[HongKongLady]

Security should be everyone’s priority, on the whole I find Heathrow security staff polite and courteous. They are given a set of parameters to work with by the powers that be. Officials are in a damned if they do damned if they don’t situation. Less hand baggage overall would sped up the process.

[HarryMonk]

PeterC

Good question. I have been wondering to what extreme they will take with ‘electronic devices’. The power hungry in the UK seem to take great pleasure in applying someone else’s rules and then cranking it up to eleven.
Will I have to switch on my Casio pocket calculator? What if the battery in my watch dies? What about my rechargeable electric razor?

[KarlMarx]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10955066/British-Airways-climbdown-over-mobile-phones.html

It seems BA might have been a bit hasty in their draconian approach to electronic devices.

A volte face occurred within 24 hours.

[Tom Otley]

An update from Air France over night

http://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/local/information/news/news-air-traffic-air-france.htm

Flash Info
New security measures on flights to the United States at the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, from July 08, 2014

Updated on 08 July 2014, 21h00 Paris local time

The United States authorities request to the airlines a strengthening of security measures on flights boarding to the USA from July 08, 2014.

These measures, applied on our flights departing from the airport of Roissy Charles de Gaulle, have no impact on our flight schedule.

We recommend, if you embark on a flight to the United States, to anticipate your presentation at the airport and to register on our website.

All your electronic devices (telephones, tablets, laptops, e-books, game consoles, cameras, camcorders…), kept in cabin baggage, must be battery powered and functioning during your boarding at the airport of Roissy Charles de Gaulle.

In the case of control, if your device is discharged or defective, you will not be allowed to board on the flight with this equipment.

We also recommend that you keep your battery chargers in your cabin baggage. The charging of your equipment is possible in the boarding lounge. This must be done no later than the end of the boarding of your flight.

We are doing everything possible to keep you informed and limit any inconvenience you may encounter.

Thank you for your understanding.

[openfly]

Is there something that I have missed here? If my iPad battery is flat instead of carrying it with me I put it in my suitcase. So Mr Terrorist now puts his nasty device in his suitcase. If the US authorities really want their borders to be secure all baggage must be searched. Surely a nasty device is just as effective in a suitcase as it is in hand baggage.

If the UK authorities are as concerned as the US then why only airlines? I think the Channel Tunnel or a car ferry is just as big a target, maybe more so.

In regard to airlines it seems that only searching passengers to the USA has been unmanageable and ALL passengers electronic equipment must be checked….what fun!

[LuganoPirate]

Openfly, that’s what I said earlier, which is why I have serious doubts about this.

[CXDiamond]

The whole thing will cause chaos and at the end of the day it’s just more US induced paranoia which as Harry Monk states above is then taken on board by the UK government, exaggerated ten fold and then the LHR goons are allowed to do their worst with it inducing misery and inconvenience for all.

I know I’m not the only one who has no faith in LHR security and ‘stepping it up’ only causes me despair as while they concentrate on whether a mobile is charged or not will they still have the intelligence to look for bottles of drinking water which we know are lethal and of course old ladies with crochet hooks?

Now as Terminal 1 is being run down perhaps all flights to the US could be moved there and they could have a special level of security which includes hand searching hold baggage and I can think of a few more things too and the rest of us could be left to go about our business in relative piece.

The terrorists victory here is a bit like the Germany Brazil match last night with the Germans representing the terrorists.

[MartynSinclair]

But don’t worry folks, once you are in the USofA, you can travel toys that are out of power. Homeland security do not seem too concerned that terrorists will try to use non powered toys as weapons in the USofA.

According to BA this morning on Sky News, it was reported that BA will keep a selection of charges at boarding gates to assist and they will also offer to change people’s flights, if they are affected by this latest round of USofA enhanced security procedures…

[canucklad]

Read you’re post Karl Marx and I’d have to say, for a change, well done to BA for adapting to this new process…..

Listening to the news again today, and reading AF’s press release you’d think that the new “ ENHANCED” measures were exclusive to US bound flights…….Surely airport security people can’t be that stupid…..

For example ……..If I decide to be a nasty terrorist and target United’s flight out of EDI, and wanted to circumvent this new ruling that applies to US bound aircraft I’d simply purchase a £20 FR ticket to Dublin, check-in online for both flights and only present my FR boarding pass…

Or if they can track such things, simply use an accomplice and swap the gadgets airside.

I go back to my rant posts, this whole thing really reeks of hyperbole and my cynical side questions whether or not this whole “Homeland Security” diktat has more to do with diverting attention away from an unwelcome government domestic announcement.

[nmh1204]

This isn’t just to America now, its all flights into and out of the UK

[BigDog.]

Latest advice …. Most destinations now impacted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28223150

Why would one have hair straighteners or a travel iron in hand luggage? – Well if you do then these are included in the gadget boot-up list.

[JohnHarper]

Oh dear, the lunatics are taking over the asylum again.

I’m interested to see what extra measures are in place at ECN and IST when Mrs JH and I return from Cyprus tomorrow. IST generally don’t re-screen passengers originating in Europe but thoroughly re-screen those coming in from the US.

I can remember going back about 25 years hysteria like this and there were banks of plugs in security areas and people were made to plug in things like hairdryers to prove they did not explode. The fact that they could not of course be plugged in during the flight was irrelevant! Back then no one had a mobile either so what the point of it all was never was clear and this nonsense now is in the same vein.

I like the idea of putting all the US flights at LHR in T1 and letting them get on with it.

[MartynSinclair]

..but naturally, once inside the great USofA… all is calm and there are no additional security measures for internal flights…..

[JohnHarper]

Martyn, you are so right and of course we all remember where the 9/11 flights originated don’t we? Obviously no one who is already in the US would want to cause the slightest problem for aviation.

That’s probably the reason why they re-screen passengers from the US so thoroughly at IST. Seems sensible to me. I believe some European airports including those in Germany don’t re-screen inbound travellers from the US which seems misguided.

I’m just so glad I don’t have reason to visit the nasty place and although Mrs JH and I had planned one stop on a RTW trip for early next year that has now been shelved as we have no wish to subject ourselves to the oppressive regime there.

[LuganoPirate]

As I said before I think it’s all nonsense. Besides, I though the big worry was terrorists who plant bombs in their bodies. How will they control that?

[Author]

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