Dim question about airport security

[Needadviceagain]

I haven't flown for many years other than a couple of domestic, work things which literally needed no packing as it was there and back in a day.

At security, what do I need to put in the tray separate to other things? Obviously liquids but I'm confused about electronics. We will have straighteners, earbuds, electric shaver, electric toothbrush, power bank, 2 vape batteries and a few ipads. Do these all need presented separately? Or are they fine as long as its all hand luggage? I tried looking online but it was a but vague. Just want to make it smooth as possible without having to fish around for toothbrushes and earbuds.

If it makes any difference, I'm flying from Bristol.

The IATA rules ( from which the airlines derive their possibly more restrictive in-house rules -

"e-cigarettes (including e-cigars, e-pipes, other personal vaporizers) containing batteries must be individually protected to prevent accidental activation"

They must NOT be carried in the hold - so on person or hand baggage only...you'd need to check the specific airline T&Cs to see if they have something more restrictive.

www.iata.org/contentassets/6fea26dd84d24b26a7a1fd5788561d6e/dgr-63-en-2.3.a.pdf

Make sure the kids aren't wearing slap bands. We flew from Newcastle recently and DD kept setting off the scanner, the hand wand thing and then the body scanner. The lady at security couldn't work it out and then I suddenly realised that she had a slap band that changes colours when you run your hand over it. It must have had metallic elements in in. Once that came off and went through the scanner it was fine.

FWIW the basic idea behind the electronics/batteries/e-cigs rules is you don't want consumer items that can go bang, can easily start a fire or can burn well hidden away in the hold, or sometimes even on board a passenger aircraft at all.

So something like an (inert) battery charger, leads, adaptors, plugs, mains travel irons, etc, are generally OK in a suitcase in the hold.

Gas cylinders (e.g. on hair curlers) not so much OK, so there are restrictions on those.

Batteries these days are even more trickier... the real danger is them being in a position to short circuit and/or them being high capacity because they contain lots of energy...

So you'll see see IATA and often individual operators being OK with small capacity batteries in the hold, especially if they are built into the device they power and the device is protected from being turned on.

OTOH there are usually more stringent precautions on bigger batteries and/or spare batteries being carried loose.

IATA set the global rules, the airlines can choose to set their own tighter regs.

The bible for this, or at least the short hand version, is the pdf I've been linking to, link again below. The airline T&Cs/websites usually carry the operators bespoke version in an easier to read format.

www.iata.org/contentassets/6fea26dd84d24b26a7a1fd5788561d6e/dgr-63-en-2.3.a.pdf

HTH

@MayISuggestSomeThickCutSteakChipsToGoWithThat
i posted a brief set of what can be carried where. No e cigs in the hold.

Batteries need to be checked against what is allowed and whether lithium or not. Battery powered razors can go in the hold. I think when people don’t take hold luggage it’s a big nuisance regarding getting out all the stuff into trays. iPads and phones and computers are often required to be separated into a different tray too. No wonder there are queues!

This. There are posters and video screens visible in the queue and numerous staff shouting 'ipads, tablets, kindles, laptops out' on repeat, plus the same about liquids.

Expect to pull many things out of your hand luggage at security so don't worry about it being packed tidily as you'll have to redo pretty much all of it when you're through.

@TizerorFizz @notimagain Thank you

I'm a frequent flyer and it took me far too long to think to do this: put everything that needs to be taken out of hand luggage in a carrier bag at the top of your carry on bag, it makes it sooooo much easier when you are putting stuff in the trays and you don't overlook anything. Anything you're not sure about, put in the carrier and the staff will advise you.
Someone above said phones should be separated - I've never been asked to do that, usually anything kindle/tablet size or bigger. Empty water bottles definitely should go in the tray, and liquids obviously..
Be sure you follow the rules re liquids - not being patronising, but every flight, there are people having liquids taken off them, either because the items are too big, the bag is too big or they have more than one liquid bag. It holds everyone up and they lose their toiletries.
Also decant anything 'unusual' - I had my bag pulled once, turned out it was a double socket adapter, apparently they couldn't work out what it was!

That's a great idea about bagging up all your stuff that will need to come out for security @RockingMyFiftiesNot, I'm going to steal that.

As I said, there is no point making sure your cabin bag is nicely packed at home, because a lot of it has to come out for the search, and if your bag is selected for the second screening, the security staff will rummage through it anyway.

