[Anonymous]

[Aravindha]

I am an avid traveler and a fan of Business Traveller Asia for many years. While I have enjoyed your articles and review on a number of occasions, nothing has stirred me up so much than the latest review by Ms. Logarta on Jet Airways- Mumbai- Trivandrum Flight on Economy Class.

Ms. Logarta in her review talks about the usual Security hassle of Indian Airports and hear fear of losing her laptop. I take great offense to this statement. As a strong patriot and a realistic business traveller, I come to understand the need for extra security at all Airport. Terrorism has redefined the way we interact not to mention the way we travel.

Mumbai has been the epic-centre of many terrorist attacks with the latest and most tragic happening in November 2008. India has also seen its fair share of aircraft hijacks. I see no hassle if the armed personnel wants to personally peruse through my hand luggage or impose carry on restriction on to the flight to ensure safety on board. It is ok to error in the side of caution. Further, the security mechanism in each country is its own and is to be respected and refrained from comments.

I am a frequent traveler and I have encountered many airports across the globe where there is a standard practice of having the laptop X-rayed separately (Australian airports have the same procedure). I recount travels to Israel which is accompanied by security investigations prior to persons boarding the flight plus compulsory frisking of personal carriage.

While India is a developing country and lacks utmost modernity and comfiest seen in developed countries, I can assure Ms. Logarta that the security staff value their importance and will not make a dash for her laptop. I can also assure her that a victim of terror attacks, the security in Indian airports is required and unless personally affected by terror like millions of Indians in their everyday life, she will continue to fail to understand the importance of security and the “necessary hassle” while travelling through such areas.

I understand she is the chief editor and this letter may not be published but it wont be too much to ask her to please mend her opinion and keep in mind the country’s history and the level of terror threat before making such statements.

[Airpocket]

Would she have made such an allegation about Security at her beloved Manila? I’m sure she would have been outraged.
By the way, has anyone actually ever lost their lap-top while going through Security at any of the Indian airports? If so, then they would have legitimate resons for being concerned about going through Security at Indian airports.

[Aravindha]

To my knowledge, there has been no such incident. We have media which believes in sensationalizing every bit of information. Believe me when I say if such incident did occur then the whole of India would be made aware of. The security checks in major Indian airports is quite organised more so that all the major airports have been renovated with secuirty being handled by federal forces.

[Inquisitive]

While Indian airports may lacks facilities like good lounges, airside seating places, clean toilets an drinking water, but the security checks is at par with most of the other airports in the developed world. These folks has a tremendously difficult job in their hand and they do it with reasonable efficiencies. Indian domestic air passengers more than trippled in last ten years with less proportionate increase in security personnel or equipment. But that is not fault of frontline guys.
On question of laptop check, I am amazed at different types of checks at different airport. About 2 years ago, Heathrow suddenly changed procedure that laptop need not to be taken out of bag – it is since changed again now. Frankfurt has a funny procedure and it is not same for all passengers.

[EditorBusinessTravellerAP]

Thank you for your comment and thank you for support and regular reading of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific

I’m sorry you found my comments so offensive, but I think you may have misunderstood them.

Commenting on the “hassle” of security isn’t controversial. Security is a hassle for all travellers. You point out that it is necessary, particularly in Mumbai. I agree.

It is common practice for handcarry to be x-rayed, and in many airports, the laptop has to be removed from the case. Again, no problem. In fact in some airports, you also have to power up the laptop to prove it is just that – a working laptop. Again, no problem, though it certainly adds to the time getting through security.

My point was that being patted down in a separate area while not being able to see my laptop is not good security practice. I make a point of never letting my bags out of my sight, both outside an airport, and once inside. Of course, I was not suggesting that security personnel would steal it, but another passenger might, or worse still, slip something inside the case.

On two previous occasions at Indian airports, the bags piled up after they had been through the scanners and landed at a heap at the end of the machine. People were just grabbing at this heap, and on one occasion, a fellow traveller inadvertently took my laptop bag and was about to walk away with it. Of course, he was very apologetic when I pointed out his mistake.

All travellers need to take responsibility for their own luggage, and the moment you are taken out of sight of that luggage, this becomes impossible.

[Aravindha]

Dear Mam,

Thank you for your clarification. I would like to please state that women are taken to a seperate enclosure to be patted down due to privacy reasons. It is a cultural thing in India where public display of physical contact on the fairer sex is not usually welcomed. once again, the cultural aspect of this is to be handled sensitively. This practice is not only prevalent in Indian Airports but in other South Asian countries and also in 5 * hotels such as the Sheraton and Taj group.

One way of being double sure of your bag is to put your luggage into the X-Ray machine just before you enter the enclosure and not prior to it when waiting in the line. This way, you can be assured that you will be waiting for the baggage after the check than the other way around.

[SimonRowberry]

Just a quick point. At Zurich recently (Gates B22-29) I set off the scanner and was taken to a curtained-off room to be patted-down, out of view of my baggage, including a laptop bag and a camera bag (with £4k worth of camera and lenses in it). I too was concerned about them going missing.

It’s not just India where this can happen.

[watersz]

losing your lap top is worring and I’ve had jitters about it at almost every airport I venture in at sometime or other.
My most panicy momment was at LHR were the ques were so long I got directly to a line 30 meters down from my laptop on a diffrent metal detector entrance ,that was eqally slow . Anyone could have waltzed off with it . So it applies all over the globe to me

[Author]

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