Flight Interruptions
Flight schedules are subject to weather, mechanical issues, security issues, connecting flights, and just dealing with people. When disruptions occur, some passengers get angry and vocal. My son once worked for Delta Airlines and said how counterproductive it was for passengers to walk up to the gate agent, the only person there that could actually help them, and the begin the conversation by rude and abusive language. He told me that pretty much took away any incentive to help, for no one wants to help a jerk. You can be sure that the person standing behind the gate counter had absolutly nothing to do with the flight delay or cancelation. That person is a much a victim as you are.

He offers these suggestions:

• Be polite but determined. You need help. They can help. So build a team spirit
• Know what your options are with that airline (i.e. re-booking, meal vouchers, overnight accommodations, flight delay compensation vouchers, etc.)
• Do your best to get confirmed reservations rather than simply being added to a wait list
• If you are put on a wait list, do not leave the gate area when boarding begins so if you name is called, you are ready to go
• Depending on the length of your delay, the airline may or may not keep your checked bags. Make sure you know the status of your checked bags and whether or not you must take control of them. A friend once had his bags put on the baggage belt. He was not paying attention so they went unclaimed. The next day he flew on to his destination without his bags. It really complicated things for him since his "delayed bags" were really his own fault.
• Do not hesitate to ask for a supervisor if you are just getting the run around

Air Travel Security
Even before September 11, 2001, security for overseas travel has been extensive. For example, at Entebbe Airport, all bags are x-rayed, not just your carry-on. Also, once at Heathrow Airport, our 747 was ready to "push-back" and take off for Entebbe when a passenger had not gotten on the plane but his bags had. The flight was delayed an hour while his bags were found and removed - which was fine with me! This same level (or higher) of security will only increase.

Aerosol Products
It appears that any products (shaving cream, hair spray, bug spray, etc.) in areosol cans will eventually be prohibited on commercial flights. Therefore, I recommend avoiding aerosols in preferance for products in squeeze tubes and hand pumps. This should make your trip through airport security that much easier.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continually adapts to circumstances and threats so rather than post outdated information here, I recommend that you visit their web site for the latest information. You should especially check their Permitted & Prohibited Items section. Also, if your bag is inspected, you will find a TSA Inspection Form in you bag when you open it.

Airline Tickets are almost exclusively being issued in E - format (E for electronic) which means you arrive at the gate, show your ID, and the E-ticket receipt and they pull up your reservation and issue boarding passes for your flights. I print the E-Ticket receipt and/or itinerary received by email from the travel agency and take two copies with me (kept in two separate bags so if I lose one, I still have the other) and then leave a copy in my Home Travel Folder in case of need. Having a copy of your entire itinerary is a must. We were once traveling on a split itinerary (the domestic flights were on one itinerary and the international on the other). Our domestic flights were interrupted and the airline easily made the adjustment. However, since our overseas flights were on a separate itinerary, the domestic airline could not make downline changes to reflect the delay. We then had to call the overseas carrier to update our travel and had to pay a change fee. If we had a copy of both, this delay and cost could have been avoided.

Best Time To Purchase Tickets

• This is a very inexact endeavor. Today Airlines use computers that can analyze all kinds of data continuously and make adjustments to pricing, not just daily, but hourly. These program consider the history of a route, time of year, special events (graduations, sporting events, conventions, etc.), number of searches they have received for a given route (yes, the more times you search you are helping drive up the price) and number of seats sold or unsold. Therefore, the info below is helpful guidance, but not exact at all.
• Some say best time to book domestic flights is between 57 & 47 days before a flight
• Traditionally Tuesday was the best day to purchase tickets with Wednesday being second. But this too is no longer exact.
• Flights three to four weeks away may be cheaper but in the last few days, go way up. Airlines know those who purchase last minute tickets do so because they must travel and they must also pay for it. For international travelers, this can be problematic as at three weeks, there might not be enough seats for a team.
• Then there is the un-advertized special which can appear on any day at any time and who knows why. The airline goal is to drive traffic to their website continuously.
• So what does all this mean? I have no real idea because you are shooting at a moving target.