Question about the SLC airport

I hate to fly and have avoided it for years, but it looks like I'll be taking a trip to Nevada in a few months that will involve flying into Salt Lake City airport. I think I'll be spending several hours there while I wait for other relatives to arrive from another city.

As near as I can tell from the FAQs on the airport website, the shopping and dining options are in the secure area of the airport. But what about the baggage pickup? Do you leave the secure area to get your checked luggage?

I don't want to leave my suitcase sitting in baggage claim for hours, but I also don't want to be stuck there with nothing to do except watch suitcases on carousels four several hours.

Thanks

Is there any way you can take just a carry on bag? I went to Germany for 3 weeks a few years ago with one carry on bag. I haven't checked baggage in years and it's totally worth it. If the bag doesn't fit in the overhead bin or the bins are all full, they just stash it under the plane and then you can pick it up at the gate and remain in the airport.

If I remember correctly, the SLC airport is pretty small and the baggage claim is outside of the secure area.

I've never been through SLC but, IME, baggage claim is always outside the secure area.

Also, last time I flew USAir, they gate-checked my bag, and made me pick it up at baggage claim, thereby defeating the only benefit of gate-checking :mad:

+1 for carry-on only. If that's not an option, could you ship stuff to yourself at your destination?

http://www.slcairport.com/airport-terminal-maps.asp

Will you be renting a car? You could put your stuff in the car and go to a nearby store. Most rental cars have the option of GPS if you don't have your own portable GPS, so you could find a place that would interest you. Or do your research ahead of time.

Maybe you could sweet-talk baggage services into letting you put your stuff into their space while you wait outside, as though you hadn't shown up for it in the first place ... but I wouldn't count on being able to do that.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the security regulations, I will have to check a bag because they won't allow stuff like saline solution and lotion in a carry-on bag. And I can't affort to buy all new stuff when I get there and then throw it away after a 6-day trip.

"Medical" liquids include contact lens solutions and are outside the 3-1-1 restrictions. Lotions, shampoo, cleansers, etc., fall within those restrictions, but you can buy small re-usable containers; three ounces of anything is way more than enough for a six-day trip.

What I usually do, if I'm going on a longer trip and don't have enough room in one bag for all my liquids (which includes an Epi-Pen and an albuterol inhaler as well as the contact lens stuff), is just have a second quart ziploc bag for my medical liquids. I've never had an issue or even a question with that. But if you need larger quantities of your medical liquids, you're entitled to them.

http://www.tsa.gov/311/311-carry-ons.shtm

Saline is allowed in greater quantities if you declare it to TSA, but I don't think that lotions are. I usually buy 2-3 ounce packages of my toiletries, including my contact lens solution, rather than deal with declaring anything. I even pack my insulin in my quart bag, rather than declaring it.

Aren't you going to have to pay $25 to check your bag?

Maybe do carry on on the way there, buy the stuff, then check the bag on the way home so you don't have to throw it away?

Or put enough stuff for a few days in small bottles so you can carry on both ways and not pay checked the bag fee?

Unfortunately I can't afford to rent a car. Honestly I can't really afford the plane ticket. This is one of those family things that would involve grief and hard feelings if I didn't go.

This is gonna suck. My alternative is to take a later flight and change planes in Minneapolis, and hope I have time to eat lunch between flights. And for some reason it will cost more than the non-stop flight.

Did I mention how much I hate flying?

The blue barriers on Knotted's map show you the security areas. Unfortunately, SLC is one of those airports with food only behind the security screening areas, and there's nowhere nearby you could go because the airport is far from anything (unlike, say, LAX or SEA). Behind security screening there are several fast food choices and a few mediocre quality restaurants. Outside security there are some newsstands and shops where they'll likely sell stuff like snacks (which usually includes clif bars) and candy.

I have done two things with liquids: buy travel size stuff that's close enough in approximation to my stuff (lotion, shampoo, etc), or buy containers that I can reuse with my stuff. Those reusable containers I can still use at home, so I don't feel like I'm "wasting" anything.

If you want to carry larger quantities of liquids, you can check a bag, but I'd double check the airline's checked baggage fee so there's no surprises. If you do that, your bag will automatically go through to the carousel about 20-45 minutes after you get off the plane, so it will be waiting. Usually after everyone has picked up their bags, they set the unclaimed luggage aside, either in their baggage service office or nearby. It's still an honor system, of course.

If you're worried, I'd go for figuring out how you can carry on what you need. It's the lesser of two evils and the most flexible choice.

