Shocking new terrorist plot ...

Originally posted by mitchja
Claire

TSA locks are available in the UK - I got mine from my local ASDA supermarket.

Regards

Thanks James....

Originally posted by preiffer
Just got this in from VS about my flight this weekend:

Flights Departing From US Airports

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be implementing a series of security measures. Although the TSA is not restricting the carriage of hand luggage all items are being hand searched at the departure gate and this is causing significant delays. It is therefore strongly recommended that you carry only the most essential items to speed up the security process and minimise flight delays.

Isn't it strange that the UK and US have different takes on this? Can take on nothing from here, but hand luggae ok still in the US, as long as no liquids or gels. Common policy would surely be a good idea?

Originally posted by Golfman
Apologies if any of this has been posted before, my internet broad band is down and I'm relying on dial up so haven't been through every page of this discussion.

Having been at work at VS today.....very busy...luckily in my job I do not have to deal wih Pax directly.!!....inbound flights landing on time, problems then start as T3 on a normal day is just about at capacity, so with outbound delays, there is nowhere for the landing aircraft to park, so for a fair part of the day there were long delays before a parking stand was allocated. Often this was on a remote stand requiring buses for the passengers. As the buses are provided by the BAA, and they were very stretched, it did take some time. One very big problem was first thing (ie early morning, 5.30 am) when early shift staff were arriving for work, due to the security clampdown, which affected staff as much as passengers, it meant that a lot of staff didn't get into work for several hours. Now bear in mind planes were still landing....many of the staff that had been on duty all night then stayed on to help...but this was still short of the normal compliment so problems arose. Delays to the outbund flights were mainly due to the security in the terminals slowing up pax checking in etc as well as the US authorities taking longer checking pax list before letting US bound flight leaving the UK. From the feedback we were getting in the ops meetings I attended today, most pax understood the situation. hopefully tommorow will be a bit easier in the terminals. Unfortunately there will be delays, especially as a lot of the departure today were late, this will of course have an effect on tomorows arrivals and therefore departures as well. Extra staff have been called in to help over the weekend. please help by heading the BAA/security advice regarding handbagage, it will really help
Do hope it has not caused to mush inconvinience for you all.

Hi Golf, and thanks for that. I was only wondering how VS staff are feeling. I realise your job doesn't directly involve you with the flying public, but are you able to gauge how staff are feeling by it all?

Originally posted by slinky09
It still continues to amaze me that we, here in the UK and London and presumably at slightly greater threat than people in Arkansas, get worse news from our media than our US friends. Here's the latest from CNN:

"Terrorists were in the "final stages" of a plot to simultaneously blow up as many as 10 jets leaving Britain for the U.S., sending the planes and thousands of passengers into the Atlantic Ocean, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday."

Or:

"Two of the suspects recently traveled to Pakistan and later received money wired from there, senior U.S. government sources said.

Among those arrested were a Muslim charity worker and a Heathrow Airport employee with an all-area access pass, according to Britain's Channel 4."

"A senior congressional source said it is believed the plotters planned to mix a British sports drink with a gel-like substance to make a potent explosive that could be ignited with an MP3 player or cell phone. The sports drink could be combined with a peroxide-based paste to form a potent "explosive cocktail," if properly done, said a U.S. counterterrorism official."

"Two of the suspects left "martyrdom tapes," according to sources familiar with the details of the British investigation."

... find any of this in UK media at the moment ... errr no, don't we *****foot around the issues and pander to our communities.

This occurred to me as well. I was checking the bbc news site throughout the day and essentially, nothing seemed to be changed. While there is, of course, a need to keep certain things from the public for ongoing security reasons (I guess so, anyway!), nothing new was coming out.

I think the feeling of staff that I have had contact is an overwhelming desire to get the immediate situation for passengers back to normal as quickly as possible. Inspite of the delays and problems getting into work may staff have called in offering their services on their days off.Many staff did indeed come in yesterday, and even turned up early before their shift statrt time, 'just incase' they could be of help. Obviously many of the staff have been with VS a number of years and have seen firsthand the effects of incidences to do with aviation (9/11, SARS etc) and know that it is important to look after the passengers as 'you are what pays the wages' !!

Originally posted by Golfman
I think the feeling of staff that I have had contact is an overwhelming desire to get the immediate situation for passengers back to normal as quickly as possible.

I think I speak for all of us on V-flyer when I say that we all would like to thank you and your colleaques for all that you have done for those of us who have to fly with Virgin at this time!

If you are able please pass on our gratitude!!

Its at times like these when you are all "Heroes"

[oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo][oo]

Originally posted by Golfman
I think the feeling of staff that I have had contact is an overwhelming desire to get the immediate situation for passengers back to normal as quickly as possible.

Indeed. Over the next few days they've asked for Office based Volunteers to help in a few areas.
As I have an airside pass I'll probably be in the club house or at gates all weekend myself.
While we're in no-way as qualified to sort out problems as the usual airport staff we can provide a bit of slack, especially as we're unlikely yet to be feeling the fatigue of dealing with this over a couple of days.

So if you are travelling this weekend and meet VS staff in suits not uniforms, they're likely to be office based.

Haven't read this whole thread, so don't kick me for asking this obvious question, but - why was Virgin not targeted as one of the airlines to carry a bomb?

betsy06

[fozzyo]

Friends and I were debating this in the pub last night, came to the conclusion that it's because it is not an American company or specifically British.

Originally posted by betsy06
Haven't read this whole thread, so don't kick me for asking this obvious question, but - why was Virgin not targeted as one of the airlines to carry a bomb?

betsy06

I wouldn't like to predict exactly what is going through those idiots heads, however if I was to take a guess - I would say it's down to size, they have targeted the really big players....... For me though it doesn't really matter. They still contain innocent victims regardles of company branding.

