SFO offers holiday travel tips

Wilson said parking, transportation to and from the airport, flight delays, and theft are issues travelers must be aware of before embarking on their journey.

Long-term parking lots are expected to fill up by Friday, Dec. 22.

To minimize potential delays, Wilson suggests customers utilize one of the airport's many ground transportation operators.

Travelers can access a list of reliable scheduled buses, door-to-door shuttles, and limousine and taxicab companies that serve Bay area locations by calling the airport's Transportation Hotline at 1-800-SFO-2008, or logging on its Web site at www.flysfo.com.

People dropping off and picking up SFO passengers are advised to check with airlines before driving to the airport as curb space at the terminals will be very limited during the next two weeks. To help alleviate traffic, the airport is stopping construction work on its AirTrain system from Dec. 22 to Dec. 27, Wilson said.

He said airport criminals are known to thrive during the holidays, and often work in pairs to prey upon a victim's goodwill or unfamiliarity with their surrounding.

The San Francisco Police Department Airport Bureau said common scams include "phone booth fraud" where the thief approaches travelers at pay phones and asks for directions. While responding, the thief's accomplice walks by and lifts the victim's bag.

Officials warn of another scam called "the money trick" where a thief approaches victims standing in line, and asks if they dropped money while pointing to currency on the floor some 10 feet away.

Wilson says that instinctively, the victim puts down their valuables and goes to pick up the money. Meanwhile, an accomplice makes off with the victim's bags.

Another distraction occurs at an airport location where travelers are leas t likely to suspect criminal activity -- security checkpoints, Wilson said.

In an effort to steal valuable items like laptop computers, a thief will step ahead in line just as after the target placed belongings on the conveyor belt. While the suspect walks through the security door multiple times, with metal objects in pocket, a second thief who has already gone through the metal detector makes off with the bags.

Authorities urge travelers to stay alert, keep luggage to a minimum, and never leave belongings unattended.

And as always, domestic travelers should check-in for flight at least one hour before takeoff and international passengers should arrive up to three hours prior to their flight departure.<