Airport Security

[alisonbestford]

Hi there,
I'd be interested to know whether anyone travelling since the 'new', more stringent security measures came into force noticed any difference at their check in?
We'll be travelling with Virgin in Jan and the prospect of battling through customs with a 5 year old and a disabled husband, possibly coupled with an extended check in, is making me feel wornout ;)
Thanks
Alison
:earsgirl:

[MazdaUK]

I'm also a bit concerned - particularly after I read something that says you have to leave your cases unlocked for security to check otherwise they break them opne and its your own tough luck for not leaving them open/using a padlock they can opne.

Is this true? Does it apply only to internal flights? Do they lock the cases once they're done?

The thought of unlocked cases full of goodies from Florida arriving at Gatwick ......can't see them reaching the carousel intact somehow!

[florry]

We came back in August and had to unlock the cases at check in !

Security was very tight at Sanford but no more than it was 2 years ago.

Gatwick was very poor. When DH went through the scanner it went off. He emptied his pockets and still it went off. He was told that it was probally the studs on his jeans and let him through.

Going out from Gatwick DH DD DS and myself found ourselves walking around the offices at Gatwick. We walked passed the managing directors office and offices with doors open and computers on the desks. We walked right through, without being challenged we were in there for about ten minutes before we found a way out into the main terminal.

We didn't go in there intentionally, we entered the building via the car park. the door was open and cabin crew were walking in so we did ! bit worrying isn't it !

When we came back we collected our bags and they were all intact ! they were so busy that we just walked through passport control with just a quick glance over the passports. Mine could have been a copy of the beano and he wouldn't have noticed !
and with nobody in the customs hall we walked straight through ! no one to been seen anywhere !

[BiGGy]

The unlocked cases thing have been running for just over a year i think, when we went last year ours had to be left unlocked, i used luggage straps and cable ties to secure them and also as a way of checking they had been opened.

My case was opened on the way back and the ties were replaced with security ties with numbers on and a letter put inside explaining that my case had been checked, nothing was missing and everything was tidy inside.


BiGGy

[alisonbestford]

The Beano eh? ;) Should be alright with my copy of the Dandy then:tongue:
I think we're flying into Orlando International. It's not the leaving cases unlocked that concerns me as I never lock mine - I'm certain we'd lose the keys before we landed! Foolish maybe but there you go.
Any signs of the fingerprinting and photographing etc in Orlando that kept popping up on the news?
I'm not surprised at your experience at Gatwick Florry - we tend to travel from Manchester airport and, certainly for the last couple of years, we've rarely seen any custom's officials!
Alison
:Pinkbounc :bounce: :Pinkbounc

[kar123]

Just back last week from Orlando via New York. When we flew out security was very tight with Continental from Edinburgh. We had to remove socks and shoes and they even looked at the soles of our feet ! We also had to remove any loose layers of clothes and put them through the x ray ( jumpers, cardis, fleeces etc ) essentially stripping off until we only had a t shirt on. All loose change and everthing must come out of pockets and camera and camcorder were taken out of bags, swabbed with a spnge thing and put through a seperate machine to test for explosives I think.

Then on arrival in USA it took about 1 hour to clear customs. Passpots were studied a lot more than previously and of course photographs and fingerprints were taken. This seemed to cause more delay than is probably necessary......old people were a bit confused and non English speakers seem to hold things up. Knowing which is your Index finger helps enormously ! ( This is the one that is fingerprinted ) It did seem as though quite a few people were getting either sent back to complete forms or taken to another room ( glass fronted with quite a few people in ) for further questioning I assume. Customs also seemed quite stroppy in their attitude and when I heard one lady complain about the wait they pulled her to one side and made her empty all the carry on luggage. This happened on the internal American flight, Americans do take huge amounts of carry on luggage so the wait time was long to get x rayed as we left New york to go to Orlando.

All in all i reckon you just have to relax and go with it and dont be heard to complain. Security is just going to get tougher and tougher so we may aswell get used to it. I think apart from the hassle factor its reassuring anyway.

If I can answer anymore questions just fire away !

[Grumpy John]

Flew out on October 1 to MCO. Finger printings and photo was no major hassle, it really did not add much to the time it normally takes to go through customs. Landed at 15.15, was driving out of the airport at 16.15. Honest!

[disneyholic family]

you don't say how your husband is disabled....
the security for those in wheelchairs can be long and tiresome....
actually, internal US security is pretty long and tiresome for everyone...
i don't know what it's like in orlando for those on international flights, but it's ridiculously long on internal flights (especially if you have the misfortune of carrying a ticket purchased overseas - in which case you're "marked" for special care....every item is checked....oh joy)....