Be sure you follow the rules re liquids - not being patronising, but every flight, there are people having liquids taken off them, either because the items are too big, the bag is too big or they have more than one liquid bag. It holds everyone up and they lose their toiletries

YY to this. Last but one time I flew from Manchester, we were in the queue for about half an hour aside multiple posters with instructions, plus the aforementioned staff repeatedly shouting instructions, so you'd have to be away with the fairies to not know what to do.

My (compliant, all toiletries separated and the correct size, kindle and phone out etc) bag was pulled aside for the second search and while I was waiting for it to be released, I watched multiple people who's bags had contained full size toiletries, hair dryers, straighteners, tablets, laptops, large cameras etc etc. Infuriating.

When it was finally my turn, the reason I was given for my (special multipocket designed for travel Samsonite rucksack) bag being pulled aside was that it had too many zips .

Anything with a plug attached normally has to come out.
Electric toothbrushes had to come out last time we took one.
Larger devices such as iPads and Kindles.
Larger cameras, including lenses, come out too.
I took out a wallet thing we use for storing all plugs and charging wires as that can be flagged too.

Last couple of times or so we've flown they've told us to leave phones in bags and not asked us to remove apple watches, etc.

Though airports do seem to vary in what they want, though are supposed to e]be the same, in the Uk at least. But they aren't!

Try to avoid getting your bag sent for a second scan - so double check liquids and electricals. The delay for the secondary bag checking in Manchester recently was 1+ hour, after an already long security queue.

@BarbaraofSeville i am usually such a practical person, I can't believe it took be 100s of flights to think about it, and then only because there happened to be a carrier bag on the bed next to the stuff I needed to put on top of my hand luggage. Light bulb moment! But I'd never seen anyone else do it otherwise it would have clicked sooner. So much easier, especially if you have a jacket/belt to remove at the same time.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot I fly at least four times a month and this has NEVER occurred to me. Absolutely genius!

They will tell you when you arrive. My experience is anything with a microchip should be on display separately.

Cameras really don’t come out! DH has a specific camera bag that’s big. Only taken cameras out once. In Norway. Never in Uk. Although if you pack loads of batteries they might look at them. See posts above.

Absolutely pack stuff you need to get out near the top. Throw water bottles away! Don’t hold everyone up. Use their plastic bags.

No one shouting at T5 Heathrow recently! People tend to get the gist fairly quickly and more business travellers I guess. I’m glad we were not stuck behind people with an electronics shop for hand luggage!

@Abraxan

Though airports do seem to vary in what they want, though are supposed to e]be the same, in the Uk at least.

No they are not (see previous comments), local variation is allowed.

Throw water bottles away!

You really don't need to do that. Just make sire they are empty and put them in the tray not your bag. Then you can refill it once through security.

Or take one you can use all trip - empty. Loads of people forget they have them so by the time they are queuing up, they don’t have any option about what to do.

Manchester airport had me take my camera out in Heathrow earlier this year, as did Manchester in February. Had to remove it from the camera bag.

@Abraxan

Manchester airport had me take my camera out in Heathrow earlier this year, as did Manchester in February. Had to remove it from the camera bag.

Putting it politely Manchester security are (or at least for years were) notorious amongst frequent flyers for being particularly picky when it comes to screening so that doesn't surprise me.

OTOH I've been through Heathrow more than a few times with a fairly hefty digital SLR and lenses in a camera bag and rarely if ever have had to remove them from the bag ...maybe the rules have changed recently or what you experienced was one of those variations, and it is one of those "it depends", on the day thing.

Overall in the context of the thread I really don't think it's possible to come up with a definitive list for the OP (or anybody else for that matter ) that tells them what will or will not be needed to be taken out of baggage at screening, though I guess emptying everything out into trays would work but would be highly highly unpopular.

I say that because I used to go through screening multiple times a year in association with work, a lot of the time as a passenger, some times when on duty, and based on those experiences the only thing I'd say was predicable was the need for liquids ( in a bag etc etc) to come out, plus laptops and sometimes iPads.... the rest was always variable, dependent on airport and other things.

My standard packing was liquids bag and Iaptop/iPad at the top of the carry-on case so they'd come out straight away at screening, no prompt required and have chargers, leads, cameras etc handy next layer down, so they were etc ready to go if needed....

As others have said ultimately though it's read the signs on the approach to screening on the day and listen for any instructions you are given by staff.

We went to Canada from T5 Heathrow in June. Cameras stayed in dedicated travel bag. Never used Manchester! The list I attached earlier doesn’t mention cameras at all. But they might look at spare batteries?