Last Hour of Flight Restrictions

[Fireup2020]

Yet another reason to fly Space-A if eligible! It's more of a fun adventure if in the right frame of mind!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Good luck with your flight, Trek. Duck if you see Ivana on the plane

Let us know how it goes and how the return security compares on your return to Tallin.

 

[Alan]

We're flying next week to the US and not looking forward to that at all. It was bad enough before. Fortunately I planned this one as a megatrip so the relatives could meet my family and we'll drive to where I grew up so I can show my wife, etc. So this should be the last US trip until perhaps the kids are teenagers.

The domestic EU flight from Tallinn to London should be fine. No added restrictions and all the wealthy terrorists fly into London so not worried about blowing up. I scheduled us a full day layover in London to break up the flying time for our 2 year old which unfortunately makes us go through security again in England, the only downside (Tallinn is a breeze as it's not busy at all in winter).

I think for the England -USA trip we'll pack our coats in checked baggage to minimize fuss in security and just layer with heavy pull over sweaters. I'll take my carry-on with a few essentials and my wife one backpack with toddler supplies for our 2 year old. I managed to get my wife and toddler their own window aisle so the wee one can move around a little without disturbing others as much as possible and curl up to sleep on the window seat. I have the seat directly across from them on the aisle where I'm sure my seatmate will be fat, stink, drunk, keep bothering me or all of the above as I'm usually that lucky.

I'll take a fanny pack where I can stuff passports, documents, cell phone, pocket camera, etc just in case for some reason they ban my carry on last minute. We're not taking any laptops this trip either to help ease going through security as well.

Not sure what else we can really do. Slip on shoes would be great for the security line but I don't own any and I'm not buying them just for this one trip. I also have travellers insurance which includes acts of terror (it was included, not an add on.)

Any other tips from recent international travellers? Something I've not thought of?

As for keeping toddlers seated for the last hour of the flight. Probably possible if everyone doesn't mind continuous screaming for the last hour too.

I just flew from England to the USA this week and all your preparations should be good. I did almost exactly the same as you, including the fanny pack where you can slip your cell phone, i-pod, wallet etc prior to going through the metal detector. Note that at the gate all the contents of your carry ons will be removed and examined and there will be a thorough pat-down - male security guards on men, females on women as your genitals are likely to be touched during the search I would prefer the body scanners now being deployed in Holland to having my private parts man handled

Remember, no liquids before the screening but you are allowed to buy and carry-on liquids purchased once you are through screening - I noticed several folks allowed to carry on bottles of water, soda etc even after the extra body search. I did have a laptop in my back pack but that was about all there was in there.

They did not enforce the extra restriction on movement an hour before landing.

 

[Rambler]

DD is headed to Hawaii on Friday, I am heading to Japan on Sat...then Shanghai on Tues, then back on Thurs, then Paris on next sat....and on and on. I am not looking forward to this next month at all, as I will be on an airplane every second or third day.

R

 

[Alan]

DD is headed to Hawaii on Friday, I am heading to Japan on Sat...then Shanghai on Tues, then back on Thurs, then Paris on next sat....and on and on. I am not looking forward to this next month at all, as I will be on an airplane every second or third day.

Brutal

Ever thought about ER'ing?

 

[TromboneAl]

Well, I was hoping there would be some valid reason for the last-hour rule, but I guess the people in charge are just stupid.

Here are some questions:

1. How many people have been caught by security, trying to bring real explosives on a plane?

2. If someone is caught, is that information released to the media?

 

[hankster]

I just flew from England to the USA this week and all your preparations should be good. I did almost exactly the same as you, including the fanny pack where you can slip your cell phone, i-pod, wallet etc prior to going through the metal detector. Note that at the gate all the contents of your carry ons will be removed and examined and there will be a thorough pat-down - male security guards on men, females on women as your genitals are likely to be touched during the search I would prefer the body scanners now being deployed in Holland to having my private parts man handled

Remember, no liquids before the screening but you are allowed to buy and carry-on liquids purchased once you are through screening - I noticed several folks allowed to carry on bottles of water, soda etc even after the extra body search. I did have a laptop in my back pack but that was about all there was in there.

They did not enforce the extra restriction on movement an hour before landing.

I've worried for years that the terrorists might start putting explosives in their private places or where the "sun don't shine". My air travel days are over when I see the the TSA agent waving me to an exam room while pulling on one latex glove.

 

[Alan]

Well, I was hoping there would be some valid reason for the last-hour rule, but I guess the people in charge are just stupid.

Here are some questions:

1. How many people have been caught by security, trying to bring real explosives on a plane?

2. If someone is caught, is that information released to the media?

There was a case documented some years back about an Irish woman who was caught carrying a bomb onto a plane and it had been given to her by her boyfriend without her knowledge.

In 1986, Anne Marie Murphy, a young Irish woman, was planning to take an El Al flight from London to Tel Aviv to meet the parents of her fiance, a Palestinian. Murphy, who was pregnant, had no idea that the man she was planning to marry had hidden plastic explosives and a detonator in one of her suitcases. Israeli profilers interviewing Murphy found out about her boyfriend, got suspicious, and then discovered the bomb before the jumbo jet took off.

