprise for some travelers is the admonition of the federal Transportation Security Administration to leave checked bags unlocked in case the contents have to be searched by hand. Locking the bags risks destruction of the locks or, in the case of hard-sided luggage, the cases themselves.

The TSA also says don't pack cheese, chocolate and some heart medications in checked bags.

And leave the film out, too, or it will be ruined.

If you are traveling with valuables, carry them on board in one of the two small pieces of luggage you're allowed to take along.

While the deadline for explosive screening for all checked bags isn't until midnight on New Year's Eve, airports around the country, including Tampa and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International airports will be screening at least some checked luggage early -- because they can, and because it is part of the training for screeners.

"We're very busy today, and we are screening bags, but so far, it has gone very smoothly," said Brenda Geoghagan, spokeswoman for TIA.

While some consumer groups complain about the possibility of theft from unlocked luggage, the recommendation to leave bags open dates back almost a year for domestic flights and for several years on overseas flights, where bags often are opened for inspection when the owners aren't on the same flight.

It is something travel agent Jean Franklin knows first-hand.

"On a trip to Italy, we were separated from our bags at an intermediate stop, and they caught up to us on a later flight," Franklin said. "When they arrived, every lock had been popped. We were told at the time not to lock our bags, but we did, and we learned a lesson the hard way."

Several travel agents in the Tampa Bay area said they weren't hearing a lot of complaints from travelers about the baggage rules, and TSA spokeswoman Suzanne Luber stressed that the open-bag edict was just a recommendation.

"We're not telling passengers they must leave their luggage unlocked, but we're recommending it because if a bag is locked, and if it has to be inspected, we will use bolt cutters or whatever else is necessary to get inside," Luber said. "If your bag doesn't trigger an inspection, then locking it is not a problem. But you never know."

Luber said if passengers want to lock bags to ensure they don't pop open and spill the contents, try the plastic ties that are used to bundle wires. They can be cut without damage to the bag.

In the next few weeks, as soon as supplies arrive, screeners will relock inspected bags with the same type of ties.

Travelers whose bags are opened for inspection will find a sheet of paper inside explaining what happened. On it will be a toll-free number the owners can call if there is a problem.

There is no foolproof way to keep a bag from being inspected, but it helps not to pack things that are likely to set off explosive detectors' alarms.

For some reason no one can explain, these items include cheese and chocolate. Carry them aboard or buy them at your destination.

Heart medications containing even trace amounts of nitroglycerine can set off explosive detectors. Carry the medicine aboard and tell screeners at checkpoints that you have it.

Stacked books and even fruitcake can be too dense for screening devices to penetrate and can trigger a search -- but we knew that about fruitcake already, didn't we?

Don't pack film of any kind in checked bags.

"The explosive detectors will fry it for sure," said TSA spokesman Robert Johnson. "You can put most film through the X-ray machines at the checkpoints. Only very high-speed film is in danger there. And you can still hand a camera through and request that it be hand inspected."

The TSA does not anticipate that the additional screening will cause travel delays. During the Thanksgiving holiday, travelers were given cards with time stamps when they arrived at security checkpoints. The cards were collected and restamped on the other side. TSA reported that the average wait was less than five minutes.

Because Christmas falls on Wednesday, travel is expected to be spread out and less subject to delays.

How to make holiday travel easier:

-- Pack light and check as much baggage as possible. This will minimize delays at security checkpoints.

-- Know what you can carry aboard and what is forbidden. Find out at the Transportation Security Administration's Web site: www.tsa.gov .

-- Keep government-issued photo identification handy.

-- Don't wrap gifts until you arrive at your destination.

-- If you have special medical, religious or cultural requirements, check the TSA Web site.

-- Where possible, leave electronics at home or pack them in checked bags to minimize security delays.

-- Since explosive detection will be in use, do not pack chocolate, cheese and nitroglycerine medication in checked bags. They may set off alarms.

-- Don't pack film in checked bags. It will be ruined.

-- Since bags should be left unlocked, carry valuables with you.

-- Get to the airport at least two hours early.

-- While curbside drop off and pick up are permitted, unattended vehicles will be towed with zero tolerance for violators.

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