Originally Posted by
transplantella
I'm not really up at all on the tech lingo for various security equipment. MMW?
If I used the Vancouver airport I would be flying internationally, not to the US.
What I'm thinking is:
Take train to Vancouver
Fly Vancouver to Franfurt
and then connect to my final destination
With the reverse itinerary on the return flight. Fly into Vancouver from Europe and train to Seattle.
Also Vancouver seems to have a better selection of international flights than SEATAC.
MMW is Millimetre Wave. It is another type of whole body imager that uses radio waves in the 30 - 300 gigahertz frequency. These machines produce a similar image to the backscatter x-ray devices.
Not sure if the International pre-board screening area has any MMW machines, the domestic C gates do have this machine. You are randomly selected for the MMW machine, either via the pad at the entrance to the security area or with the dreaded 'SSSS' on your boarding pass. You are entitled to a pat-down instead of proceeding through the NoS, and the pat-down is the old standard pat-down that is no where as invasive as the new TSA enhanced pat-downs.