Yea, I agree with you both. It's a smaller company - especially in name recognition (not true for us, but we're just extra smart!) and it's not exclusively British or American.

Must have been with a great sigh of relief, ole Richard B. woke up this morning! Wonder if Virgin is being inundated by the overflow from the other airlines? What a question...of course! It must be madness at Heathrow. Although, I saw it seemed to be a little better today.

betsy06

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by betsy06
Wonder if Virgin is being inundated by the overflow from the other airlines?

Thats a good point, hadn't thought of that. After 7th July I had a load of friends who refused to sit upstairs at the back of a bus because that is where the bomber was. I'm guessing there is no manual that says that all bombers must sit there if on a bus, but the same applies here. Will people perceive themselves as being safer by not booking themselves onto the named airlines.

does anyone think after what has happened passengers will be looking at other passengers on there flights with more vigilence

[ChuckC]

Perhaps in the short term -- wouldn't you? Long-term -- I doubt it.

Chuck-

oh yes. i think you wouldnt be human if you didnt

Originally posted by catsilversword
Anyone got any (clean) suggestions as to how pass the time on board? I know PE and UC get papers, but will pens also be supplied? Not just for doing the crossword, but also for filling in immigration forms...

If you get bored with our award winning IFE then why not engage in the ancient, but not often practiced art of conversation. [:p]

Pens will still be available to fill in immigration forms. To pass some time why not make a whole host of mistakes when filling in your forms - then you will have to start again! [:o)]

Conversation - huh? What a thought LOL. Actually, after my last post, it did occur to me that there's a pen included in the amenity kit - or maybe there now isn't???

Originally posted by Jetstreamer

Originally posted by catsilversword
Anyone got any (clean) suggestions as to how pass the time on board? I know PE and UC get papers, but will pens also be supplied? Not just for doing the crossword, but also for filling in immigration forms...

If you get bored with our award winning IFE then why not engage in the ancient, but not often practiced art of conversation. [:p]

Pens will still be available to fill in immigration forms. To pass some time why not make a whole host of mistakes when filling in your forms - then you will have to start again! [:o)]

Usually not very interested in the IFE - I'm not a film buff, so it's unusual for any of them to hold my attention! TV programmes - I can sometimes find one I want to see, but of course they're fairly short! Am somewhat comforted to learn I can at least buy a book airside to take on though.... or maybe more than one!

[Decker]

and from today's BAA

[url=http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/controller/dispatcher.jsp?CiID=875c86ceabcfc010VgnVCM10000036821c0a____&ChID=ac4597dc2eb12010VgnVCM100000147e120a____&Ct=B2C_CT_PRESS_RELEASE&CtID=a22889d8759a0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____&Ch=All+Press+Releases&ChPath=Home%5ECorporate%5EAll+Press+Releases&ChIDPath=caf397dc2eb12010VgnVCM100000147e120a____^2292ea0bb0022010VgnVCM100000147e120a____^ac4597dc2eb12010VgnVCM100000147e120a____]"Passengers will be able to purchase items from the departures lounge once they have passed through security and carry these onto the aircraft. However, if you are travelling to the USA, you will be able to purchase goods for consumption in the airport but no additional items, other than those on the list, can be carried onto the aircraft."[/url].

So can we buy books or not?

[mitchja]

Going off the VS web site:

Books and "dry" duty free goods, such as cigarettes and electrical items, purchased airside i.e. after the airport central security point, are permitted in their original sealed packaging, with proof of purchase. No liquids, gels, lotions of any description are permitted, regardless of where purchased

yes you can, although very surprised they are allowing electrical items [:?]

Regards

I can't live without my ipod! I cant sit in an airport terminal without my music!!! [V][?][n]

With BA and now Ryanair publicly venting their frustration I can't see how this situation can continue. Hand baggage I am betting will be allowed very soon but we'll have to wait for the rules, I'd guess no liquids will continue, after all, if even if the Americans can operate like this I'm sure we can.

Really, we have to get the balance of risk and proportionality right and (I'll expect reprimand and censure) I also agree with Michael O'Leary (for once) that a family in flip flops and shorts carrying crayons and fun items are not as likely to bring down a plane as others and we should short out how to treat such people quickly and efficiently. My colleague with his two young children had a hell of a time flying out on holiday yesterday, as many many must have done, and if we allow this to continue it will breed resentment and in effect mean that the terrorists have won some small victory.

I have to agree with the previous comments. My wife and our 2 childeren were selected for further checks when flying to Greece earlier this year, We are not your average terrorists being WASPs. It is not racist to say that 99.9999% of recent attacks have been perpertrated by middle eastern/ asian males travelling on there own by train , bus, plane. The madness is to stop a proportion of all passengers just to be seen to be filling ethnic quotas. And yes I do know Richard Reed (The shoe bomber) was white. Feel free to disagree with me but these are facts.

Don't reallly disagree ny, but more than Richard Reed were white. Looking at the photos on BBC, a significant proportion of this recently arrested were white. Unfortunately no body can be beyond suspision, and in these times colour failes to be a reliable indicator.

In reply to ny -

Sorry -but thats baloney - one of the arrested people is a so called WASP ( what a horrible term that is) and changed his name to an islamic name 6 months ago.

So what does a terrorist look like - or a criminal or a murderer - they look like you and me - Joe Normal going about his business - thats the problem!!!

There was a good article on Radio 5 yesterday about "profiling " something that El Al do (apparently over oficciously) with all passengers - they look at the way people behave and what they do as well as how they respond. Its not foolproof but they reckon that anyone who is up to no good will give themselves away one way or another!!