With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s following right behind it, more people than ever will be flying in the upcoming weeks. That means only one thing. Holiday travelers will soon be taking over the airports. It won’t be pretty. Long lines will form at security, the kind made even longer by passengers who have yet to master the techniques needed to pass through airport security swiftly and smoothly. That’s why it’s so important to get to the airport early.

As a working flight attendant I’m able to flash my crew ID and bypass the line – one of the few remaining perks of working for an airline. Hey, don’t get mad at me. Because the last time a passenger threw a fit, pushing me out of the way while screaming about his flight that was about to depart in five minutes, he not only wound up on my flight, forty five mintues later, but on my side of the business class cabin. It was an awkward flight for both of us.

When I’m not traveling in uniform, I always pick the line that has the most business travelers in it, regardless of how long it may be. Frequent fliers know the drill. They’re quick, they’re fast, and they’re always ready to go. As the mother of a three year-old, I know what’s it’s like traveling with kids. It ain’t easy. But by the time the family of four realizes that the stroller needs to be placed on the belt along with the car seat, and that little Johnny’s shoes must come off – even if he is only six months old – I’ll be long gone, on my way to the gate. I’m not just a flight attendant, I’m a commuting flight attendant, so if there’s one thing I know besides uncomfortable seats and bad food, it’s how to pass through airport security quickly.

 Here are five tips to get you through security faster…

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