Detangling new carry-on rules with a straight face

Hair spray? Detangler? Styling gel? If you're flying, pack them in your checked luggage, and resign yourself to having a bad hair day.

Ditto for the yogurt, toothpaste and mouth wash. So much for a healthy breakfast and personal hygiene.

Lipstick in a tube? Bring it on.

I know airline security isn't funny business, but indulge me for a moment.

Approaching all of this with a sense of humor is probably better than ranting about why, when our government apparently has been aware for more than a year about the potential danger of some liquids and gels, security agents, instead of focusing on new ways to identify dangerous passengers, are now spending their time rooting through carry-on bags for bubble bath.

OK. Enough. On to the practical stuff. Following news Aug. 10 of a terrorist plot to blow up planes bound for the U.S. from Britain, the Transportation Safety Administration has come up with new rules for what's allowed in carry-on luggage.

If you're flying soon, here's what you need to know:

Carrying it on

Congestion at security checkpoints was so bad at first that airlines urged passengers to check all bags. They reversed this recommendation a few days later.

Carry-on bags (one per person plus one purse or laptop) are still allowed. What's changed is what you can put in them.

Most food is still allowed, but liquids, creams and gels, with the exception of baby's milk, insulin, prescription medication and a small amount of non-prescription medicine, must be checked. This includes shoes with gel inserts, yogurt, lip gloss (but not lipstick) and of course, Jell-O.

The TSA has posted a long list of banned items on its Web site at www.tsa.gov. Keep in mind that this is a moving target. The list has been tweaked once so far, and more changes are likely.

Laptops, cell phones, cameras and electronic devices are allowed on board, and a carry-on, not a checked bag, is the safest place for them.

All of this puts a new spin on things for business travelers and others who try to avoid the hassles of checking luggage by traveling with only a regulation-size carry-on.

I took stock of my own collection of toiletries no longer allowed in carry-ons — essentially two small plastic bags worth of shampoo, hair gel, toothpaste etc. — the other day while packing for a quick trip to Ohio and Arizona.

My flights involved several different airlines and close connections. I had packed clothes I would need for a funeral when I arrived, and I didn't want to hassle with my luggage being lost or delayed.

Solution: I carried my main bag on the plane and checked the make-up, toothpaste, etc., and a few other non-essentials in a small, cushioned laptop case. This didn't prevent me from having to wait at baggage claim to retrieve that bag, but at least I didn't risk losing anything important.

Liability and theft

Reports of lost, damaged, delayed and pilfered checked luggage filed with the Department of Transportation have been rising as the TSA has been screening more intensively and more people have been leaving their bags unlocked.

The actual number of incidents are few — 5.86 per 1,000 passengers — reported to the government by 20 airlines for the first six months of this year, but this was a 37 percent increase from the same time period in 2003.

With both TSA and the airlines handling baggage, resolving who is responsible for theft or damage can turn into a huge hassle. The headaches will likely increase if more people start checking bags.

Here are some ways to head-off potential problems:

• Put valuables into carry-ons. Airlines' liability is limited to $2, 800 per passenger on domestic flights and $9 per pound on international flights ($450 per 50-pound bag), but most exclude any responsibility for loss or damage to computers and other electronic equipment; jewelry, documents and other valuables.

This could get complicated, of course, if airlines forbid laptops and electronics as carry-ons as British authorities did for several days, or ban carry-ons entirely. The British rescinded the ban last week.

• It's possible to buy insurance, but there are limitations. Most airlines sell excess valuation insurance, but it covers only the loss of luggage, not damage to the contents, and doesn't cover computers or other valuables.

Most travel-insurance policies limit the amount reimbursed for individual items. Access America's standard trip insurance policy, for instance, puts a $500 cap on computers, cameras and watches, and pays out only when passengers can produce original receipts.

Some premium credit cards provide reimbursement and homeowners' policies may cover lost or stolen items, but often have a high deductible.

• If you do check a bag, lock it. Although some airlines post signs at ticket counters telling passengers to leave their bags unlocked, there's no TSA rule that requires this.

Checked bags are screened behind the scenes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Locks can be broken if something inside triggers an alarm in the screening process and an inspector needs to look inside, but that doesn't happen often.

Most airport personnel are honest, but theft by baggage handlers and screeners happens. One suggestion is to use a TSA-approved lock that inspectors can open and relock.

• Keep laptops and other valuables in sight as they go through the metal detectors at security checkpoints and hand-searches. If you're singled out for secondary screening, watch as your bags are inspected.

• Airlines have tightened weight restrictions for checked bags and charge extra for excess baggage. The general rule is two checked bags per passenger, each weighing no more than 50 pounds. Policies vary, so check with your airline or see information posted on its Web site.

Hassle-free flying

Savvy business travelers are coming up with some creative solutions.

"I thought I had it all down to a science," says Lindsay Sovde, a Seattle investment banker who packs only a carry-on for her weekly business trips to Portland on Horizon Air.

"Now that I can't take all of my personal goods on the plane, it's actually faster to drive. Otherwise, you're spending an extra 15 minutes on each end to check in and then get your bags."

Her solution was buy a duplicate set of everything she uses — $300 worth of make-up, shampoo and other personal items — and take it all to the Westin Hotel which agreed to store it for her.

"That way, I figure I'll still be able to fly."

Carol Pucci: 206-464-3701 or cpucci@seattletimes.com