While no one is "breezing through" airports these days and onto their flights, you can use some simple strategies to avoid extra delays and stress.

Here are ten tips to help whisk you through busy airports and heightened Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checks as quickly and hassle-free as possible.

1. Complete your check-in at home and print out your boarding pass. This is especially important if you aren't checking bags because you can walk straight to security when you enter the airport.
2. Research the layout of your departing and arriving airport terminals online before your trip. Check the gate numbers before you leave. The reason? Many airports have some security checkpoints away from the main entrances and these often have shorter lines.
3. Travel light. Learn to pare down to absolute essentials when you pack. Unless you are headed for an extended trip, take full advantage of the one carry-on bag plus one-personal-item rule. You’ll avoid the time spent checking luggage in when you leave – and you won’t have to wait at the baggage carousel after your flight arrives. Visiting family or friends and planning on bringing along a birthday or wedding present? Ship it ahead by Priority Mail or UPS and you’ll save time and headaches. Wrapped presents often have to be unwrapped and rewrapped when you go through security. If you do bring a gift, wrap it after you arrive.
4. Get the facts on carry-on restrictions ahead of time. It pays to take the time to confirm carry-on bag restrictions which can vary from airline to airline – especially on international flights. If your carry-on is too heavy, you’ll be faced with having to check it in. Another way to avoid carry-on hassles: don’t stuff the outside pockets with items. That can make them too bulky to fit into overhead bins.
5. If you must check bags, do it the fastest way. If you’re headed on an extended trip and absolutely must check a bag and the lines inside the airport are especially long, check your suitcase with the skycap. Even better, don’t wait until you get to the airport – see if your airline will let you start the check-in process online from home. You’ll be asked how many bags you're going to check. Then you can print out the labels and just drop your bags with labels at the airport kiosk.
6. Wear clothes that are security friendly. Studies show that people in hats are statistically more likely to be pulled aside by the TSA for "enhanced screening." So pack that favorite baseball or sunhat, don’t wear it. Comfortable shoes are important when walking through big airports but make sure they are the slip-on kind you can take off and put on quickly as you go through the mandatory security check. Stopping to bend or sit down to take off and put on shoes that lace up or have straps slows you down. Follow the TSA’s advice and place coats or jackets in your bags before the scan. Don’t forget to either skip wearing a belt or remove it before the scan. The same goes for most jewelry. A special note for women: avoid wearing an underwear bra. It can set off the metal detector and you’ll be delayed for a search.
7. Keep your ID, passport, and boarding pass together and in easy reach. That may sound like a no-brainer but too many people keep their passport in their carry-on, their boarding pass in a pocket, and spend extra minutes getting everything they need together at checkpoints. For extra fast access, considering keeping your ID and passport in a holder around your neck.
8. Full-body scans or pat down? In addition to regular metal detectors and x-ray scans of carry-on luggage and other items, many airports now require passengers to use full-body scanners. You can opt out of the scan and ask for a pat-down but there’s no doubt that a scan is your fastest choice. The TSA's full body scanners use so-called backscatter technology, a fast-moving X-ray that bounces off the skin to create an image of the passenger’s body. However, not everyone is convinced the scans are totally safe. For example, in an interview with CNN, David Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University and a professor of radiation biophysics, said he is concerned about widespread use of the scanners. "If you think of the entire population of, shall we say a billion people per year going through these scanners, it's very likely that some number of those will develop cancer from the radiation from these scanners," Dr. Brenner said. He pointed out the risk to an individual is "very small indeed" for just one scan, but any risk may go up with frequent fliers, pilots, and children, who are more sensitive to radiation. Bottom line: only you can make the decision for the full-body scan or pat-down, so do you own research and consider the available facts.
9. Save time and security headaches by following the TSA packing rules and advice. You probably won’t have to take out your laptop computer at carry-on baggage checkpoints if you use a briefcase or a backpack approved by the TSA. Separate cords from your electronic devices. Otherwise, officials may challenge devices such as GPS systems that are plugged in for an additional search. Make sure you follow all TSA guidelines on carrying liquids on a fight; have yours prepared in one quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag of liquids before arriving at the airport. Keep your bag of liquids in an outside pocket of your suitcase so they're easy to take out for security screening (for more information on what liquids you can and can’t take on a flight, visit http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm). Bringing along oversized electronics (like full-size video game consoles and DVD players) will slow you down getting through security – they’ll be removed from carry-on bags and submitted separately for X-ray screening. However, the TSA says small electronics, such as iPods, can remain in your carry-on baggage.
10. Any more security questions? Get the facts from the TSA. For more details on how to get through security faster, visit the TSA online (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/screening_experience.shtm) for the latest advice on zipping through security as easily as possible.

Sherry Baker is a writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She last wrote the article on Warning! Office Work Can Be Dangerous to Your Health for Synergy. Sherry can be reached at featuredstories@adamcorp.com