New market opportunity... stuck in the airport decent food shuttles or delivery service. ;) Sometimes I'd gladly go through the airport security screening twice over eating Pizza Hut or Overpriced American Food Done 25 Ways.

I'm not sure I get your question. How are you getting to Nevada from SLC?
Are you transferring planes?
If not, why don't you eat when you get off of the plane and then get your bags and wait for your people? Most of the restaurants in airports will pack your food to go. Put it in a box, go down and get your bags, and find a place to sit outside of security, eat, and relax. Even if you are a little late, the most that will happen is that the airline will take them and put them in their office area or in a designated spot. You just have to ask if they are not still on the carousel.
As far as the liquids; if I am going on a weeks' trip, I pack everything and send most stuff in my luggage, but bring a few sample sizes in a carry on bag. There are plenty of contact lens solutions in 3 oz. sizes or less and you probably are not going somewhere where you don't have access to a CVS. I always have 2 ziplocks with stuff, some make up, some contact like stuff and I have never had an issue. I bring a lot of stuff when I travel, since it usually involves some kind of exercise clothes, as well as regular stuff. The only time I brought carry on luggage is when I went to AZ for my in laws funerals.. 3 day/2 night trips. I get mighty annoyed at people who try bringing heavy and large carry ons because they are too cheap to pay the baggage fee. The departure gets delayed when the airline personnel are asking people to check these bags and there's often no room for coats or my one little large purse/carry all in the overhead bin.

Most airport restaurants will pack up meals to go, even the nicer ones. I often get food to take on planes since I don't want to pay $6 for a snack box on my flight. You might be able to find a nice deli sandwich or entree-sized salad. If you really need to check luggage and are worried about picking it up, I'd get a meal to go from one of the restaurants in the secured area, pick up my bags then find a place where you can sit comfortably and eat while you wait.

That said, I'd try to do carry-on only as well. You'd be surprised how little you need for a week long trip. A 3-4 oz. saline should be plenty, and Oakleaf makes a great point about medical liquids. If you have a Rx lotion I imagine that would qualify too.

For non-Rx stuff I try to use what's available in my motel/hotel or borrow from my hosts (If I don't know them well enough to be borrowing toiletries, I'm not staying with them!). It might not be what I would ordinarily choose to use, but it gets the job done. I'll make an exception if my skin/scalp is acting up, then I'll bring my own shampoo/conditioner using humangear Go Toob bottles. They don't leak and they don't explode. there's also a ring in the cap that you can rotate to indicate the contents. And they come in several sizes, but I find I can stretch 2oz. over a week if I alternate it with what's locally available.

The 0.5-2-3 oz reusable containers are great for car/mc/bici trips too, even when they're not legally required. Who wants to carry 12 or 16 oz of anything when all you need for your trip is 2? If you get some for this trip, you won't regret having them in the future (and they don't cost that much).


I think these are the ones I use for extra chamois cream and sunblock in the jersey pocket ...

I am meeting other relatives who are flying in from New York, and we will all be picked up by the relative who live in Nevada. The NY relatives are planning to take a flight that arrives 5 hours after the flight that I want to take.

If I take a later flight, I'll have to deal with rush hour traffic getting to the airport on this end, and will go straight from the plane to a four-hour car trip when I arrive. So although five hours in an airport is generally not my idea of a good time, I figure it will be better to be able to have a big, leisurely lunch and then walk around the shops to stretch my legs for a while. Plus we will arrive in Nevada an hour or so earlier than if I take a later flight, since it's scheduled to get in an hour after the NY relatives.

I guess I will have to get travel sizes of everything and make it last for 6 days. Borrowing from the Nevada relative is not something I can count on because I have too many skin allergy problems with lotions and soaps.

Thanks!!

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Originally Posted by ny biker

...the relative who live in Nevada. ... I guess I will have to get travel sizes of everything and make it last for 6 days.

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How about mailing 6 days of supplies to the Nevada relative?

Laura, that's a good idea.

I had to do the same thing at the SLC airport last year. I was flying in for a ski trip, the boyfriend was flying in a few hours later, and the people already there were only making one trip out to get us. I was worried about someone taking my snowboard bag so I left security right away.

There is a snack bar outside of security that sells pretty good sandwiches, but there are a number of tables set up in front of it where you could eat a to-go meal from a restaurant inside security. Other than that, there isn't much.

I think you should see if you can have a pizza delivered to the passenger pick-up area outside the terminal :)

Maybe you can get your luggage and ask the customer service people for your airline to hold it for a few hours while you wait for your relatives. That way it would at least be in a secure area. I don't know if they'll do it, but it's worth asking so you don't have to schlepp your luggage around with you for hours.