New airport technology deters terrorists by mind-reading-09 March, 2010

"So when can airport security personnel begin to read the minds of would-be terrorists? Perhaps in the near future.


An Israeli company, WeCu Technologies claims to have devised a method to identify airline passengers with evil intentions by reading the reactions of passengers to certain “stimuli.”


In the system being tested in Israel, projectors at airport terminals flash different images associated with a certain terrorist group or symbols that only a would-be terrorist would recognize.


The assumption is that people cannot hide their reactions to certain images, just as anyone might react to a photo of a close relative suddenly appearing on a wall.


The technology uses hidden cameras aimed at the passing face to capture and analyze even the most subtle reactions. Even an averted glance or a slight increase in heart rate could signal a passenger's intentions.


If the cameras pick up suspicious looks or movement, the passenger can be pulled aside for further screening.


'One-by-one you can screen out from the flow of people those with specific malicious intent,' WeCu Chief Executive Ehud Given told the AP."

Everything You Need to Know About Airport Security: A Primer for 2010

On its website, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says, "At this time, security checkpoint requirements for passengers departing U.S. airports remain the same. Passengers do not need to do anything differently, but they may notice additional security measures at the airport. TSA's checkpoint security screening procedures for persons with disabilities and medical conditions have not changed. TSA permits prescription liquid medications and other liquids needed by persons with disabilities and medical conditions."

The contradiction in this paragraph is at the heart of travelers' questions about airport security. Requirements "remain the same," but passengers may notice "additional security measures." What does this mean in practical terms?

Basically, travelers can bring the same things they could before the Christmas bombing attack, but their bags, particularly carry-ons, will receive much more scrutiny. In a recent New York Times article, Michelle Higgins outlines several clever ways to minimize the extra attention our luggage will inevitably receive. Tips include placing any potentially suspicious-looking items, such as a bar of soap (yes, a bar of soap), near the top of your bag, or using special laptop bags which permit unobstructed X-rays of the laptop. It's also important as ever to know the rules, especially when it comes to liquids.

This extra scrutiny can also extend to your person, in the form of pat-downs. The TSA is continuing its procedure of screening passengers wearing certain types of clothes, saying "passengers wearing loose fitting or bulky clothing—including headwear—may be subject to additional screening. In instances where passengers choose not to remove bulky clothing, including headwear, our officers are trained to offer a private screening area and may conduct a pat down search to clear the individual."

Higgins echoes that last point, saying, "Under TSA regulations, travelers may request a private area for a pat down, which could be a separate room or an area out of the view of the general public. You can also ask for a security officer of the same sex, though you may have to wait if one is not immediately available."

New Technology

Of course, "additional security measures" don't merely include bag searches and pat downs. Shortly after the Christmas attack, the Department of Homeland Security ordered 300 whole-body imaging scanners to be deployed throughout the country in 2010. And the president's proposed budget for 2011 requests $734 million to fund the deployment of 1,000 more scanners.

Bottom line: Get ready to be scanned.

The effectiveness of these scanners is far from certain, and though they have been largely accepted by the public as a necessary aspect of airport security, serious privacy issues remain.

International Travel

One of the TSA's most controversial moves following the Christmas attack was to identify 14 nations it considers "state sponsors of terrorism" or simply "countries of interest," and subject travelers from or passing through those countries to enhanced screening.

The fourteen nations are Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Fortunately, American citizens, even those traveling through one of the countries, should not automatically face this enhanced screening, which can include full-body pat downs, thorough bag searches, and body scanners. But any traveler exhibiting certain behavior or whose baggage appears to contain suspicious items can be selected for additional screening.

Oh, Canada

In early January, carry-ons were banned for travel from the U.S. to Canada, causing more than a bit of concern, especially with the Olympics on the horizon. But few weeks later, the rules were eased, allowing passengers to bring one carry-on bag, though not without a long list of rules and exceptions.

Other Carry-On Restrictions

For some unknown yet supposedly security-related reason, American Airlines is only allowing one carry-on for some flights from Europe, as opposed to the traditional allowance of one carry-on and one personal item. Frequent fliers and first- or business-class travelers can still bring that additional personal item. The destinations affected are Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Paris, Rome, and Zurich.

