What We've Learned

Five years after 9/11, travel is tougher than ever. Here are 46 ways to cope.

(Mark Shaver - Ftwp)

By now, most travelers are wise to the realities of post-9/11 travel. We go barefoot through security checkpoints, are learning to live without such frivolities as toothpaste and shampoo, and arrive at the airport before the Starbucks opens. We've got the drill down pat.

Or do we? Did you know that packing books or chocolate in your checked luggage increases its chances of being singled out and opened by screeners? Or that it's a good idea to e-mail a copy of your itinerary to yourself before you set out?

In these days of canceled and delayed flights, stricter security restrictions and heightened awareness, it's more important than ever to be your own best advocate and increase the odds of making your trip go as smoothly as possible. Here are 46 post-9/11 survival tips the Travel section staff has learned over the past five years as we've made our way through the world's airports, train depots, bus stations, hotels and highways.

Got a survival tip of your own to share? Send it to http://travel@www.washpost.com/ . We'll publish the best in a future issue.

Pre-Trip Prep

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· Sign up with your airline to be automatically notified of flight time changes, cancellations and gate changes. Most airlines will send text or voice messages to your cell phone or PDA. But . . .

· Don't depend on the airline to keep you informed. Before going to the airport, check the airline's Web site for changes in the flight's departure time , or call and talk to an agent about probable flight delays. If it is hours long or the plane is stuck in another city, try to change the flight to the next morning (this happens a lot with thunderstorms).

· Make sure someone you know has a copy or knowledge of your travel plans, especially your flight and hotel information.

· Ask your doctors for spare prescriptions for regular medications, and take them along; you never know when you'll get stranded.

· Preprint your boarding pass 24 hours before your flight if your airline allows it. It will get you through the check-in line quicker and, if you're not checking luggage, will allow you to go directly to the gate.

· Washington area airport Web sites publish flight schedules online ( http://www.mwaa.com/ and http://www.bwiairport.com/ ). Print out the listings for your destination and carry it with you. Then, if your flight is canceled, you can tell the reservationist which alternative flight works best for you. (This strategy works only with legacy airlines who have mutual agreements; it doesn't work with some indie airlines.)

· Crowded flights mean it's more important than ever to know your rights. Check your airline's Web site for its "contract of carriage," or find links to them at sites like Consumer Travel Rights Center ( http://www.mytravelrights.com/ ) or OneTravel ( http://www.onetravel.com)/ . Familiarize yourself with the rules and print a copy to take to the airport, since ticket agents don't always know their airline's policies. In brief, federal law requires all airlines to pay you from $200 to $400 if you are involuntarily bumped, depending on circumstances outlined in each contract. Airlines have varied policies for other circumstances, like canceled flights, that cause delays.

· To determine when to leave for the airport , check with your airline for the recommended time -- generally two hours before a domestic flight and three hours for an international flight, but certain airlines and airports have significant exceptions. Then check the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Web site ( http://www.tsa.gov/ ) to determine average waits at security lines, and add that to the airline's estimate.