Preparing for Your Trip
The Transportation Security Administration offers tips to help you move through the screening process quickly and efficently. Please visit the Transportation Security Administration's website for complete security procedures.
Unlock your Bags
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) suggests that you help prevent the need to break your locks by keeping your bags unlocked. If your bag is unlocked then TSA will simply open the bag and screen the bag. However, if the bag is locked and TSA needs to open your bag, then locks may have to be broken. You may keep your bag locked if you choose, but TSA is not liable for damage caused to locked bags that must be opened for security purposes. If TSA screeners open your bag during the screening procedure, they will close it with a tamper evident seal and place a notice in your bag alerting you to the fact that TSA screeners opened your bag for inspection. If you wish to lock your baggage, use a TSA-recognized lock. The locks can be purchased at the Gift Shop at Mid-Continent Airport.
Carry-on Luggage
You are allowed one carry-on in addition to one personal item such as a laptop computer, purse, small backpack, briefcase, or camera case. Remove all lighters, knives, scissors, and blades of any type or size from your carry-on baggage. To know how to pack items in your carry-on and checked luggage, please visit Packing Tips. It is preferred that you check your luggage. Carry-on space is limited, particularly during the holidays, and airlines are cracking down on the size of those carry-ons. Also, considerable carry-on luggage slows down the screening process. Check your airline's website for luggage requirements.
Remember 3-1-1 when packing your carry-on bag: 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume) of liquids or gels; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure. If you purchase a drink prior to checkpoint, you will not be allowed to carry it through the screening process.
If any items in your carry-on luggage are confiscated by the TSA, do not bring those items back to the airline ticket counter as your luggage has already been processed. A mail service is provided at Sarah's Ice Cream and Cookies.
Laptop Computers and Electronic Equipment
Effective August 16, 2008, the Transportation Security Administration will allow travelers to leave their laptop computers in "checkpoint friendly" cases. To qualify, a bag must have a designated laptop-only section that unfolds to lie flat on the X-ray machine belt and contains no metal snaps, zippers or buckles, and no pockets. Among the manufacturers selling TSA-approved laptop bags are Mobile Edge, Skooba Design and Targus Inc. Read about the new laptop bag procedures by visiting the TSA website.
Limit the number and type of electronic equipment that you carry with you. This includes cellular phones, paging devices, laptop computers, CD players, electronic toys and games. The necessity of screening these devices will create delays passing through the checkpoint. Whenever possible, place these items in your checked luggage.
Getting through Security Checkpoint
All passengers, including ticketless passengers, are required to have a boarding pass to pass through the security checkpoint. Boarding passes can be obtained at the ticket counters, at automated kiosks located near the ticket counters, and some airlines offer boarding passes online.
A government-issued photo ID is required when you check in. You may be asked to produce this ID again at other stages of the check-in process. Be prepared to show ID, as well as your boarding pass. Passengers are advised to make sure the name that appears on your boarding pass matches your government issued ID.
If your departure is at or before 7:00 a.m., you are advised to be in the checkpoint line before 6:00 a.m. as this is a peak time of day for travel from ICT.
Secure Flight
Secure Flight is a program developed to provide uniform watch list matching by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The mission of the Secure Flight program is to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list matching to identify known and suspected terrorists.
How will Secure Flight affect passengers? Under the Secure Flight program, passengers will be required to provide:
- Full name (as it appears on passenger’s government-issued ID)
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Redress Number (if available)
Your airline will send the information you provide to TSA and TSA will match it against the No Fly and Selectee watch lists. By providing this information in advance, most passengers will not experience any differences from the way they traveled before as a result of Secure Flight.
What are the benefits of Secure Flight?
Secure Flight provides numerous benefits to the traveling public. First, Secure Flight protects sensitive watch list data. The program also enables officials to address security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and consistent matching process across all airlines and reduces the chance of being misidentified. Secure Flight offers an improved redress process, so that those who are mistakenly matched to the watch list can avoid further problems in the future.
Protecting passenger privacy
The privacy of individuals’ information is a cornerstone of Secure Flight. TSA collects the minimum amount of personal information necessary to conduct effective watch list matching. Furthermore, personal data is collected, used, distributed, stored, and disposed of in accordance with stringent guidelines and all applicable privacy laws and regulations.
Redress – for passengers who feel they have been misidentified
Those who believe they have been mistakenly matched to a name on the watch list are invited to apply for Redress through the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP). Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its watch list matching process, thus preventing future misidentifications for passengers who may have a name that’s similar to an individual on the watch list.
For more information on the redress process, visit www.dhs.gov/trip.
To learn more about Secure Flight visit www.tsa.gov.
Contact TSA
If you would like to pass on any positive feedback of concerns to TSA regarding your experience, you should contact a screener supervisor. You may also contact the TSA Contact Center toll-free at 1 (866) 289-9673 during the following hours of operation. (All times are Eastern Standard Time.)
- Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
You may e-mail them at TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) takes all input very seriously and will respond promptly and appropriately to all complaints or comments.
TSA also has a blog site and welcomes your input.