American says the restrictions will be in place "until further notice," so travelers should check the airline website before flying to any of the listed destinations.

Secure Flight

Secure Flight is the TSA's new program of collecting passengers' birthdates and gender, in addition to names, during the booking process. The TSA claims this allows for more accurate matching of names on the no-fly and watchlists, and should cut down on the instances of misidentification that have plagued the process for years.

Since August, the TSA has been phasing in this program airline by airline. American was among the first airlines to begin collecting this additional data, and domestic implementation is expected to be complete early this year, with international implementation not too far behind.

Global Entry

Part of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's (CBP) Trusted Traveler program, Global Entry allows verified U.S. citizens to bypass passport control at about two dozen major airports across the country. Global Entry was launched as a test pilot program last June, and made permanent late last year. CBP describes the program as such:

"The process requires participants to present their machine-readable U.S. passport or permanent resident card, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, and make a customs declaration at the kiosk's touch-screen. Upon successful completion of the Global Entry process at the kiosk, the traveler is issued a transaction receipt and directed to baggage claim and the exit, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral."

Citizens must apply to the program and pay a $100 non-refundable fee, and there's no guarantee that all applicants will be accepted. But for frequent international travelers, the benefit of skipping long lines at customs may be well worth the hassle and expense.

Stay Tuned ...

The catch to all of this is that while circumstances certainly have "settled," the airport security measures outlined here could change at any time, especially if there's an incident. Travelers should pay close attention to the news, and double-check the rules and restrictions for specific destinations and airlines before traveling. And again, we will be updating this document as new information comes out.

Lowdown on the naked airline scan-03 November, 2009

With a new x-ray scanner, passengers will not have to remove shoes and belts. No “stick-em-up” hands in the air, either.

Scanners sit in remote locations. It’ll be rolled out by selected US airports over next year.

A Lonely Planet reporter tested the system at Manchester Airport and concluded:
“It’s hard to see much wrong with it.”

He stood in an open-sided metal box with hands on his head for the procedure. Guards at a distance analyze the resulting pictures. But it does open up a passenger’s body to view (at least of the guard).

”But technology sometimes comes at a price and, to some, this may be a step too far, “ says the reporter,” Tom Hall.

“However, anything that gets me through security quicker, allowing more time for browsing geektastic airplane magazines and trying on duty-free sunglasses is a good thing,” Hall concludes.

Bangkok orders crackdown on airport gangs -23 July, 2009

BANGKOK - A major police crackdown on illegal taxis and unlicensed guides is to start next week at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, the Airports of Thailand has warned. The move came after Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum made an inspection trip to the airport and ordered the AoT to step up measures to prevent extortion gangs preying on international air passengers. The Bangkok Post reports that organised gangs are allegedly operating from duty-free shops, and are “cheating tens of thousands of baht from foreign tourists”. The reports claim that the gangs, apparently operating in collusion with shop employees and rogue policemen, intimidate and browbeat accused foreign shoplifters and thieves into paying large "fines" in order to escape lengthy incarceration and trial and return to their own countries. At least one European country has warned its citizens not to shop in the duty-free area of Suvarnabhumi at all, and the alleged cheating has been featured in reports by the BBC, among others. The duty-free scams are in addition to the longtime Bangkok airport problems of so-called "black-licence taxis" which have no authorisation to carry passengers, and airport touts who try to steer arriving tourists to unwanted hotels and shady businesses. One British couple, accused of shoplifting but released after five days without charges being laid, are currently at the centre of bribery accusations involving airport police.

Getting a good night’s sleep at the airport-21 July, 2009

Getting a good night’s sleep at the airport Anyone who has the misfortune of sleeping at an airport will want to know this: There’s no rest at Paris Charles de Gaulle but you can get a good nights’ sleep at Singapore’s Changi.

