NEW YORK – Four-hour lines. No water bottles. Screaming children. Missed flights.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday banned from carry-on luggage all “beverages, shampoo, sun tan lotion, creams, toothpaste, hair gel and other items of similar consistency.” The new rules resulted in long lines at airports and garbage bins full of discarded cosmetics.
So how’s a traveler to cope? Here are five strategies from travel experts.
Packing
In case your checked luggage is lost in the confusion, label your bags well, with name, business address and phone number on the outside and an itinerary and contact information packed inside, on top, said Susan Foster, author of “Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler.”
Rather than throwing away banned items, bring a checkable bag big enough to accommodate items you can’t take onboard.
Business travelers “must carry essential tools with them,” Foster said, but be prepared in case a ban on all carry-on luggage is suddenly imposed domestically, the way it was in England. Leave room in your checkable luggage for that stack of reports. Consider sending copies of important documents to your destination by fax, e-mail or an express delivery service such as FedEx.
Personal care
“Airplane air is as dry as the Sahara,” said Linda Wells, editor-in-chief of Allure magazine.
But new rules ban moisturizer and similar items from carry-ons. So put on heavier-than-usual moisturizer before you leave home, with either a moisturizing self-tanner or a tinted moisturizer on top.
“You want to wear as little makeup as you can. What’s worse than not having your makeup with you is having it smear all over your face and you not being able to fix it,” she said.
Other cosmetics that will last include waterproof mascara and lip and cheek stain.
Apply hairstyling products before you leave for the airport and then “reactivate” them before you land by running your hands under the water in the lavatory sink and running damp fingers through your hair, Wells suggested.
Pack shampoos and other lotions so they don’t spill, Wells said. Take the cap off the bottle, squeeze the product so it reaches the lip of the open top, and then screw the top on again tightly, forming a vacuumlike seal. There will still be an indentation in the bottle.
You may want to put those bottles in a sealed plastic bag as well.
Traveling with kids
Prepare kids for long lines and stringent security. “Tell the kids, ‘This is what we have to do to make sure everyone is safe,’” said Eileen Ogintz, a syndicated columnist who offers advice on family travel on her Web site.
Explain to toddlers “why they need to put their blankie or teddy on the belt,” she added. Give a lollipop or other small reward for cooperation.
Check kids’ backpacks for toy guns, plastic swords and the like. “I just came back from Disney with two 10-year-old boys,” she said, “and with ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ out, everything they bought was stuff like that.”
If your kids are flying unaccompanied, make sure they understand the new rules. Remind them to get something to drink before they get in line, rather than bringing a water bottle, and warn them against making sarcastic comments or jokes about security threats, Ogintz said.
Teenagers should notify airline personnel if they are flying alone so that they get priority to stay on the flight in case passengers are bumped.
To entertain young children, bring a deck of cards and paper and pencil. “You can draw pictures, make designs, play hangman,” Ogintz said. Play “I Spy” if you’re standing in a long line or if you’re forced to check the toy bag, she added.
Cruises
If you miss your cruise because of a delayed flight, “fly to the first port of call,” advised Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of a Web site that offers advice to cruisers.
Contact your cruise company to see if schedules or policies have been revised because of the new rules and delays, or if their staff can help you rebook. Holland America delayed the weekend departure times for several ships around Europe and North America to give passengers extra time to make connections.
Insurance
If you bought trip insurance, you may be eligible for compensation related to delays, according to John Ansell, president of the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, which represents 90 percent of U.S.-based travel insurance firms.
Comprehensive travel insurance typically covers rebooking flights, hotels if you are stranded, loss of personal belongings and other problems related to missed connections and cancellations, he said. Most travel insurance companies have hot lines to assist you.
If you want to buy insurance for a future trip, a comprehensive cancellation policy – which typically includes medical insurance, too – will cost 4 to 7 percent of the total price of your trip, Ansell said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
