New airline security

Since the recent terrorist attack in December, they have added additional security measures, and we should all feel safer flying.

My wife, and daughter, just flew to Dallas last week, and returned Monday. The had the regular security checks and they was allowed to board the plane without any additional checks.

My wife is a smoker (not me), and found she had carried a propane lighter in her pocket, on the flight going to Dallas, and on the return. No one knew she had it. Of course did not fit the profile of a terrorist and is 70 years old.

Do they have a way to check for such illegal items?