Travelers heading through airport security soon may be spending less time in line, thanks to new rules that allow laptop computers in "checkpoint-friendly" bags to pass through X-ray machines without being pulled out for inspection.
The move marks perhaps the first time the federal government has responded to traveler opinion expressed primarily via an Internet blog – in this case, the Transportation Security Administration's "Evolution of Security" blog. Launched in January as a place for travelers to air their grievances regarding airport security procedures, it has received tens of thousands of comments from members of the traveling public.
"The overwhelming feedback we received is that taking laptops out of their cases is for many travelers one of the most frustrating parts of checkpoint screening," said TSA spokesman Nico Melendez. "So we approached the (travel) industry to see what they could do to help."
More than 60 manufacturers answered the agency's request for development of checkpoint-friendly bags, according to a TSA press release. About 40 prototypes eventually were submitted for testing.
The agency on Saturday began allowing those that passed muster through X-ray machines at airports around the country. Approved cases must have a designated laptop-only section that unfolds to lie flat on the X-ray belt and has no pockets, metal fasteners or other features that could prevent the machine from getting a clear, unobstructed image.
The agency is not certifying bags produced by any manufacturer, Melenez emphasized, but is only setting standards that must be met for a laptop cases to be in compliance. Passengers without checkpoint-friendly bags will continue to be instructed to remove their computers from their cases and place them in individual bins for screening.
"And even with a checkpoint-friendly bag, if our security officer is unable to see the laptop clearly on the machine or needs to see it, they will still ask the passenger to remove it from the bag," he added.
The relaxed rules are designed to help speed passengers through airport security screening. But don't look for checkpoint-friendly bags to be making a difference at Sacramento International or other airports in the immediate future. TSA approval came several months earlier than expected, creating a Catch-22 for consumers: Most bags fitting the guidelines already are sold out or won't be ready for delivery until October. A Bee check of manufacturer Web sites turned up nothing currently available.
Sacramento-area retailers, along with individual travelers, are waiting on suppliers to catch up with demand.
"None of my suppliers have provided any information on them yet except Travelon, which is hoping to have them by October," said Jon Holloway of Holloway Travel Outfitters, a travel specialty store in Sacramento. "In manufacturing, the usual lead time is three months from design to a finished product."
More about the rule change can be found at the TSA Web site, www.tsa.gov. To access the "Evolution of Security" blog, go to www.tsa.gov/blog.
Call Bee travel editor Janet Fullwood, (916) 321-1148.
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