These tricks make the security check faster

At the airport

By TRAVELBOOK | Jun 28, 2018 5:21 p.m

It's a well-known and dreaded scenario: At the airport, you really want to get to your gate quickly, but there's a seemingly endless queue in front of you for the security check. TRAVELBOOK reveals tricks with which you can get through the control faster.

Currently, in the main travel season and thanks to the Germany-wide flight chaos, it seems to take forever to get through the security check at the airport. Unfortunately, this cannot be changed completely, because many reasons are not in the hands of the travelers, and precise controls are also desired.

Nevertheless, there are a few tips that will at least help passengers be faster than most the next time. TRAVELBOOK reveals the security check tricks used by frequent flyers and explains why you can really lose time with the wrong shoes.

Trick 1: The right clothes

The right outfit can save a lot of time. For example, we recommend a jacket with many pockets or a small handbag for the most important things such as keys, boarding pass, etc. This way you have everything to hand and can take off your jacket/bag before the check instead of having to rummage around with all the little things out of your trouser pocket.

You should also pay attention to your shoes: the thicker the sole or heel, the more likely it is that they will be X-rayed separately. Women should also pay attention to a non-wired bra and both sexes should either do without a belt or take it off beforehand.

Basic: Before the security check, you should have removed every piece of clothing that you can take off.

Also interesting: What should I look out for when choosing clothes for the plane?

Trick 2: Choose the right queue

The shortest queue is not always the fastest. Preferably stand behind people with briefcases, suits or business suits: business people travel a lot, usually only take the bare essentials with them and are often the quickest at the controls.

You should keep your distance from talkative tour groups and passengers who seem to have little experience, who obviously fly very little and do not know the processes in detail. Also avoid queues in which people are standing with several and sometimes huge pieces of hand luggage. It usually takes longer for families with prams, car seats and small children who don't always want to participate the way their parents would like.

Trick 3: Know the rules

Rule number 1: All liquids over 100 milliliters are forbidden and yes, this includes cosmetics, creams and perfume. Rule number 2: Liquids up to 100 milliliters must be in a sealable plastic bag. Rule number 3: The maximum amount of liquids in the EU (and almost everywhere else) is 1 liter (i.e.: 10 x 100 milliliters). Rule number 3: Laptops, sometimes also tablets and e-readers, must always be unpacked separately.

You should also implement these rules without being asked, for example pack your liquids at home and not trust the plastic bags from the security staff. Clean out your laptop without being asked. Before the security check, make sure that the water bottle is really empty. These little things will save you and everyone else time.

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Don't: Be ill-prepared

"Oh, I put the boarding pass in the bottom of my pocket" or "Oops, there was probably still a bottle of water in the backpack" - Unfortunately, such sentences are heard more frequently during the security check. If you are poorly prepared, you will slow down operations and steal time from yourself and everyone else. Therefore: only pack what you really need and have important items, such as your boarding card or passport, ready to hand.

Pro tip: Place items in the plastic tub in the order you will wear/pack them in afterwards. That means: first the cardigan, then the coat – and then the laptop straight to the matching bag.

Also interesting: 7 foods to avoid before flying

Don't do it: make stupid jokes or discuss

It's the simplest tip, but some still have a hard time with it: don't say anything. Stupid jokes like "Sure, I've got a bomb" or "Have you spotted the coke in your shoes yet?" are not funny and can, in the worst case, lead to arrest. Discussions, for example about the amount of water, are just annoying and also pointless. So just shut up.

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