New travel restrictions

[SnowHot]

I am sitting at my gate at Reagan National Airport (outside D.C.) and when #1 son and I went through security he was pulled aside and his boot bag was emptied completely. They then sent his boots through separately and checked the bag again as well. My boot bag went through just fine. I was then told that the hand/foot wamers in his bag triggered the scrutiny and we could not take them unless we checked the boot bag. We opted to throw them out. Before we did they came back to us and said only certain kinds of hand/foot warmers were verbotten. If the warmers say "not to be used in an oxygen rich environment"' then they can't be taken in carry on luggage. Ours didn't say that so we were the allowed to take them with us. The entire time in the security line was about 1/2 hour. We got to the airport about 1 1nd 1/2 hours before our flight (already had boarding passes and had paid for checked bags) so we were fine. Reagan actually has pretty quick security lines as a rule, well-ordered and efficient. I think the screeners actually worked well with us and I wasn't annoyed. I'm glad I was prepared ahead of time for the possibility of my boot bag being checked.

I'll remember this when I fly with my boots next week.
Note to self: take all toe/hand warmers out of boot bag.

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Prior to 9/11 I ~never~ needed a restroom on the plane. But when they said I couldn't bring my own beverages (including half frozen water bottles) I started drinking down ice water big time before flights because I dehydrate so easily. A number of my flights serve no water and there's no water available between security and the flight. So now they're saying I can't bring water AND I can't use the restroom the entire flight! This is INHUMAN!!!!! Screw security; I'll take my chances!!!

 

[dloveski]

Because I am a frequent flier (50K plus per year, largely biz travel), and with 700K skymiles accrued in the past decade----air travel has been an unfortunate big part of my life. So this thread is interesting to me. Pre 9-11, it seemed easier. Post 9-11 Delta treated the few biz travelers like ROCK STARS in the months just after the disaster when air travel fell precipitously.

Some random thoughts as I read the threads:

1. Baggage theft: Do NOT put your home address on checked baggage, esp. when traveling internationally. A business colleague learned this when going to the Dominican Republic for a vacation. There are rings of thieves----when seeing the bags go through Miami, they just call up their associates in the city where the traveler lives, give the address, and BAM. The house is cleaned out upon the return of the hapless traveler. Since then, ALL my luggage is marked with my business address. No exceptions.

2. There is no consistency in security between airports. Nada. And between screeners. What gets through in one city on carry-ons may not survive the return trip. Makeup and hair stuff fall into grey areas--and don't get me started how the restrictions discriminate against women more than men (who can use the hotel toiletries just fine). On biz trips, I have to pay more attention to hair/makeup than personal trips and, in the early days of the liquid hysterical policies, have lost $$$$ throwing out lipstick, foundation. I remember having TSA workers scream at the ladies and the bin was full of thousands of dollars of expensive Lancome, Estee Lauder makeup/lipstick.

3. Bring back CLEAR Skies---I was on this FBI-cleared list, paid for a year of membership, had on file optical and fingerprint scans. Went through that pre-cleared line with less fuss. The ones on that list were scrutinzed for weeks prior, criminally and visa, etc.

4. Full body scanners are not such a big deal-----what's the fuss? I have entered the 'chamber' and the world did not end, it was quick, and I frankly prefer that to patdowns that might be more intrusive and variable (depending on the patter downer).

5. Profiling is good but do airlines screeners have the guts to really deny flight to the suspicious? If not, it's a waste of time. Last month from Amsterdam, the screeners took quite a bit of time to interview us and others--FINE. What was distressing, however, was that one of the passengers, who obviously was failing his interview, got belligerant and supervisors were called, the screeners were huddled, and eventually he got on the flight----which made a few of us nervous.

Here's a shout out to the flight crews who have to put up with impossible rules and an unhappy and unruly flying public. Here's to fellow fliers who have buoyed me up in difficult moments and situations.

