Array of travel gadgets springs from tight airport security

Frequent business traveler Joe Harvey says passing through airport security can be a breeze — if you have the right accessories.His backpack allows his laptop to be screened at checkpoints without his having to take it out."I simply unfold it," says Harvey, a software consultant who lives in Lafayette, La. "My backpack holds everything I need to travel with. Nobody ever has to wait for me to disrobe … or empty my pockets. Ever."If you're looking for a nice gift for the business traveler in your life, you've got plenty to choose from. A cottage industry has sprung up for products that help frazzled fliers deal with the myriad rules and fees that come with air travel.
There are checkpoint-friendly laptop cases and ultra-light carry-on bags that help avoid checked luggage fees. There are digital scales to make sure you don't get penalized for overweight luggage, and even solid shampoo bars that get you around restrictions on liquids."These new categories have literally mushroomed because they're removing all the pain points associated with travel," says Lopo Rego, an associate professor of marketing at Indiana University.Escalating airport security following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, led to a dizzying array of new do's and don'ts when flying. Laptops have to be removed from bags.
After al-Qaeda operative Richard Reid tried to light an explosive in his shoe on a flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001, fliers had to start walking barefoot through checkpoints. In 2006, passengers could not carry on more than 3 ounces of liquids following the discovery of an unsuccessful plan to detonate liquid explosives on planes from London to the USA.The security requirements and the advent of airline fees to check bags or get a pillow have amounted to a "perfect storm," for businesses offering ways for fliers to save money and aggravation, Rego says.The Transportation Security Administration doesn't endorse products, according to Kawika Riley, a TSA spokeswoman. But the agency does recognize certain items, such as luggage locks and laptop bags, that meet certain criteria.
Bags and miniature-size beauty products are two of the main products targeted to fliers. But there are other items billed as coming to a traveler's rescue.The Container Store chain, for instance, began selling a digital scale after airlines imposed a 50-pound limit on luggage, with high penalties if it's overweight.And when pillows and blankets began being offered for a price — if at all — on airlines, the company introduced a pillow and blanket pack.