Terror threat leads to tightened security, delays at airports

If you've been anywhere around a news outlet this morning, we're sure you've heard about the foiled plot to blow up several U.S.-bound jets And if you haven't, go ahead and take a few minutes to check the story out — we have the feeling air travel is about to get more complicated again.

In short, the national aviation threat level has jumped to red, meaning people traveling by plane anytime soon will need to plan ahead. In Houston, officials are recommending arriving extra-early for flights out of Bush Intercontinental and Hobby — at least two hours ahead of your flight time for domestic travel and three hours ahead for international flights. And there's something else you'll want to notice, too: The TSA has put a new rule into effect banning all liquids from flights. Exceptions are medications and insulin where the name on the label matched that on the boarding pass, and infant milk and formula if they're carried by an adult with an infant. There will be places you can throw prohibited items away if you accidentally pack them.

HouStoned talked to Houston Airport System spokeswoman Marlene McClinton, who said passengers should expect more random searches and more law enforcement officers at the airports in the coming days. If you're planning to get on a plane, McClinton advises checking the TSA's website and your airline for updates. "It's going to be a real tough day," McClinton told HouStoned. "If you have a flight, I would really scale down and pare back. I would come in as close to sleek as I could."

According to the Chronicle, there were long lines at Houston's airports this morning, but they'd gotten shorter by 9:30 a.m. Officials said to expect delays to continue for at least the next couple of days.