So how are the new USA airport regulations

My only real issue these days are my knee replacements. What a pain that is. If I see a body scanner I ask for it. It is faster.

Flying back home in Canada last Wednesday they asked me to take out my 7D2 with 100-400 II out of the bag and she asked of she could weigh it. I said sure and she just held it for a few seconds. That was a first. Once in a while they swab a bag for explosive compounds.

I only had one major issue about 10 years ago. I was travelling in Canada with a Think Tank Airport roller. The airlines have overhead bin weight restrictions. The guy working at check in recognized it was a camera bag and asked me to put in on the scale. It was overweight so I have to remove lenses in until it was under. I was putting them in my pockets and plastic bags.

After that I put them back in the bag. I get on the plane and the guy was a flight attendant as well. Couldn't get a break that day. That airline has since lifted those restrictions and the last time I chatted with them they said as long as you can get it up there by yourself. Don't bring gold lol. That is what she told me. I have not tested it yet.

I have flown a few American airlines that partner with Canadian ones when transferring and never had any issues.

In Europe, Easyjet (I mostly fly with them due to good connections between where I live and where I have to fly) and a few others restrict based on the size of the bag rather than weight - and as long as you can lift it yourself then you're good. I think they realised that with a standard size bag, unless you are planning on transporting stones or precious metals (or a butt-tun of books) ... and even then ... there's pretty much a limit to how much you can cram in there, and most people prefer to use their cases for clothes and other relatively lightweight items.

Recently they have been asking for all electronic items to be removed and separated at European airports though. I try and do what is asked to avoid any further hassle ... I find security an irksome experience but if I try and get it right first time and not have to repeat any of it. The soon I can move on then all the better. I haven't been asked to remove lenses from the camera bag as yet, but I asked once about cameras and was told to separate those so I did. My lenses are all pretty compact and so don't attract attention but maybe a larger telephoto would, who knows?

I normally arrive with plenty of time, take myself over to one side and sort my stuff out carefully before and after. I have to do it either way, and I don't mind losing a few places in the queue to do it in a way which bothers me personally as little as possible. I'm also not one for arguing with (generally low-wage) service employees who can't dictate their duties.

copmagnet82 wrote in post #18483563
Just got back from Europe and surprisingly the TSA people at Chicago O'Hare were very nice to me and didn't even have me open the bag.

That was not TSA, incoming at the border...you went thru Immigration, and then thru Customs, but not 'Security'.
TSA is OUTBOUND, not incoming.

Wilt wrote in post #18412272
Just announced, new security rules going into effect at at all US airports 'during the weeks and months ahead':

https://www.tsa.gov …omestic-security-measures

• Must take out 'all electronics larger than cellphone', and put them into a bin with nothing on top or below, and this includes personal electronic items such as laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles for screening
  
• There are no changes to what travelers can bring through the checkpoint
  
• The changes will not apply to those going thru TSA √ lines.
  

The above has already been in effect at ten trial sites around the country.

Well, either these procedures are being veeeerry slooooowly phased in, or they are ignoring them. I just flew domestic roundtrips in September and in October, and for none of the departures was there any need to remove electronics. And (not sure why) for 5 out of 6 departures my TSA-Precheck status was printed on my boarding pass, but it was NOT printed on my boarding pass for one of the flights, yet the Security process was IDENTICAL all six times.

[edit]Well, just two days ago they reported," for three airports around Washington DC, expect to take more items out of your bag during the screening process.
New enhanced screening measures, announced over the summer, are now being phased into security lines by the Transportation Security Administration."

Or it was people jumping to conclusions...nowhere did it state cameras would need to go separately

Yes, several of us in this thread have pointed out the 'pull our your cameras' was merely the Petapixel writer (wrongly) INFERRING what had not been explicity stated on a TSA website!

Wilt wrote in post #18484660
That was not TSA, incoming at the border...you went thru Immigration, and then thru Customs, but not 'Security'.
TSA is OUTBOUND, not incoming.

I should've been more precise; TSA at O'Hare was surprisingly nice to me when I was traveling to Europe.

What we have to live with is that all these procedures are evolutive and get adapted because security threats vary in both time and nature. The talk is now again on adding or strenghtening screening procedures for both luggage and passengers. In a few weeks time that might be gone again or get implemented. For us as passengers, this means there is not much point getting worried about this or that possible modification months ahead. I've decided to take it as it comes and check with the airline just shortly before flying.

I last flew over Memorial Day weekend (late May) of 2017. I brought with me a lot of equipment on a wildlife photography trip. I had two bodies, a 100-400L II, macro lens, wide-angle, and the monster Canon 800/5.6L. I just slid my backpack through screening without having to unzip anything. I see now things have changed.

I am VERY interested in TSA PreCheck. I really don't want to unzip and have to place in a separate bin all my lenses, holding up the line, garnering attention from others, risking unnecessary damage, etc. I know very little about this, however. How do I go about applying for this? I do not have a trip planned this year...YET. I do not mind paying a fee for this service to make my life easier and less stressful!

birder_herper wrote in post #18540529
I last flew over Memorial Day weekend (late May) of 2017. I brought with me a lot of equipment on a wildlife photography trip. I had two bodies, a 100-400L II, macro lens, wide-angle, and the monster Canon 800/5.6L. I just slid my backpack through screening without having to unzip anything. I see now things have changed.

I am VERY interested in TSA PreCheck. I really don't want to unzip and have to place in a separate bin all my lenses, holding up the line, garnering attention from others, risking unnecessary damage, etc. I know very little about this, however. How do I go about applying for this? I do not have a trip planned this year...YET. I do not mind paying a fee for this service to make my life easier and less stressful!

No change as of the middle of last month, last time I flew commercial and had to use the TSA.

Depending on your frequent-flyer program, you may be able to use miles instead of paying the $85 (for 5 years)- start the process with your FF program.
Otherwise: https://www.tsa.gov/pr​echeck

You will need to get a personal interview; that shouldn't be a problem in Cleveland, OH. More rural places, one needs to drive to a large city for the interview.

You will need to sign up with the airline's FF program and tell them your TN number since the TSA doesn't send that number out.

Note that you will not always get the Pre on your boarding pass. For some reason, for several trips last year, I had to use the "regular" line, and that is their call. They can still have you do anything, including a pat-down, or completely empty your bags, that they do now. It only works in the USA (as one would expect). So you might pay their fee, and still have to go through the annoyance that you do now. If they don't recognize that there is a lens in your bag, they will pull it out and scan it again (it's happened to me).

I am enrolled in it, being that I do travel a lot- 7 countries, and at least 7 domestic trips that I could remember last year. Most of my posts are from pictures from those trips. It's your money, but I wouldn't bother as an occasional traveler.

EDIT: I was screened through SFO (San Francisco) my last flight. The TSA sometimes does different things at different airports.

I flew last week to and from Albuquerque from Raleigh with 3 bodies, a 500 mm F4 I, 100-400 II, 24-70 II and lots of batteries, cards, cables, ball head and gimbal mount in my carry on for a wildlife trip to Bosque del Apache. No issues at all, however I should note that I do have TSA pre-check. I tend to agree with Nordly, take it as it comes. As much of an inconvenience as it can be, unfortunately we only have two choices as it see it; comply or don't fly. I'd rather drive, but adding three days out and three days back (reasonable drive for someone very close to 60) is not overly appealing to me either.

There may come a time where the restrictions/regulatio​ns/procedures/inconven​ience reach a tipping point, but I don't think we're there yet. TSA procedures my be trumped by the airlines increasing airfares, diminishing service and shrinking seats.