Tip-Top Transgender Traveller

Everybody love to travel, but travelling as a transgender can be a nightmare and challenging. The hassle can start since you stepping into the airport at your home country, during arrival at your destination and the acceptance of local people towards transgender traveller. This might sound discrimination, but the fact is, discrimination existed. This article is quick tips for travellers who are flying by flight which at least can speed up your time on board.

Transsexual flight attendants (from left to right): Nathatai Sukkaset, 26, Dissanai Chitpraphachin, 24, Chayathisa Nakmai, 24, and Phuntakarn Sringern, 24, pose for photographers at the PC Air office in Bangkok on Feb. 9.

Check in Early or Advance Check in

Normally when you go to the airport, the check in will be at check in counter which need you to present your ID for check in purposes. To avoid and scrutiny at check in counter, you are advisable to do your own online check in at home and self-print your boarding pass. Optionally, you may avoid the check in counter by choosing Self-check in kiosk which is normally located at departure hall and you may still your own boarding pass. To check in your luggage, normally doesn’t really a big problem and it is really quick as long as you follow the luggage check in regulation.

In case you cannot avoid yourself from checking in at check in counter, you need to get ready with some scrutiny measures. Some transgender might have a different look compared to their identification card. Besides, if you have any different names on the show besides your name in your identification card, make sure all your information on your flight itinerary is correct as per your legal travel document. It will be good if you can have a letter from your physician or therapist to clarify about your current present. It is not to say you are sick because you normal like others. But this is how to make thing easier for those who are don’t understand your sexuality situation.

Security Check & Hand Carry Inspection

Normally you will not have any problem with your check in luggage. But hand carry items can be an issue. All you need to do is be cool and act naturally besides following their procedures. If there are any items that you don’t want the custom officers to inspect in public, you may ask for a private screening.

Medication & Syringes

If you need to bring any medication on board, you are advisable to bring it in your hand carry luggage. This is very important to bring it as a hand carry in case there are any flight delay or losing your checked in luggage. All syringes with or without injectable hormone will need you to get a prescription letter from doctor physician. You may separate you medication and syringes in other bag and asking for visual view. Optionally, you may safely pack your medication and put it in your checked in luggage.  

Watch out your attire

Some transgender are really caring about their outlook in public but somehow, it can bring some difficulties when u needs to be on board. First come first, remove your out wear once you arrive in the airport. Next, watch out your clothing, shoes, binding materials and jewelleries. You are advisable to wear moderately or, you will get some additional, unwelcome and unfair scrutiny treat from the airport officers.

The metal detector is very sensitive. You need to take attention towards your piercing jewelleries, metal boned corset, underwire bras, metal binding materials and shoes. If you are wearing a binder or corset, you are advisable to choose a non-metal clasps material.

In some international airports, the passengers need to go through X-Ray machine called Rapiscan Secure 1000. These machines basically have a low level of X-Tray capability to give image of naked body. The checker normally can self-detect your genital, binding and prostheses. Basically, the security personal normally only can see “same sex” only. But for transgender, you can request for x-tray check according to your preference.

This process is also repetitive upon arrival and departure in every airport around the world. As a transgender traveller, you may keep in your style and get ready with the procedures.