Be Aware of New In-Flight Security Rules

Hot on the heels of an attempted terrorist bombing of a U.S.-bound international flight on Christmas day, airlines are in scramble mode, rewriting security rules on the fly, so to speak.

Frequent business travelers will no doubt recognize many of the changes as reactionary, arbitrary, and very nearly random. Nonetheless, if you're flying in the next few weeks, don't assume anything you knew about airline security rules will stay the same.

Late last week, Lifehacker reported a number of changes that might affect you. Here are some of the highlights:

• Air Canada has posted that during the last hour of a flight, travelers headed to the U.S. will have to remain seated, will not have access to their carry-on baggage, and cannot have anything on their laps.
• American Airlines posted that passengers flying into the U.S. should allow three hours for boarding. Passengers and carry-on items would be screened both at security checkpoints and at airline gates.
• Jetblue has announced that in-flight entertainment would be shut down, along with in-flight Wi-Fi.
• The TSA has implemented a ban on in-flight Wi-Fi, entertainment systems, and access to any and all carry-on luggage or devices one hour before landing.