Government relaxing security restrictions

Thank goodness - from tomorrow permitted hand luggage dimensions are being increased to 56cm (length) x 45cm (width) x 25cm (depth). Only one bag will continue to be allowed.

Musical instruments that will not fit into hand baggage can also now be taken on board.

Solid cosmetics - eg, lipstick may be carried through central search.

All other restrictions continue to apply

More details on baa website

[preiffer]

About bloody time!!!



Thanks for pointing it out [y]

[Neil]

[url=http://www.baa.com/portal/controller/dispatcher.jsp?CiID=566cefdec403d010VgnVCM10000036821c0a____&CtID=a22889d8759a0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____&Ct=B2C_CT_PRESS_RELEASE&ChPath=Corporate^Media%20Centre^News%20Releases^Results]here[/url] are the full details.

Glad this is happening, good news for all .

Yay! Just in time for me. I'm travelling to Mumbai on VS350 on Saturday-can now take my laptop rucksack rather than the small case.

[HighFlyer]

Fantastic!

Would love to see the list defining 'solid' cosmetics. Still think i may be better off sticking a lot of 'dubious' items into checked luggage just to make the process slightly easier. But still, great news though!

Thanks,
Sarah

At last. UK PLC can be a travel hub again.. Yesterday there were still heated incredulous queues and arguments at T3 over bag sizes that are ok everywhere else in the world not being OK at LHR

Originally posted by preiffer
About bloody time!!!

Got to agree with Paul.

Just had email from Flybe telling me of this!

Is great news- I am sure all at BAA will breath a sigh of relief- takes some of the mounting presure off them (only yday were another airline complaining about LGW South)

Whilst the restrictions have been annoying- can you imagine what the world would have been like had the original terror plot taken place.....I think I much prefered the announce of having baggage restrictions for a limited period.

[mitchja]

Great news [oo]

The cabin bag size is now basically back to what it was before.

Regards

Interesting how this hasn't got much media coverage and there are still signs up about the small size limits at LGW at the moment, perhaps they might be hoping people will keep downsizing for a while.

The signs would of course be BAA's responsibility - Sorry, I know I am beginning to sound like a stuck record, but the cynic in me believes that they will manage to have a period of confusion.

I am however very pleased we are back to the old sizes of hand luggage, although don't forget it is still one piece. This was not necessarily the case before, and is still less than other parts of the world (US for example). So we may still have confused pax transferring in the UK.

[Neil]

Originally posted by sailor99

I am however very pleased we are back to the old sizes of hand luggage, although don't forget it is still one piece. This was not necessarily the case before, and is still less than other parts of the world (US for example). So we may still have confused pax transferring in the UK.

I am sure the OFFICIAL line before was only 1 piece per pax, although this was never enforced really (still remember the women from MBJ with about 12pcs[ii]).

I have read the BAA info site and listened to various news reports on it etc and both contradict each other with regards to the liquids situation, so I do agree that there will of course be the usual "BAA caused confusion" for the first few days until we get first hand reports from people who actually know what they are talking about!.

Nope, dependant on class and airline. For most, AFAIR it was 1 piece of hand luggage plus a small bag. The 1+1 small is still the case at US airports. VS's policy for UC was 2 pieces of hand luggage I think, although I cannot remember the sizes.

[Neil]

I was mainly refering to us lowly Y pax[:I] but I bow to your superior knowledge[B)]

Fair point. The US 1+1 is for Y too BTW.

Originally posted by sailor99
Nope, dependant on class and airline. For most, AFAIR it was 1 piece of hand luggage plus a small bag. The 1+1 small is still the case at US airports. VS's policy for UC was 2 pieces of hand luggage I think, although I cannot remember the sizes.

And Jeremy, that status is what I would like to see returned. Two pieces in UC was a very good benefit and there's plenty of space in the lockers and the wardrobes to do it. Many a time I have taken advantage of this and now with Iris whizzed out of the ghastly thing that is arriving at LHR.

BTW it's also the case in most of Europe ...

I think the difference between here and America is consumer power - we're so compliant sometimes in accepting 'oh well, if that's the case'!

VS website just now updated with new rules, but they have left the old notice there as well-this could lead to confusion. How long does it take to delete a couple of paragraphs (and the pictures of the small briefcase), but leave the info about gels and liquids intact?

I think VS need to do better (and quicker) than this.

Originally posted by Attitude23

I have read the BAA info site and listened to various news reports on it etc and both contradict each other with regards to the liquids situation, so I do agree that there will of course be the usual "BAA caused confusion" for the first few days until we get first hand reports from people who actually know what they are talking about!.

