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The Travel Troubleshooter · October 3, 2001

Q: I just flew from New York to Barbados on American Airlines last Saturday and returned Sunday. I'm concerned about the safety measures. Anyone can walk into the terminal. Nobody checked tickets or identification. At check-in, there's wasn't one question-even the old basic ones like, "Who packed your bags?" or "Where have they been?" I was given a boarding pass and told to proceed through security to the gate. At security, I was asked only for the boarding pass. Not one bag was searched-everything just went through the X-ray. At the gate, no ID was required, just a boarding pass. I thought they were going to take more security precautions after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. What happened?

-- Joyce Metz

A: The commercial aviation industry isn't keen on turning every airport into a military airfield after the terrorist attacks, and with good reason. The additional security measures would be costly in two ways-first, they'd significantly increase the airline's expenses. And second, they'd drive away passengers who would be set off by lengthy check-in procedures.

In an ideal world, every flight would be as safe as those operated by El Al, Israel's national carrier. At Tel Aviv, incoming cars are checked by armed, uniformed guards. The airport is patrolled by uniformed and plainclothes police. If you're not holding a ticket you're not allowed on the airport concourse.

Check-in times are twice the norm for international flights-four hours-to allow passengers to pass through El Al's rigorous screening process. Every piece of luggage is inspected, scanned, and sent through a depressurization chamber to ensure that no explosives make the trip. Passengers are quizzed multiple times about everything from their business to who packed their bags. Nothing is left to chance.

The airline doesn't let its guard down once the flight has boarded. Flight attendants often watch travelers stowing bags in the overhead compartments to ensure that the right luggage is above the passenger to whom it belongs. Each flight also carries at least two plainclothes air marshals armed with subsonic firearms that won't pierce the aircraft hull if they're used. After landing, passengers often pass through another metal detector just to be sure they haven't picked something up on the trip over.

Of course, this isn't an ideal world. In the U.S., airlines are responsible for security. And like any business, they try to get the most for the least. That includes hiring minimum-wage security guards to search your luggage and check your boarding pass. In the end, despite all the training and promises made by the private security firms working for the carriers, the airlines are getting what they pay for.

I experienced the same thing that you did last week, for what it's worth. I flew from Miami to Norfolk, VA, on Delta, and I wasn't searched or even asked any of the standard questions. The security guards seemed dazed and indifferent. I passed through security with a razor, two pairs of nail clippers, and two pairs of tweezers-all considered forbidden under the new security regime. My total check-in time in Miami was ten minutes; on my return in Norfolk, I made it from check-in to my gate in less than three minutes.

Do I understand the reason for the lax security? Absolutely.

Will there be a repeat of September 11? Unless the federal government and the aviation industry start take security seriously, there's no question about it.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. ChrisCrossings appears weekly on this site.