So says a survey that rated the world’s ten worst and best airports to get a decent night’s sleep.
“Dirty floors, filthy, overcrowded bathrooms, bird poo and biting insects were among the biggest complaints of the 6,200 travelers who took part in the poll, by travel web site The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” said Reuters.

Charles de Gaulle was voted the absolute worst, followed by Sheremetyevo in Moscow, which one passenger called "hell on earth."

In the third and fourth spots were New York's JFK and Los Angeles' LAX, while India's Delhi airport rounded off the top five worst airports.

On the other hand, Singapore's Changi was rated the cleanest and most comfortable airport to sleep in, followed by Seoul's Incheon and Amsterdam's Schiphol.

Oslo's Gardermoen and Hong Kong airport rounded off the top five best airports, which the site said travelers loved for the amenities, friendly staff and comfortable seating.

"Sleeping in airports is no longer just for the young budget traveler looking to save a few bucks," said the web site, which was founded by Canadian former travel agent and expert budget traveler Donna McSherry in 1996. It added:

"People of all ages and vocations can now be seen stretched out on airport floors all around the world, whether they are there because of a long transit, flight delay or voluntarily to save money."

Vietnam will issue tourist visas ‘on arrival’

Vietnam will soon begin issuing tourist visas to foreign travelers when they arrive at airports and border crossings.

The head of the travel department of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Vu The Binh, told reporters that the move is intended to boost the nation’s attractiveness to foreign visitors. He predicted that the plan will be implemented “in the coming months,” once the Customs Department adapts its information technology system to accommodate the new system. VNAT and other concerned departments will develop the procedures.

At present, visas are issued on arrival only in exceptional cases, when foreign visitors have hired local travel companies to complete visa procedures before flying to Vietnam. Many Vietnamese tourism firms are asking that visitors be spared from this job and be issued a visa upon arrival, as in Thailand and Cambodia.

This month, the Government has agreed to charge no visa fees on foreigners who enter the country under the national tourism promotion ‘Impressive Vietnam” program’ until September 30 or until the end of this promotion.

Binh said that the national tourism department would decide when to end the program based on results. Tour operators have praised the exemption of visa fees, saying that the tourism authority needs to continue this policy for the long term in order to attract international visitors.

“This is a good rule but needs to run for a long time, six months to a year, to attract guests because foreign tourists need time to prepare for their trip to Vietnam,” said Nguyen Viet Hung, general director of Fiditourist.

Bui Viet Thuy Tien, director of Asian Trails Co. Ltd., said that the national tourism agency should advertise the new policies because many international tourists do not know that they it is possible to receive a visa at entry points or from which website they can download visa applications.

Tran Xuan Hung, director of Viking Travel and Media Company, said that the new policies ought to be continued, and that along with the promotion program it would help the country’s tourism to promote its image to the world.

“We hope that it’s a first step for the country’s tourism to help foreign tourists,” Hung said.

Many local hotels behind the times

Only 30% of three to five star hotels in the country are equipped with global booking and web-based booking technology and only 8% of them use online marketing solutions, according to a survey conducted by a hotel marketing organization.

The survey found that 30% of tourists booked hotels via websites last year and another 30% booked rooms at travel agencies after reading online information. As a result, around 70% of Vietnamese hotels have lost opportunities to serve international travelers, Nam said at a seminar on comprehensive solutions for Vietnam’s hotels and resorts in Hanoi last week.

If hotels are not equipped with comprehensive facilities and services, Vietnam cannot keep foreign visitors long in the country, Nam added.

Phan Duc Man, vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said that Vietnam’s hotels and resorts are insufficient in infrastructure development and competitiveness compared to other countries. Meanwhile, the number of foreign visitors has increased by 15% annually over the past five years.

Foreign experts suggested Vietnam push up comprehensive hotel management solutions to reach professional development and potential customers. Technologies, online marketing and multimedia services will help hotels build up brands, save workforces and improve management.

Vietnam has over 8,500 lodging facilities with around 180,000 rooms. However, only 260 of these facilities have been classified from three to five stars, according to the latest statistics of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

VietNamNet/SGT

VietNamNet - Vietnam will issue tourist visas ‘on arrival’