 

[Achiever51]

DD flew Monday from Detroit to NYC; she said the "Keep Seat Belt Fastened" sign was on the entire trip and whenever a passenger did get up to use the restroom or to open the overhead compartment, a crew member lurked nearby.

 

[Alan]

I've worried for years that the terrorists might start putting explosives in their private places or where the "sun don't shine". My air travel days are over when I see the the TSA agent waving me to an exam room while pulling on one latex glove.

Agreed, which is why the new body scanners are much better - they see through skin and fat. Civil liberty groups hate them of course, because of modesty and privacy violations, but this is the new world order I'm afraid.

 

[harley]

I've worried for years that the terrorists might start putting explosives in their private places or where the "sun don't shine". My air travel days are over when I see the the TSA agent waving me to an exam room while pulling on one latex glove.

I've been patted down a couple times for illicit (but non explosive) materials by police back in the day. And having them tucked down into the more personal areas has always successfully kept them from being found. Even if they are allowed to touch you there, most people tend to shy away from it. I doubt they'll be finding much. Of course, I'm not sure what volume of explosive would be required in order to do any real damage. I guess if you go walking in looking like an Alex from A Clockwork Orange they might catch you.

 

[Achiever51]

I'm still concerned that while the TSA is going to be checking out our entire beings with new scanners, etc., they still don't scan/check all the cargo, mail and other shipments that so often travels with us on planes.

 

[vicente solano]

Having undergone several surgical operations I couldn´t care less about passing through the body scanner. I wish that gadget would make all the unshoeing, unbelting, unpocketing unpacking, unwhatever.... etc redundant

 

[harley]

Interesting article on when will the TSA stop screwing around and get serious about aviation security? Will We Get Serious About Aviation Security? - Reason Magazine

 

[HFWR]

Is that a stick of dynamite in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Maureen Dowd put it cleverly:

If we can’t catch a Nigerian with a powerful explosive powder in his oddly feminine-looking underpants and a syringe full of acid, a man whose own father had alerted the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, a traveler whose ticket was paid for in cash and who didn’t check bags, whose visa renewal had been denied by the British, who had studied Arabic in Al Qaeda sanctuary Yemen, whose name was on a counterterrorism watch list, who can we catch?

 

[TromboneAl]

I can't see how any system similar to the one we have could work well. The screeners are low paid employees doing an extremely monotonous job.

This current close call is probably a good thing, since it will allow the use of the X-ray vision body scanners despite objections from the prudes who are worried about airport employees seeing their "bosoms." That might also make the screeners jobs a little less monotonous.

 

[W2R]

I can't see how any system similar to the one we have could work well. The screeners are low paid employees doing an extremely monotonous job.

This current close call is probably a good thing, since it will allow the use of the X-ray vision body scanners despite objections from the prudes who are worried about airport employees seeing their "bosoms." That might also make the screeners jobs a little less monotonous.

If they use the body scanners, I hope they have female TSA employees scanning the women and male TSP employees scanning the men. That is the only way I would feel even slightly comfortable about it (if I should lose my mind and decide to fly somewhere in the near future). I'm really not a prude but the idea that someone is getting off over a body scan is really gross and slimy to me.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Im fine with whatever means they need to use. Except I dont think I would like a cavity search just to fly. I do not need some Nigerian ass face deciding his life sucks while I fly to England and blow up the plane.

The world changes and I adapt. I would just prefer when they catch these idiots just execute them on the tarmac while the video roles.

That way I can have my book out during the last hour of my flight.

Have a nice day.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I guess I really don't care about the body scan, even though I may be a bit prudish. I mean, it isn't like they see your boobs hanging out or something. I am sure there might be a piercing related snicker or two when some of the younger folks I know might go through the line, but no worries on my end.
Good luck to you travelers...I would dread it.
Trek, I wish you a peaceful journey and I assume you use the trick where you have a new small toy for the little one to unwrap at intervals on the trip? Matchbox cars and the like? My friend who traveled with her smalls back and forth to NZ a few times swore by this method but wouldn't ever confess to using Benadryl, though I suspected it a few times.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I guess I really don't care about the body scan, even though I may be a bit prudish. I mean, it isn't like they see your boobs hanging out or something. I am sure there might be a piercing related snicker or two when some of the younger folks I know might go through the line, but no worries on my end.
Good luck to you travelers...I would dread it.
Trek, I wish you a peaceful journey and I assume you use the trick where you have a new small toy for the little one to unwrap at intervals on the trip? Matchbox cars and the like? My friend who traveled with her smalls back and forth to NZ a few times swore by this method but wouldn't ever confess to using Benadryl, though I suspected it a few times.

If you get a snicker pierced why would you care if some joe or jane from TSA knows if you got your snickerdoodle pierced ...

I just draw the line at probing. Thats for the aliens.

 

[FIREd]

I've just landed from my flight back from Europe. The full body pat down was so thorough that it may have qualified as my first gay experience...

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I've just landed from my flight back from Europe. The full body pat down was so thorough that it may have qualified as my first gay experience...

Just checking. Making sure nothing explosive was in your pants.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Flying out of Chicago in the morning--I'll put on some nice cologne and extra deodorant for the screeners.

Isn't there a funny scene in the movie Airplane with an x-ray security screening that shows comely young women in the altogether? Can't find it on Youtube.

 

[Lazarus]

Perhaps we should take the TSA to Dinner and a Movie first before the search.