Shocking new terrorist plot ...

[Decker]

Let's hope they relax it a bit by next Thursday as we're taking our nephew to the US.

Originally posted by easygoingeezer

No offence meant EGG as signified by mr

On the real front - we should seriously be congratulating our security forces if, as I read, this is an operation that's been underway for several months. Must have taken a sudden turn for the worse to have caused today's action though.

I will congratulate them once all the facts come out, if they say 18 people have been detained and then the next day released without charge I won't be though.

Like I say on the one hand I would like to think they have stopped a disaster from taking place and on the other would wish there wasn't one being planned in the first place.

[Bazz]

Originally posted by slinky09
...Must have taken a sudden turn for the worse to have caused today's action though...

Not necessarily, the decision to move now may have been made a while back and would have been timed to ensure they arrested as many suspects as possible - it may not have been triggered by a worsening situation.

Barry.

Let's hope they relax it a bit by next Thursday as we're taking our nephew to the US.

Know what you mean Decker, we are travelling in two weeks with a one year old, it's the other passengers we would feel sorry for......hope they allow purchases of kiddy items in the terminal!

Regards
Nevil

Concerning the current threat, I think the one thing we know is that we know very little. I have hear various reports on the radio of the target being between 3 and 6 jets mid Atlantic. I also understand that the UK has been put on the highest threat status, and a minister explained on Radio 4 that this means that there is a high probability that a terrorist attack is immanent. Presumably this implies that while the Police and MI5 have done a great job overnight, there is still a great potential threat looming.

In an ideal world, there would be machinery at the airport which would detect every explosive substance with 100% accuracy. No doubt this would be backed up by a plethora of sniffer dogs all over the terminals. However, in the real world such machinery does not exist. And no doubt this threat crystallised very rapidly, requiring an equally rapid and draconian response. I think that the tactic being employed is pretty clear. Remove any possibility of a passenger carrying explosives onto the plane, in particular liquids which are especially difficult to check. Remove any possibility of a passenger carrying an electronic detonation device on to the plane, so that checked luggage is safer. I am not sure how they are dealing with timer devices, but trust that I donÕt need to know.

All this means major inconvenience for the travelling public. It may well prove to be a total over-reaction. If you donÕt agree with the measures I think you have to come up with an alternative? To take no measure, or just to make security a little tighter, would be an under-reaction Ð the results of someone getting through would be too dire and unforgivable given the prior knowledge of a threat. Personally I would have considered the grounding of all ex-UK flights an over-reaction that would have allowed the terrorists to win. However I am sure it was considered (in fact one of the Ministerial interviews bought this up un-prompted so we can be pretty sure it was thought about), and a decision was made to go with this lesser, although severe, action. I honestly believe we have no other option than to trust the security services, thank them for the work so far, and allow this new inconvenience to wash over us.

I understand that duty free electronics, liquor, liquid cosmetics and potentially food and tobacco will be removed by the secondary screening on transatlantic flights. One hopes that by now, the duty free shops have got their act together to prevent purchase based on the boarding pass.

Originally posted by Gelding
I dont think people are moaning to be honest. To me this seems to be a brick it reaction by the authorities and they have stopped any kind of attack based on what they know about the original plots by banning pretty much every item of hand luggage.

You hand luggage is screened. So are they now telling us that the screening they have been using for years that they have in place isn't good enough. If it is then why aren't they using it now. If they fear its a mixing of liquids to form an explosive device, then just ban liquids!

Well said [y][y][y]

I was just reading the BA release, and came across this bit:
"For clarity, passengers are advised that no electrical or battery powered items including laptops, mobile phones, ipods, remote controls etc can be carried in the cabin and must be checked in as hold baggage."
To be honest I hadn't even thought about mobile phones having to be put in checked bags!

Anyway, I trust that all checked bags will be handled very gently by the baggage handlers, and there'll be extra security guarding everyone's checked bags en route to the hold? [ii]

Cheers

Michael

Seems after conversations between Pres Bush and Mr Blair, internal flights in the USA have been coded Orange and incoming flights from the UK have been coded RED, this would indicate to me that our security is not 100% confident that they moved quickly enough, apparantly BAA were only informed of this threat first thing this morning.

Seems what we know so far is just the beginning of something and there is more to be learned yet. This is an Ongoing Operation according to the government, they have not said they have foiled a plot, they say they have interrupted it.

Just found out about the alert and im traveling to day with easyjet, had to tip all of my hand luggage into my case!
Its quite worrying especially for people like my mum who is scared of flying!
Does anyone know whats happening at reigonal airports like bristol? is it like LHR?

Don't know about Bristol Airbus, but Southampton now has a queue of traffic outside, and I have not heard any flights arriving or leaving since about 0500 (when I got up) this morning.

[Bazz]

Chaos at all Uk airports I'm afraid. You are still being advised by most carriers to turn up on time, although they do say if your journey isn't necessary, you may be better off re-scheduling.

