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

 

[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
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

 

[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
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
Alison

 

[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...? human rights and all that....
Alison

 

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

 

[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

 

[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.