Traveler's Aid: Rudy Answers Listeners' Burning Travel Questions (3/8/2002)

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This week, our Travel-Expert-in-Residence Rudy Maxa answers listeners' questions.

--Here's one: A listener e-mail...

Dear Savvy Traveler:

Now that airports are cranking up the intensity on security scanners, should I be worried about my film?

Rudy: Don't put film in your checked luggage. Put it in your carry-on. To be on the safe side, have security check it by hand. They can't make you put it on the conveyor. Digital cameras will not be affected by screening.

--Other listener questions Rudy answers ...

• I'm taking my 5-year-old daughter to Phoenix. The airline says all passengers must have a government-issued ID. Where do I get an ID for a 5-year-old?
• I just found a great package deal to Jamaica online. Seems too good to be true. How can I tell if this is a reputable company?
• Who is the rightful owner of the middle armrest on planes?

--Diana even chimes in to ask Rudy if there really are more security breaches these days. Since Sept. 11th, it seems like every week another terminal is evacuated because someone bolted through a checkpoint, or security personnel forgot to plug in the metal detector. So is that it, or are we just paying closer attention?

--Rudy then discusses airport security breaches:

• Dozens of security breaches occur every day at the nation's 429 airports.
• Shutting down concourses has become more commonplace since Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta announced a "zero-tolerance" policy.
• Mineta has vowed to find ways to "compartmentalize" -- to limit massive evacuations over minor breaches.
• The government is hiring 30,000 new screeners, which means we'll have a more highly trained security force.

Savvy Resources: Is your tour operator reliable and financially stable? One indication that you're probably dealing with a reputable company is membership in industry associations. Find out whether the operator belongs to ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents: http://www.astanet.com/travel/top.asp