TopDawg Travel

Posts Tagged ‘security’

Princess Cruises offers travel agents a rigorous training program to familiarize them with all the aspects of selling their cruises to the consumer/cruiser.  This program consists of 25 classes, each taken online with a quiz at the end of each class and an extensive final exam before graduation….read more

Yesterday afternoon officials at SEATAC airport received the anticipated numbers for the holiday traffic coming through the airport.  In speaking with Perry Cooper, Airport Media Officer, he reported that the numbers for the Thanksgiving holiday are in line with last year’s statistics.  The busiest day of the holiday will be on November 29th, Sunday with an estimated 94,000 passengers passing through the facility.  The next busiest days will be Wednesday, November 25th and Monday, November 30th, estimated at 92,000 passengers each day.  While the airport will increase the number of personnel to assist passengers, in the stores, security checkpoints and customer service representatives, the airport is more than ready to cope with the numbers of people passing through it.   Read more… Port of Seattle not concerned about Orbitz Insider reporting SEATAC no. 10 busiest during holidays

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As the holidays are upon travelers, there are things to be aware of when flying that can help ease the frustration and pain of airline travel.  Seattle Travel Industry Examiner has compiled a few points to help you get through the holidays with ease and tranquility.  However, these tips are only for the traveling time.  You have to figure out for yourself how to get along with the family once you have arrived at your destination.  Read more…. Travel 101: Tips for easing holiday travel when passing through airport security checkpoints

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For what it is worth, this is my opinion of the CPB/DHS & electronics conundrum, along with some (hopefully) good ideas to be implemented: 

For several months now I have been reading about the crisis of international travel and re-entry into the good ole’ US of A with electronics in hand.  I have several clients who regularly travel internationally.  As their travel consultant I try to read up on, be informed and forewarn them of issues and events.  One of the most worrisome is that of having your computer, ipod, cell-phone, camera, blackberry or any other electronic method of carrying data being perused, rifled and even confiscated – sometimes to never be seen again.  Recently there was a an article that I “dugg” earlier this weekend and posted yesterday about this issue and some very good advice offered.  If you consider yourself a “regular” person, with no particular interests that could be thought of as deviant or political or any other classification that DHS &CPB would consider interesting, you probably think it will never happen to you; that it happens to people who “deserve” to be scrutinized; and/or people who may be ethnically, politically or religiously different than you are.  What this and other articles I have read emphasizes is that this is actually “non-discrimatory”.  It can happen to anyone who travels internationally, re-enters their home country, and is carrying a piece of electronics with them.  

So I offer this opinion and information as a means of helping our country remain safe from terrorism while protecting travelers from distress, loss of personal or privileged information and to protect against potential opportunity for identity theft, and/or, at the least, loss of valuable property.  Yes, sometimes they take a computer or other electronics.  You never get to see it again and have no financial remuneration for it.  You may also have lost the only copy of everything you have on that device.

#1:  Before you travel, back up everything on your device. Depending on the size of your memory device, you may need to purchase a portable hard drive and back up, back up, back up.  What the heck, you should be doing that anyway in case your device dies an unexpected death.  You would not want to lose that novel you have been working on for the past 10years, now would you?  Or last year’s tax return you did not print a copy of for your files?

#2:  You travel a lot and you travel internationally occasionally.  You might want to think about getting some online storage space for your truly valuable, potentially confidential, potentially damaging information.  It may seem scary to put it on a server, no matter how secure the owner says it is, and to access it through a secure connection over the internet.  But that is not as scary as having unscrupulous people rifling through the information or having it become public without your permission.

#3:  Do not carry any electronics with you and become a person who uses some of the oldest tools around – a pencil and paper. 

Mostly, just think about what personal (and otherwise) information is contained on the electronic devices you carry on your person.  Use discretion, no matter where you travel:  on the streets of your hometown, across our nation, or around the world.