There. My 2 cents. Thanks for letting me vent.

Fly on Divas.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Pre 9-11, it seemed easier.

Because it was. Period. I have quite a bit of experience with the period of 1980-2000, when my husband traveled extensively with his job, often topping 100k a year. Due to the obvious "perks" from frequent flyer miles (which really didn't get underway until 83-84), our family did a lot of flying in this period of time as well.

Metal detectors and carry-on bag screening and conveyors have been in place a long time (I'm thinking and trying to remember how many years....quite a few).

Checked bag screening was the big addition, also the tight security that does not allow anyone who is not a ticketed passenger past security now, i.e., people accompanying traveler(s) could go to gate at SOME airports (not all, I recall the Ft Lauderdale airport didn't allow this) with traveler(s) after going through detectors.

Frequently racing to the airport for last-minute trips, they sometimes had to use something that no longer exists (at least at this particular and very large airport): the late check-in for checked baggage, for those who were less than 20 minutes from departure (imagine that now, forget it).

 

[Slidergirl]

I used to have to fly monthly for business. I really didn't like not knowing what was going to happen that day at any one TSA checkpoint. I had my Medallion status (actually still do) and got to use the priority lanes, which help a little. I also had the CLEAR card, which was really nice. Too bad it went away. It was just not quite the right time for it - not enough people signed up for it and not enough airports had the CLEAR ports installed.
My issue with the new scanning machine is that 1)I can't see my own image so I don't know what is being shown, 2) the screener, who is behind a curtain or door, has not been screened for a tendency to look at nude photos and there is no actual accountability that said person could download images for personal/Internet use, and 3) I really wouldn't want my children to be seen nude by a stranger. It's just a little too intrusive for me. There are 2 other scanning machines that actually detect exposive residue that would be better than just a visual nude picture. Fortunately, SLC only has one of those scanners so far, and it's on the far lane, so it's easy to avoid.

 

[abc]

Do NOT put your home address on checked baggage, esp. when traveling internationally.

I don't put my address on the bag.

City, country, phone number (or yes, last name and first initial)

If the airline still have the bags, they'll have enough info to look me up on their computer and get my address. If people who shouldn't have but got hold of the bag, they got only the bag and not my personal information! Even if it fell out of a cargo plane and landed in the middle of the country, they could still call me on the phone number and get the bag back to me!!!

 

[altagirl]

Prior to 9/11 I ~never~ needed a restroom on the plane. But when they said I couldn't bring my own beverages (including half frozen water bottles) I started drinking down ice water big time before flights because I dehydrate so easily. A number of my flights serve no water and there's no water available between security and the flight. So now they're saying I can't bring water AND I can't use the restroom the entire flight! This is INHUMAN!!!!! Screw security; I'll take my chances!!!

Wow - what airport doesn't have a shop where you can buy water/books/snacks/etc. after you get through security?

 

[geargrrl]

Wow - what airport doesn't have a shop where you can buy water/books/snacks/etc. after you get through security?

Last time I came home from Mexico City, we went through security the usual way, and a second time actually boarding the plane. They took away the water we had just purchased inside the terminal!!! Then, United had the audacity to charge $5 for the meal that the ticket said was provided, but had no indication that we'd have to pay for it. There were a lot of pissed off people on that plane.

 

[abc]

Airlines are going the way of the auto industry. Providing less and still charging the same. With teleconferencing becoming easier and more wide spread, I wonder how much longer before we see a few more of them going under?

 

[itri]

Wow - what airport doesn't have a shop where you can buy water/books/snacks/etc. after you get through security?

Hilton Head, SC, for one. They don't even open up security until a certain amount of time before boarding is supposed to begin, though. Once you're through, it's only the gates back there...no restrooms, no shops, nothing! I know that's by far the exception, rather than the rule, though...

