New airport & flight security rules from TSA 12/27

Due to the attempted terror attack on Flight 253 to Michigan Christmas day 2009, the Travel Safety Administration has issued a statement regarding new security measures for domestic and international travel. Passengers on domestic flights may do best to arrive even earlier for flights so that they can be ready for any additional security efforts implemented at their particular airports.

Among the changes, TSA has reported that explosive detection canine teams, law enforcement officers, gate screening, behavior detection and other measures both seen and unseen will be implemented. They also note that passengers should not expect to see the same thing at every airport.

International flights will be where most of the emphasis is placed. There will be increased gate screening including pat-downs and bag searches. Also during these flights, passengers will be asked to follow flight crew instructions, such as stowing away their personal items, turning off electronics equipment and staying in their seats during certain portions of the flight.

There is also a new carry-on rule which will apply to international flights, where passengers can carry a standard-sized bag along with another bag such as a purse or laptop case. Carry-on rules for domestic flights will remain the same.

See TSA's official statement regarding upgraded security here.

O'Hare, Seattle-Tacoma, Dulles Airports Open New Runways

As of today, three brand new runways are opening up at 3 major airports around the US. The airports getting new runways are Washington Dulles International Airport, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

According to CNN.com the news is welcomed by the aviation community who has faced a year of bad news in the travel industry. This is the fourth runway for Dulles, its first added since the airport opened in 1962. Seattle-Tacoma's runway will be helpful due to the often wet climate there. The new runway allows planes to take off and land two abreast during bad weather, cutting delay times down. As for Chicago O'Hare, their runway is part of a huge multi-billion dollar program which when done in 2014 will make for a safer & more efficient airport configuration.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said travelers will benefit from coast to coast. See runways at the three airports »

"It is going to make a difference," Peters said. "It is going to allow us to conduct more operations, meaning more takeoffs and landings per hour at these airports and will help move passengers efficiently through.

"That, we hope, will give travelers a good experience this holiday season," she said.
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President Bush, this week, touted the arrival of the three new runways, noting that 14 new runways will have opened during his administration.

While some airport officials and travel analysts joke that delays will never be eliminated completely, Atlanta's Hartfield airport makes a case for adding runways. In 2006 they unveiled a new runway and have increased flights by 25 to 30 per hour, saving the airlines about $10 million a week in fuel costs. It will remain to be seen if airlines begin offering any dirt cheap airline tickets now, but it definitely could takeoff in the right direction for travelers.

See full story: New runways open at 3 of nation's busiest airports - CNN.com

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