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Post by lagatta on Dec 29, 2009 18:14:32 GMT
Anyone here affected by the rather draconian restrictions on carry-on items and on movements in planes during the last hour of flights towards or within the US, after the arsehole crotch bomber's failed terror attack?
I don't know what I'd do without some kind of bag to hold passport, tickets (usually just a printout now, but still) and other essential items. None of my clothes, except my winter coat, have pockets large enough to carry much more than a bit of change or a hanky - women's clothing is notoriously short on useable pockets, unless one is into those ghastly "cargo pants".
And I don't think the would-be bomber was carrying a lady's handbag in any event...
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Post by Kimby on Dec 29, 2009 18:17:55 GMT
I'm hearing that for international flights coming to the US you will now get only one carry-on small enough to go in the overhead bins, and that you will not be able to access it for the last full hour of the flight. Plus, no one can get up and move about - including to the lavatory - for the last hour. Nor can you have a book or magazine or pillow or blanket in your lap for that time. And we though flying was unpleasant before!
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Post by lagatta on Dec 29, 2009 18:24:48 GMT
I can't even fathom how anyone can fly without a book or magazine in lap. And the toilet thing is utter cruelty for some people.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2009 18:31:32 GMT
There have already been numerous incidents about that. I'm thinking about flying to the U.S. in a few weeks, so I am going to have to go through this.
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Post by Kimby on Dec 29, 2009 21:10:34 GMT
Do you know about "Depends" absorbent undergarments for adults?
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Post by lagatta on Dec 29, 2009 23:25:28 GMT
I'm sure kerouac does, as his mum is in a care home. But one associates those adult diapers with the very old and infirm, not just a nervous bladder...
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 30, 2009 3:52:24 GMT
You'd think the simple twits would rather you carry a handbag out in the open rather that show up in a capacious garment with hidden pockets, wouldn't you?
My trip going to the US was every level of Hell and then some. I got back about 2 1/2 hours ago, & must say the return trip was as pleasant at the one going was vile. There were no extra security measures, which I'd dreaded after the most recent incident. The friend who picked me up on this end says that wheeled carry-ons are going to be banned -- true?
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Post by lagatta on Dec 30, 2009 4:41:13 GMT
They are banned for the moment, though hapless terrorist had no such thing.
Hapless terrorist's OWN FATHER went to the authorities to say his son was going wacko. That took a lot, in such cultures where family ties are everything.
I had just been contemplating buying a wheeled carry-on, but no point now.
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Post by cristina on Dec 30, 2009 5:12:55 GMT
I remember flying to DC to see my Mom 6 months or so after 9/11 and they made everyone stay seated in the hour before landing. No one really complained.
Otherwise, I think this reaction has been especially knee-jerk and akin to the blunt knives debacle in the UK. When people open fire inside a Wal-Mart, we don't change the restrictions on shopping. This guy could have detonated his underwear far in advance of an hour of landing.
The fact is, there are nut cases everywhere. While I don't wish for anyone, including myself or my children, to walk into something that could have been reasonably prevented, we do take our chances in just living.
And, as lagatta mentions, this guy's father reported him. This is the real failure. When a parent alerts the authorities about their child, that is generally worth taking note of. That likely doesn't happen so often.
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Post by Kimby on Dec 31, 2009 4:27:52 GMT
Sounds like they are already easing up on some of the more onerous restrictions. So maybe we won't all have to resort to "astronaut diapers" for our airplane trips!
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 31, 2009 15:01:18 GMT
Hmm. That's what I was told -- that the wheeled carry-ons had been banned the day before I flew back home. However, I had one, as did the majority of the other travelers. My trip home involved four different airports, too.
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Post by bjd on Dec 31, 2009 15:35:51 GMT
We got back last night after several airplanes, all late, and various hours sitting around in airports.
Iberia (Spanish airline) weighed our checked baggage and the carry-on. Despite our bringing stuff home for our daughter and a double hammock as a wedding present for our son, we were well under Iberia's allowance of 2 23-kilo bags each, plus carry-on. But most of the other people in the line had enormous heavy suitcases.
On the way there, the many Colombians in the plane each had about 4 bags of carry-on, but they were carrying Christmas presents and Iberia was not strict at all. I think the main paranoia about travel is going into the States. All airports seem to have a separate section for security for US-bound flights.
The most thorough outward travel I have seen (other than Israel) is Bogotà airport. There were about 10 customs officers searching everybody's carry-on before we were allowed into the boarding area -- they opened all the food packages, punched through drink cartons... Obviously looking for drugs.