Got me slightly worried, I am flying AZ LHR-FCO-PMO on sunday.
I'd expect it to have cleared up by then- but I'm wondering whether to book a ticket on STN-PMO on ryanair just to be safe.

Even if LHR is up and running again I only have 65 mins. to connect in FCO- so if the flight's late....
any info/help woudl be appreciated

i would like to echo many of the post on this thread, id rather arrive at my destination late and without my phone, books, camera and other personal items (although they will be in the hold). than carry them with me as well as some lunatic carrying theirs and attempting to blow me and many other innocents out of the sky. so i,m delayed at the airport, but i be delayed for my funeral as well

Typical, as soon as you press send you are proved out of date. Two flights just took off and headed south.

Well all these security measures suit me just fine.

I have always been a little worried especially since the shoe bomber incident that we have been allowed to take so much 'stuff' onboard in our hand luggage.

I noticed this year going through security at Orlando that only the people wearing shoes and not those wearing trainers were required to remove their footwear for screening. Why's that then, surely with all these thick soled trainers these days, they would be easily filled with explosives the same way that a normal heel would. What about all the electrical equipment that we take onboard, that could equally be a danger and is certainly not checked thoroughly enough for my liking.

I can only see that it makes good sense to reduce the possibilities of inappropriate substances being taken onboard. This is a very dangerous world we unfortunately live in and I do not believe that this will ever change and terrorists will always be looking for new avenues to follow in their questionable crusades to champion their causes.

This has got to be the safest time to fly whilst security is so tight, it's when all the fuss has died down and security gets a bit more loose and free as always happens that the threats are more likely to come to fruition, security needs to remain tight at all times you never know what's around the corner.

Good luck to all those flying in the coming weeks hope the delays are not too long and you all have fabulous holidays:D

thelaceys

The problem is the info from ba/vs/baa sites are not able to keep up with demand so lots of people are not being able to find direct info as to what flights will won't leave/land - BAA site has just one blank page with no links or info.

This liquid thing implies they were going to try to make something mid-air and I guess that screening wouldn't pick that up, at least I hope that's what it applies. I know hold luggage is scanned but does this imply that hand luggage is not screened as well? That is slightly worrying.

On the more practical side, is it OK to put you laptop and that in hold luggage when the hold isn't pressurised so will get very cold on these flights?

From the VA website and desktop alerts:


Passengers who do not wish to travel from the UK today (10 August) can rebook to travel within the next 14 days in the same booking class, subject to availability.


{Edited by Bazz to remove text duplicating Catsilver's post on page two of this thread.}

[Bazz]

Originally posted by ade99
The problem is the info from ba/vs/baa sites are not able to keep up with demand so lots of people are not being able to find direct info as to what flights will won't leave/land - BAA site has just one blank page with no links or info.

This liquid thing implies they were going to try to make something mid-air and I guess that screening wouldn't pick that up, at least I hope that's what it applies. I know hold luggage is scanned but does this imply that hand luggage is not screened as well? That is slightly worrying.

On the more practical side, is it OK to put you laptop and that in hold luggage when the hold isn't pressurised so will get very cold on these flights?

I think you will find the hold is pressurised.

The liquids could also be acidic/corrosive and potentially cause failure depending where placed.

[Neil]

Originally posted by Airbus340
Just found out about the alert and im traveling to day with easyjet, had to tip all of my hand luggage into my case!
Its quite worrying especially for people like my mum who is scared of flying!
Does anyone know whats happening at reigonal airports like bristol? is it like LHR?

Haven't EZY cancelled all there flights ex Stanstead already?? Don't know how that will affect the rest of there operations.

Checking is slack - Went Brum to Dublin on March and had forgotten till I got there that I had packed my wet razor and other blades in hand luggage (the gilette fella with a battery)
Not spotted going through Brum - what else could I have got through

Havn't seen this scaning through the thread so far... but FYI Drive-Through Check-in has been stopped untill further notice.

As soon as you go through security there is Boots etc that you can then buy what you need. i.e. tooth paste / brush / also books etc - or are they then also taken off you before you board - duty free etc- does not make sense otherwise all the shops may as well close.

Originally posted by porsche911
AAs soon as you go through security there is Boots etc that you can then buy what you need. i.e. tooth paste / brush / also books etc - or are they then also taken off you before you board - duty free etc- does not make sense otherwise all the shops may as well close.

PAX are being screened again before boarding flights to the US so I guess you will lose anything you purchase?

How about flights to Asia - Shanghai - or is it just American flights?

[Neil]

I know slightly OT, but what has always got me about the rules of what is and is not allowed flights is that fact that anything sharp cannot be in your hand luggage (which is fine), yet you can go to Duty Free, buy a glass bottle of alcohol, take it on the flight, no problems. A glass bottle can be easily smashed onboard by somebody and becomes a very dangerous weapon. Nearly every weekend there are stories of people who have been "bottled", so how is this allowed?

Neil