 

[ski now work later]

Just returned from Bradley airport (Hartford CT). I went through security as my son flew as an unaccompanied minor so I got a gate pass to bring him to the flight. Slightly slower going through security, but no delays whatsoever. Bradley is a small airport though with little international traffic so I wasn't expecting much hassle.

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Wow - what airport doesn't have a shop where you can buy water/books/snacks/etc. after you get through security?

Lebanon, New Hampshire-where I regularly fly in and out of! There are a few machines with beverages/food before ~the~ gate but no bathroom, no water fountain, zip, zilch, nada after security. And I've spent as much as four hours after security, though I went in and out so many times that I left everything, including my shoes, behind, going out to the water fountain. Security ended up sending out for pizza for us...

Same person that checks you in, walks you to the plane. Sometimes it's the pilot putting your luggage on the plane...

 

[Slidergirl]

Wow - what airport doesn't have a shop where you can buy water/books/snacks/etc. after you get through security?

Amman, Jordan. This is the primary international airport in Jordan. You have two security checkpoints. The first one is downstairs, before you get to the check-in counters. The second one is upstairs, before you get to your gate. Once you go past that second check, no water, no bathrooms, nothing but chairs to sit on before the flight. You are not permitted to go back out from the second checkpoint, either, so you are out of luck of you suddenly need to go or are thirsty.

 

[dloveski]

Amman, Jordan. This is the primary international airport in Jordan. You have two security checkpoints. The first one is downstairs, before you get to the check-in counters. The second one is upstairs, before you get to your gate. Once you go past that second check, no water, no bathrooms, nothing but chairs to sit on before the flight. You are not permitted to go back out from the second checkpoint, either, so you are out of luck of you suddenly need to go or are thirsty.

Just cruel.

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Amman, Jordan. This is the primary international airport in Jordan. You have two security checkpoints. The first one is downstairs, before you get to the check-in counters. The second one is upstairs, before you get to your gate. Once you go past that second check, no water, no bathrooms, nothing but chairs to sit on before the flight. You are not permitted to go back out from the second checkpoint, either, so you are out of luck of you suddenly need to go or are thirsty.

Instant decision: NOT going there!

 

[Pequenita]

fwiw, flying internationally last night, in addition to the usual x-ray/metal detector security check, every passenger was patted down, and every piece of carry-on hand searched and then sniffed by a dog. The hand-search seemed cursory to me -- I had several bags within my bag and they just shook it as if that determines what's dangerous? It was less thorough than the random gate searches that ended a few years ago.

Domestically, the airline was very strict about the size of carry-on luggage and allowed no exceptions. I don't remember any additional security, though.

 

[Bumblebee]

Wow - what airport doesn't have a shop where you can buy water/books/snacks/etc. after you get through security?

I guess most of them do, but flying out to the Diva Summit from Amsterdam last year I passed airport security and bought a bottle of water. I then entered "US security" and had to dump the water. I was very peeved... given that I'd just spent $4 on a bottle of water. This is normal in EU now if you're flying to the US because clearly it's a well known fact that once you've been through passport control and had your hand luggage x-rayed you're going to buy liquid explosives at the travel shop.

 

[abc]

I'm guessing you haven't flown to Israel?

(I haven't. But the story I heard makes me very un-motivated to do so -- just the same way it makes many others feel about traveling to the US)

 

[Bumblebee]

I'm guessing you haven't flown to Israel?

I have - and despite being met by my sponsor (company) I was still virtually in tears! :(

 

[SnowHot]

So, I get up at 3:30 AM to get to the airport by 5:30 AM so I have plenty of time to get through the new TSA stuff, and here I sit at 6 AM, the only one at the gate.
I know that I'm flying out of a relatively small airport in the Midwest, but we're also in the same region as DTW, which is where the Christmas incident took place, which is why I figured I'd need extra time.

But, nothing out of the ordinary. Same routine as usual, although I was picked for a random pat down. Still random pat downs are something that happens from time to time anyway.
No biggie ladies. Really.