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Post by kerouac2 on Oct 10, 2022 15:50:59 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 10, 2022 15:54:24 GMT
I have an AirTag I put into my checked bag. Good thing I’m not flying Lufthansa.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 10, 2022 16:40:58 GMT
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Post by mich64 on Oct 10, 2022 19:09:46 GMT
We used an Air Tag on our recent holiday to Ireland. We will continue to do so in future but seeing this we will have to check with the airline.
I can not express how grateful I was that we put one in our luggage. Our return flight to Canada was delayed a total of 6 hours. We departed about 3 hours late due to the staff shortages at the Dublin airport/Air Canada. This delay put us into a circling holding pattern into Toronto due to being off schedule. After circling for a while we were diverted to the Hamilton Airport. While waiting to be refueled, a passenger went into medical distress and paramedics were brought on board. So between circling/diverting/medical emergency, we were late by another 3 hours.
Once we got through customs and determined our luggage carrousel we waited another 2 hours watching a bag at a time come out every minute or so. BUT, the blessing was because of the air tag, we KNEW it was there. We were so exhausted but thankful we knew it would at least finally come out. So many people were so stressed with not knowing what to do, should they stay and wait or come back? Most from our flight decided to stay and wait and slowly but surely the crowd thinned. There was a large group of people waiting at our carrousel from a flight earlier from London, none of their luggage had come out yet and then when they changed the sign to say the bags were from Dublin, I seen many people in tears. There was baggage piled at almost every carrousel from flights earlier in the day. It was chaotic.
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Post by mickthecactus on Oct 10, 2022 19:31:22 GMT
That is a total nightmare mich.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 10, 2022 20:14:43 GMT
You are correct Mick, it was a nightmare. It will be a while before we fly out of Pearson Airport. I had read so many news reports about how severe their staffing situation was there but I never imagined the experience would be as difficult as it was. I felt bad for the staff that was working, people were very angry and stressed and staff were taking some abuse for it which was not right. It was hard to have patience but the staff there were doing the very best they could.
When we travel again, I am going to try reducing and repacking into 2 carry on bags. I would still bring the air tags to put in my carry on because they were taking some passengers carry on bags and putting them in the cargo hold because so many people were all trying to do the same thing.
In our experience, air travel is not very pleasant right now. Lots of people all trying to get away after COVID and there are just not enough staff throughout all the airport operations. We were part of the problem, so for us, best to stay home for a while until they can catch up.
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Post by Kimby on Oct 11, 2022 1:27:06 GMT
One way to ensure your bag makes it where you are going is to “gate check” your larger carry-on bag, and then pick it up as you get off the plane.
They have numbered claim tags with a tear-off stub that you keep in case something goes wrong, but since you carry it down the jetway and pick it up on the arrival jetway it’s hard for the airline to lose your bag.
Saves you from having to boost that big sucker up into the overhead bin, too.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 11, 2022 2:44:46 GMT
What an ordeal, Mich! Thank goodness the air tags gave you all more peace of mine than some of those poor people waiting to find out if they'd ever see their luggage again. When we travel again, I am going to try reducing and repacking into 2 carry on bags. That is absolutely the best way, if it's possible. Kimby's suggestion is very good, too, especially if a person can't pick up the carryon to put it in the overhead bin. On the flight I took recently, I got applauded by people sitting nearby. Some selfish twit had put his/her rather small backpack in the overhead, although it surely would have fit under the seat. I turned it upright on its side and, after much huffing and puffing, managed to get my regulation carryon into the bit of space I'd made. This was even more of a relief as almost immediately afterward luggage was being taken from the passengers in the aisle to be gate checked. Even when airlines don't lose luggage, their baggage handlers often seem to have a vendetta against passenger's bags, including those that are gate checked.
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Post by bjd on Oct 11, 2022 5:48:52 GMT
Your experience in Toronto indeed sounds horrible, Mich. I read recently that Toronto airport is number one on the list of airports with delayed flights. It sounds as they are doing a lousy job on incoming ones too.
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Post by mich64 on Oct 12, 2022 0:59:54 GMT
Bjd, while waiting on our departure out of Pearson, we were listening to the announcements for a few hours on a flight to Munich that kept getting delayed, mechanical issue. We thought for sure they would substitute our plane and then delay us but finally they announced a departure for them (about 6 hours late!) and we departed only about 2o minutes late.
I will be practicing my carry on packing!
I had to board (from Dublin) on my own. For some reason, my husbands boarding pass (our seats were beside each other) was Zone 5. I took our larger carry on so I might possibly find space above or near our seats, this was a huge accomplishment for me due to my health issues. I insisted to my husband that I could do this. A very nice young/fit lady was sitting beside me so she immediately took my bag and hoisted it into the overhead. We are hoping to travel again in May but not if the airports have not had the time they needed to recover.
Way to go Bixa!!!
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