The thing is that these rules aren't actually laid down by BAA. They, along with all the other airport operators in the UK (Manchester, Luton..etc) have to react each time the rules change. The Department For Transport are the people issuing the master press releases which in turn are interpreted by other organisations - surely though the DfT's published material is the one & only "correct" version of the truth?

Neil - re the confusion with Liquids - looking at the DfT's press release it seems pretty clear to me what's allowed and what's not. I guess it's up to airlines and airport operators to make sure the clear message cascades down to passengers

Must admit I was quite impressed when I passed through LGW early this morning flying to GLA, posters in car parks (even on bus from Long Term Car Park!) and terminal entrance had all been updated [y]

[Neil]

Vegas - I meant the official Government website that I posted the link to earlier in this thread, not BAA[:I].

Also, I understand the liquid rules, but the news channels and radio news bulletins I heard all had contradictory information on them (some saying still a total ban/some saying only on certain flights), so if people aren't looking on the BAA website for the correct/official info then it is likely to cause confusion when they get to the airport as Jeremy said.

Neil:)

Originally posted by Attitude23
Vegas - I meant the official Government website that I posted the link to earlier in this thread, not BAA[:I].

....but your link was to BAA's site - not the government one [:?]

Just listening to "You and Yours" [:I] and Simon Calder is outlining the inconsistencies around the rule. Apparently in Frankfurt the rule is no liquids etc past security in the morning but it's ok in the afternoon. It makes some sense as the US flights are all gone by the afternoon, but it's still confusing..

Paul

[Neil]

Originally posted by Vegascrazy

Originally posted by Attitude23
Vegas - I meant the official Government website that I posted the link to earlier in this thread, not BAA[:I].

....but your link was to BAA's site - not the government one [:?]

D'oh, I'm having a bad morning and getting myself all confused[:I] You are right, my link was to the BAA site, I was thinking of another link I posted in a different thread (totally unrelated), but I do understand that it isn't BAA setting the rules, which is what I was trying to say.

Originally posted by pjh
Apparently in Frankfurt the rule is no liquids etc past security in the morning but it's ok in the afternoon. It makes some sense as the US flights are all gone by the afternoon, but it's still confusing..

Security in FRA is a complete and utter farce at the moment.

It started to get worse about 12-18 months ago, when it became impossible to make an extra-Schengen to Schengen area connection without having to make a 10 mile hike almost all the way out of the airport to the "front of house", and then back in again through the main search comb, to end up at a gate 10m away and one floor below the one you arrived on. It made it very difficult to make connections when your flight is delayed, that is for sure, and the supposed "transfer assistance" they are meant to provide for short connections is patchy at best, meaning you have to run across the airport.

Since then, it's got progressively worse, to the point that I've logged several complaints with the Security management at FRA about seemingly inconsistent application of procedures, and the lack of a dedicated search comb for transfer passengers that do require rescreening.

They said that I had to be re-searched because I'd "mixed with arriving passengers", and then proceeded to blame everyone from the US Government through Lufthansa (their biggest customer) to Santa Claus.

I can mix with arriving pax while departing, after I've been through the search comb. There is no arrival/departure segregation at FRA, only Schengen and extra-Schengen. Seems like a total farce to me.

The procedures are inconsistent. Whether or not I have to pass through a search comb seems to depend on whether or not my gates are close together, or in the same pier. Sometimes they want me to hold my boarding card, other times, they want to put it through the x-ray machine. Sometimes they want shoes off, sometimes they don't.

The point that the US flights are all gone by mid-afternoon isn't entirely accurate either, as there are BOS, JFK, EWR and ORD flights all leaving later than 4pm. I know they try and corral almost all the Lufthansa US flights into a couple of seperate gate areas and erect secondary screening points at the entrance to these gate areas.

I call it "Security Theatre", and avoid FRA as much as possible now. It used to be okay (definitely not as good as MUC for connections), but FRA is worse than ever these days.

Mike

Originally posted by mike-smashing

Originally posted by pjh
Apparently in Frankfurt the rule is no liquids etc past security in the morning but it's ok in the afternoon. It makes some sense as the US flights are all gone by the afternoon, but it's still confusing..

Originally posted by mike-smashing
The point that the US flights are all gone by mid-afternoon isn't entirely accurate either, as there are BOS, JFK, EWR and ORD flights all leaving later than 4pm. I know they try and corral almost all the Lufthansa US flights into a couple of seperate gate areas and erect secondary screening points at the entrance to these gate areas.

[B)] Oops. I stand well corrected. I was just repeating what I'd heard. What's the world coming to when you can't trust "You And Yours"...

Paul