Newsletter

AIRPORT TIPS & CARRY-ON INFORMATION

Did you know you can check the wait times at Canadian Airports across the country?  CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority) encourages all passengers to arrive at their departing airport well in advance of their flight. Many airlines advise passengers to arrive two hours in advance for domestic flights and three hours in advance for US and international flights.  

How are wait times calculated?

Wait times for queues at security screening are calculated through the scanning of boarding passes when you enter the beginning of the queue; and once again before you begin your individual screening process.

CLICK HERE  Select a city from the list on right hand side of the page and see how long your current wait time might be.  The content is refreshed every 2 minutes!

Reminder for Carry-On Liquids

Containers of liquids, non-solid food and personal items in your carry-on must be 100 ml/100 g (3.4 oz) or less. All containers must fit in one clear, resealable plastic bag no more than 1L in capacity. The bag must be transparent so screening officers can easily see the contents.

Each passenger is allowed a single 1 L bag containing liquids, food and personal items. The approximate dimensions of a 1L bag are 15.24 cm by 22.86 cm (6 in. by 9 in.) or 20 cm by 17.5 cm (8 in. by 7 in.).

At the screening point, take your plastic bag out of your carry-on and place it in a bin.  Any containers over 100 ml/100 g (3.4 oz) can be placed in your checked baggage as long as they are not prohibited items. 

Avoid packing gifts and souvenirs containing liquids, aerosols and gels in your carry-on. These include: liquor, wine, beer, snowglobes, cans of condensed soup, maple syrup, perfume, and lotion. Put them in checked baggage or ship them separately.  For more information

Note: Prescription medications and essential non-prescription medications are exempted from the 100 ml or 100 g (3.4 oz) limit and do not have to be placed in a plastic bag. However, we recommend that these items be properly labeled (manufacturer's name or pharmaceutical label identifying the medication).

Why You Shouldn't Use Public Charging Stations At The Airport

Public charging stations have popped up in airport terminals in recent years and they might feel beneficial if your device needs to juice up before your flight. But now, the FBI is warning travellers against using them all together due to cybersecurity concerns.

“Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices,” states the FBI’s warning, which went out on Twitter in early April.

This cyber-theft tactic is commonly called “juice jacking,” according to privacy expert Amir Tarighat, CEO of cybersecurity firm Agency. It involves “concealing implanted malware within the physical charging cord or port, so when you connect your phone to a public charging station it’s exposed,” he says.

If an airport charging station is compromised and your device is infected, troves of personal information could be accessed. “Your passwords, your cards, your account number—if a hacker can get into your phone, they could get access to all of it,” Tarighat says. 

Beyond simply stealing your data, malware presents a more complex scope of concerns, according to Tarighat, like installing spyware that can instruct the device to do something like download an app, pay for a product, screen record, or track what you type on your keyboard (a type of spyware called key-logging).

Of course, we all need to charge our devices while in transit. But it’s best to use your own USB cord plugged directly into an old fashioned wall outlet or even into a portable charger you brought from home. Public charging ports should be avoided outside the airport, too, whether they’re in hotels, event spaces, or on the street corner. Cyber-attacks could happen at any of them, regardless of their location.

Aside from the public charging stations, there are other ways hackers can access the personal information on your device from the airport terminal. “Definitely avoid public Wi-Fi hotspots,” says Tarighat. “Those networks don't have the same protections as your at-home Wi-Fi. If the public network isn’t secure, hackers can hijack your session and log in as you, leaving your private documents, photos, and login credentials up for grabs.” 

Being as vigilant in airports about your devices and data as you are with your luggage, passport, and other personal belongings, can save a lot of stress down the road.

*published in Conde Nast Traveler (April 2023)