[wilki32]

Disneyholis
We're flying via Washington at the end of November but only have 1 hour 20 mins to board our internal flight, will that be enough time?
Anthony

[disneyholic family]

wilki32 - excellent question which i think you'd better ask your travel agent....i have to say that an hour and 20 minutes does not sound like enough time to me....will you have to clear immigration and customs in washington? (pick up your suitcases and go through customs)....if so, you won't make it...it's too little time..
but check with your travel agent....

this past summer, our agent made us leave 3 hours for our transfer in New York (JFK).....we had to cross immigration and customs there and then re-check our suitcases and then get over to the other airline.....immigration and getting our suitcases took over an hour this year (the worst ever....but that's in NY)....when we went to re-check our bags, they told us we'd just made the re-check deadline....

in other words, if you have to clear immigration and customs in washington an hour and 20 minutes is NOT enough......

[jns]

we went through immigrations at Sanford airport still the same as before but
now you get to scan you index finger on both hands very simple and they take
your photo at the same time you do not even notice ,all the immigrations
gates were open so no longer delays then usual BTW we flight from Belfast
northern Ireland

[alisonbestford]

Thanks for all that :D
My husband has a brain tumour (which he's had for around 14 years now!) so tires very easily. The one thing he won't do though is use a wheelchair so we should be ok on that one ;)
What exactly is the finger scanning for? In case you run riot in the US? Do children have to scan too? I guess DD will find it all rather exciting and something to tell her school friends :p
Alison
:sunny:

[jns]

everyone entering the USA have to have there fingerprints scanned at the airport and they photo taken it is a new law that was taken out early this month it was no big deal and as well every one has to have there own passport machine readable even children enjoy your holiday
Jackie

[alisonbestford]

Hi Jackie,
Yep, we've got our machine readable passports and index fingers at the ready ;)
Just wondered whether anyone knew what we were actually being scanned for...?:confused: human rights and all that....:p
Alison
:Pinkbounc

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Human rights legislation only covers the European Union.
This is to flag up people who dissapear into the USA, or try to re enter using different names/passports

[alisonbestford]

Ah! :D
Well, guess we're not planning to disappear any where so best get my makeup out for the photo :p
I just like to know why I'm doing things - my human right ;)
Alison
:wave:

[Grumpy John]

Human rights! Maybe if the UK was the follow the same lead by the US maybe we would not be inundated with illegal immigrants

[alisonbestford]

He, he :tongue:

[disneyholic family]

just a slight correction.....only non-US citizens (i.e. "aliens") are fingerprinted and photographed....US citizens only have their passports checked....although that was a change for us as well....before 9-11 we didn't have to have our passports checked....we just walked right through...since 9-11 we also have to go through immigration (and this past summer actually had to wait 40 minutes in line....wow....that was an eye opener....
with the guard yelling at anyone who tried to make a call on their mobile.....my kids were cracking up....if you've ever seen the movie "Meet the parents"....my kids kept saying, "Maam, step away from your phone"....

oh, and by the way, it has nothing to do with illegal immigration ("wetbacks") and everything to do with terrorism....

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

yes, because you have a complete list of terrorists, their fingerprints and how they look, or is it so that they can say AFTER the event "they came in through Chicago"
what a waste of time if that was the reason.

[RUSHBURY]

We flew Glasgow to Orlando via Newark. The fingerprinting and photos didn't seem to delay us much at all - maybe we were lucky. My DS8 didn't get his photo taken or his fingerprints done - much to his disappointment - the immigration officer told him that he didn't need ot done as he was 'special' - this made his day. DD14 and DD17 had there's done.

[disneyholic family]

Obi Wan Kenobim-.....absolutely....a total waste of time........

[vernon]

oh, and by the way, it has nothing to do with illegal immigration ("wetbacks") and everything to do with terrorism.... IMHO it's an attempt to be seen to be doing something. The fact that it won't contribute a jot to security isn't the point, it's so the current administration can point to these measures and tell their voting public "see there's proof we're taking steps to make you safer" and without major inconvenience to the American Public. What is blindly ignored by much of the US public, is that those who carried out 9/11 had correct and legal documents, their visas were in order, they'd cleared checks that were as strict as the current ones just to get into the country and that these new checks wouldn't have picked them up either.

As far as it helping to prevent "future" acts, kinda hard when you're dealing with suicide bombers, not many of them re-offend :rolleyes: . 9/11 was commited by terrorists with legal docs, and most (if not all) of them didn't have any terrorist background.

It has little to do with terrorism, and everything to do with winning votes, JMHO.

