caribtraveler

From the AP. This will be announced today at 11amET at Reagan National.

The government is relaxing its ban against
carrying liquids and gels onto airliners, instituted after a plot
to bomb jets flying into the United States was foiled, an
administration official said Monday.
A Homeland Security Department official, speaking on condition
of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made, said
that most liquids and gels that air travelers purchase in secure
areas of airports will now be allowed on planes....
New procedures also were being announced for products like lip
gloss and hand lotion that passengers bring to the airport.
Previously, those liquids have been confiscated at security
checkpoints. Now, the official said, those products will be put in
clear plastic bags at the checkpoint, screened and returned to the
passenger if they pass screening.

AnnMarie_C

For more info, check out...

http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/..._advisory.shtm

starrsville

Just heard it on TV

Okay - liquids purchased after screening

AND as many 3 oz containers of liquid that will fit in a quart ziploc bag

AND liquid medications

Going back to "liquid" normal is going to be full of regs

Tess

So it's still basically up to individual screeners at each airport to see what goes through?

I flew from Denver to LA last week and found that what's okay in Denver isn't necessarily okay in LA and vice versa. It's really easier to pack it all. It will be interesting to see what they have to say at the news conference, though. It seems like the smaller the airport, the more stringent the rules. Am flying to Raleigh-Durham this week so we'll see!

tracys2cents

Wow, this is gonna slow down the lines ! they just have NO idea how much we girls can fit into a plastic ziploc bag!

beentheretwice

Now the debate between central security or gate security takes on another twist: if you have security at the gate (like at KCI), you still are greatly limited to what you can bring on.

This is getting too complicated for me. I don't want to travel.

LoveItaly

I guess the idea of being able to pack whatever liquids or gels (only 3oz's each item) fit into one quart size ziploc bag is so that passengers will have what they need on the plane. Additional items can be purchased inside the security area so one can buy bottled water etc. Better than nothing I guess but I wonder how much confusion this is going to cause amonst people that hardly ever fly and don't keep uptodate on the ever changing rules.

liana

Let me tell you that on aug 26 I flew from Ft Lauderdale to Boston,and the woman next to me on the flight took out from her bag a plastic tube of hand cream,I asked her how they allowed that on the plane and she said they probably werent looking,at this point the flight attendant overheard our conversation and was very mad that this was allowed on her flight and that she as going to call security at the airport and report it.
At that point idid not feel very safe flying.

Tess

Here's another one. On a flight last week from Denver to LA, a lady boarded our flight with a full cup of coffee. No one noticed until we were in the air then the flight attendent looked at her and said, "Whoops, we missed that one." AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Thank you, United.

Statia

I just returned from Miami and my travel companion also boarded with a tube of hand cream in her purse without realizing it. Oops. Nobody ever caught it.

So, are we only allowed the ONE 1-quart ziplock of travel sized toiletries? I am heading to the States again for a couple of weeks starting tomorrow and bringing only carry-on baggage. Although I planned to not bring any toiletries onboard, now that I can I was going to bring two ziplocks in order to fit what all I need. I guess I'd better stick to only one and go with my original "buy it when I get there" plan.

I'm just glad we can bring water bought past security onboard again.

LoveItaly

Hi Statia, yes you are allowed one quart size ziplock bag. All gels, creams, liquids cannot be larger than 3 oz's and they have to fit into the ziplock bag so the ziploc bag will close properly. So travel size items. Better than nothing I guess. Take care and I hope you have good flights!!

Oh, you can buy other items once pass security and take them on the plane so maybe you can buy everything else you need while waiting to board. Let us know how it goes.

Statia

Thanks, LoveItaly.

happytourist

I'm relieved to hear about the water. I haven't drunk airplane water since reading James Wysong's column on it on tripso.com last fall. Here's a portion of the column:

"Here are the facts of the matter. Most airlines these days board only a limited supply of bottled water on each flight. The ratio of bottled water to tap available depends on where you sit.

"First Class: 100% bottled water
Business Class: 50% bottled/50% tap
Economy: 25% bottled/75% tap
The airlines say there isn’t enough room on the airplane to stock bottled water for every passenger. With the disappearance of in-flight meals, one might imagine there’d be plenty of room for water, so maybe it has more to do with shrinking airline budgets.

"The tap water comes from the water tank, which is filled before each flight with water from the local water supply. This is the water that is used for coffee, tea, the lavatory sink, and the pitcher on the beverage cart. It is regular old, run-of-the-mill tap water: the same treated H2O that comes out of your faucets at home — but with a twist.

"The twist is the holding tanks. Some recent, highly publicized tests have found high bacteria and fecal counts in those tanks. Other, less well-publicized tests show normal readings for contaminants, but ask any mechanic who has stripped down a water tank, and you’ll hear that it is not a pretty sight.

"I have been a flight attendant for 16 years, and I believe that there are legitimate concerns about water on board. Here are some tips that might help." [See full column at:
http://www.tripso.com/archives/2005/11/water.html]

JBHapgood

You have to hand it to the bureaucrats at the TSA. They've replaced a hastily-enacted, stupid, ineffective total ban on non-solid substances that burdened a great many innocent people without adding any safety. They've replaced it with an new, completely arbitrary restriction that's no less stupid and no more effective, but will probably prove so confusing that it will tie up the checkpoints in knots to the point where passengers will clamor for the "good old days" of the old total ban.

At least you have to give the officials some credit for finally hearing the uproar and (belatedly, ineffectively, and stupidly as always) reacting to it. Yes, they're doing a heck of a job, Brownie!

I know it's unpatriotic to criticize any aspect of our government's War On Terror, as doing so obviously aids the enemy. But if the Emperor has no clothes, I just can't resist remarking on how inadequately-equipped he really is.

Besides, the "relaxed" rules won't help me. I'm allergic to chemical sunscreens, so I have to bring a non-chemical one (titanium dioxide) that's sold in 6-ounce bottles and is very difficult to find. So I have to check a bag (and be ready to make a lot of frantic phone calls if said bag is lost, delayed, or stolen in the process). And woe to anyone who needs a liquid that isn't sold in bottles that fit in a quart-sized bag. But hey, if that's something I can do to help keep the Homeland safe, I'm all for it. Yes, a heck of a job, Brownie!

Tess

Can you put the sunscreen in a 3 oz. squeeze bottle?

bgans

JBGHapgood - take a look at Blue Lizard sunscreens (they have baby/sensitive skin formulas). I don't know exactly what you are allergic to, but this was recommended to us by our dermatologist for our sensitive-skinned daughter and is safe for our multiple stuff allergic nephew. It does come is small tubes that can now be carried on. Good luck.

LoveItaly

And I can only use Tom toothpaste as it is the only toothpaste without a corn ingredient in it, but they at this point do not make a 3oz tube.

Bgans, I have never heard of Blue Lizard sunscreen and have never seen it, do regular stores carry it? Thanks.

bgans

I usually get it from on-line retailers - Amazon and drugstore.com both carry it, and I've also seen it at CVS.

LoveItaly

Thanks bgans, I will check it out. I appreciate the information.

JBHapgood

Thanks for the Blue Lizard recommendation, bgans. I Googled it and it looks better than what I'm now using (Neutrogena "Sensitive Skin," which has only titanium dioxide; the lizard has zinc oxide in addition to the titanium). I called the one retail store within 10 miles of my suburban Los Angeles zip code listed on the Web site as carrying it. Unfortunately, they don't carry it. There isn't time to mail-order it before I fly next week, but I'll definitely order some before the trip after that. Unless the TSA changes the rules again in ham-handed reaction to some future threat....