Flying Tips with elderly - Airport security

Airport security

As I am, by default,  the designated luggage handler, before going through a security check point I get prepared.

Plan ahead, and avoid doing this just before you head to the security check line.

At home I check she hasn't packed her scissors or apple peeling knife in her carry on luggage (Yep both have happened)

I can not stress this enough - Do NOT stash money in your bra , not even the emergency $20 "just in case" money.
This will show up and cause body searches when its detected on a scanner  - in our case leading to two pat downs. A folded note can often not be felt by a gentle touch, and if it wasn't remembered  it leads to a second pat down.
To have a strange person, and no not all countries insist that only female staff pat down females (see Beijing blog page ) , having this person grope your breasts to detect the item hidden, isn't most women's idea of a fun way to start holiday.

Remove all loose change from your pockets. Wallets, purses and mobile phones will also have to be placed into a separate tray for screening purposes. Bulky watches, bracelets, and belt buckles  should be removed also as they are more than likely to set of the alarm.

 One good tip would be to stow them in your hand luggage beforehand. I put a ziplock plastic bag in the top of my carry on bag and I put my watch, bracelets, coins & credit cards in this bag before I head through to check point


If your parent can not walk and stand un-assisted in a body scanner be prepared for a full body pat down and /or electronic wand.

 If you parent hasn't been through this before I would suggest a warning chat before getting to the security area so now to cause embarrassment or distress..


You may also have to take your shoes off, so slip-on shoes will make things a lot easier for you and you can always change them after.
 This is normally quite a quick check and in some airports it is only carried out randomly.
Most airports now don't make seniors take off their shoes but I always ask mum to wear something she can slip off if required.  I have spent to long being glared at by security while untying then tying her shoelaces, as there is rarely somewhere she can sit down to do this herself.

I also find that if she has slip on shoes with her its easier to put on her flight socks (to avoid DVT), we do this after going through security , while waiting at gate for boarding.

Make sure that you only carry on small amount of liquids in bottles in clear plastic bags, and that anything else is securely packed into your hold luggage. That includes a souvenir bottle of Limoncello or Vodka or Argentinian wine (All lost by mum to customs somewhere in the world). Should you require "medically necessary" liquids,you are advised to notify the security check official and bring a letter showing the necessity.

I also make sure any medications etc are correctly packed - see blog entry Baggage

There's a certain art to packing your travel gear and one tip you should always use when going through airport security checkpoints is; keep your laptop and toiletries with liquids on the top of your luggage / near the zipper or simply where its easy to get to. This is because in most airports around the world you need to remove laptops and liquids to place them in a separate tray. This saves time for you and everyone behind you.

I have mums Tablet or e-reader, my Tablet and our Laptop in my carry on so I can easily get all three out at one time.These are required to be pulled out of their cases and put in a separate tray.

The leads and chargers for the these can get lost, or pulled apart if they fall out of bags on the conveyor belt, I pack them in a plastic ziplock bag too.That keeps everything safe and easily accessible for security if they need to see anything.


Recently you have been expected to be able to show that electronic devices in your hand luggage can be powered up. These include mobile phones and laptops but also tablet devices, MP3 players, cameras and camera equipment. So always make sure they have enough power to start if asked.

Hand luggage going through the scanner
The actual way that you pack your hand luggage can save time when it comes to putting everything back again, so if you follow the following general guidelines, waiting time will be significantly reduced.

First you should place your shoes,jacket and your carry-on "personal items" in the first tray. This will allow you time to put everything back on while the following items are being screened.

If you’re carrying Tablet and/or Laptop, put your carry-on bag for your Tablet and/or Laptop in the tray before your Tablet and/or Laptop, then when your Tablet and/or Laptop comes through, you’ll be ready to put it away.