How many of us at some point have accidentally packed some item prohibited by the airlines and proceeded through security with it in our carry on luggage? The consequences in the past have been some TSA screener telling us that we could either A) throw the item away…or B) Go back through the security lines three miles (Yeah right) to the ticketing gate to mail it back home.
It is an easy human error to forget one has packed something like a wine opener for that picnic…or large nail clippers to be well-groomed on the beach. My husband recently went to Portland and forgot that his Swiss army knife key chain was packed in his carry on. This was his father’s knife, so it has some sentimental value to him. He wasn’t about to throw it away, yet if he went back to the ticket gate, he would miss his flight. Lucky for him he was at one of 16 airports across the country that has AMKs by ReturnKey Systems. An AMK is an "automated mailing kiosk." It allowed my husband very conveniently to package his knife in a padded envelope provided right there a the kiosk…type in his home address for a label top be put on the package…and pay for the mailing with a credit card. AND the kiosk was right near security – he barely had to step out of line.
A few days later my husband received his precious knife. Keep your eyes peeled for these AMKs…they are going to be popping up all over. Right now they are in La Guardia, Austin, Niagara, and Portland airports to name a few. For more information, go to www.itemreturn.com
Happy Travels!