[Andy, Lou & Meg]

To be honest, the security checks in Gatwick are pretty tiresome, but not too bad, and you accept that you need it to be stringent now in today's climate.
Orlando International is another problem though....
I really can't see the point of putting my luggage through 3 different X-Ray machines upon arrival. After queueing for ages to get through immigration, the last thing you need after an 8 hour flight is to keep messing about with you baggage.
I know why they do it, but surely 1 X-Ray will spot anything untoward?

[maureen4200040]

Hi,

Since you are travelling with a disabled husband, be sure to get Airport assistance. I requested this when travelling with my mother last year. On arrival at Sanford airport we were the last passengers off the plane. We were collected by Airport staff with wheelchairs and taken through to immigration. (Airport staff will push the wheelchair through to the queue mainly for disabled travellers).

Our passports etc were checked quicker than all the other passengers on our flight, we were then taken to luggage collection (another quick process)
in total I would say it took us around 20minutes from getting off the plane to departing the airport.

When requesting Airport assistance remember you need to book it on both legs of your journey.


maureen4200040:wave2:

[alisonbestford]

Sounds a great idea to me Maureen - all I have to do now is convince DH that we could do with a hand at the airport.
I'll practically have to carry him off the plane but will he admit it?! :rolleyes:

Men ;)

I'll 'give it a whirl' tho as I must admit that I do get pretty fed up trying to juggle everything off the plane and either not leaving anything behind or murdering someone in the process :p
Stick a prolonged check-in on top of that and I may not be responsible for my own actions..... :rotfl:

Alison
pirate: ::MinnieMo ::MinnieMo

[Funky_dino]

sanford this yr was pretty good really, went through really quick with no probs, we didn't bother putting padlocks on our cases we just left them and they all came back fine at gatwick, although i took my digi camera, ipod and stuff in my carry on, and was ok excpet............. when i went through the gate i set it off. I had to remove my ring, watch, belt, shoes and hat. then i had to demonstrate my camera, ipod and mobile phone working, which is quite a common thing they ask if u have elec stuff on u.

[MazdaUK]

First time we went to America we took our SLR camera with us and at customer were asked to take the lens off - unfortunately my husband had completely forgotten how to do that! (we only had the one lens - lucky the customs bloke knew what to do)

So if taking a new toy, take the instructions too to avoid red faces!::yes::

[jjpenguin]

Just back from WDW. Getting into the US was no problem, flew via Newark and it was very quick going through passports etc. Fingerprinting is quick & painless and doesn't add much time. I only had hand baggage so didn't have to go through the collect, scan, drop off rigmarole.

Getting out of the US was a whole different matter! First my case (checked in this time) was selected for an extra check ; I waited till it had gone through the x-ray as it was locked, but wasn't allowed to open it. Security was v. stroppy. Have no idea what caused it? maybe the 2 containers of DKNY body creme? Stuff was swabbed, but they didn't take everything out thank goodness.

And then (maybe because of this) I was picked for extra security check and had to wait for ages before being scanned & frisked and have all carry on luggage searched and swabbed. No idea why, maybe cause I first had internal flight MCO to Houston ?? anyway it was a pain in the ***, took forever, and the fact that there was a security officer next to me looking at his colleagues holiday snaps just emphasised the pointlessness of it all!!

Also at Houston there was no check whatsoever, a lady at check in took the green card and a security chap glanced at my passport and that was it.

It is more 'show and tell' than that it has any real use as far as I can see.

[natalielongstaff]

we flew into the us with virgin,but out of the us on american airlines and to me they seemed a lot stricter than the gatwick lot!! however that said it didnt take too long. we did have to take our shoes off and have our feet checked?? and ds(3) loved being made to stand feet apart arms outstretched and kept doing it while the rest of us were checked so the lady let him have another go!;)

[disneyvillainlover]

I have to comment on some statements that were made..

Every airport in the USA has the same checks. If you did not go through security when you connected it was because you never left the secure area of the airport. At Chicago we had to go through security to get to the gate at Philly we never because you do not leave the 'past security' side.

The probable reason for the case going through extra checks is because you have to have your cases unlocked so the fact that yours were locked raised suspision.

The 9 11 suiciders used internal flights which needed no security at the time 'like riding a bus' that is why they managed to do what they did .. the USA thought that they were safe 'at home' big eye opener for them..
I mean my mum was on a connected flight pre 9 11 and people were boarding the plane asking to buy a ticket!!

Immigration takes as long as it takes.. and just like any line I join I always get the one that doesn't move LOL but hey I am going on holiday and it is only minutes when all is said and done.