Security Alerts for Travellers to the UK

[KforKitty]

New security measures are being put in place today for travellers to/from the UK and US. Read the story here.

Kitty

[Pat H]

My DD is supposed to fly home from Heathrow on Sunday on United! At least she has a couple of days to rearrange her luggage and believe me, that girl will have a ton of luggage for a 2 week trip. Neeedless to say, my heart has been in my throat all morning. Thank goodness the British foiled the plot.

[Pat H]

Here's what is posted on Continental's site:

Passengers may only take through the airport security search point, the following items in a single (ideally transparent) plastic bag:

Travel documents essential for the journey (eg passports, tickets and visas)
Pocket sized wallets and pocked sized purses plus contents (for example money, credit cards and identity cards). Handbags are not permitted.
Prescribed medicines essential for the duration of the flight, except in liquid form unless verified as authentic.
Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases.
Contact lenses, without bottles of solution
For those traveling with an infant: baby food, milk and sanitary items essential for the flight.
Keys (but no electrical key fobs).
Every other item must be carried in customer’s checked luggage.

[EAM]

Except for the boredom induced by not being able to bring along books, tapes, CDs, etc., the worst problem I can envison is having one's prescription medications lost in a piece of luggage that went to the wrong destination.

If one's prescription medicines are in a lost piece of luggage, how would you go about getting replacements in a foreign country?

[Dave M]

Why put prescribed medicines in checked luggage? They are permitted to be carried on board, as long as you have the prescription container that identifies them as such.

[KforKitty]

Dave

The latest advice is only sufficient precription medicine essential for the flight is to be carried on board - the rest is to be packed in checked-in baggage. I could see it might be a legitimate concern for many if baggage was lost. I suppose those people would be best advised to travel with a repeat prescription in case this happens.

Kitty

[ilisao]

I can't imagine the inconvenience this will cause - not being able to bring bags with books, DVDs, etc. I mean, nothing like being able to bring aboard the contents of my purse without the purse.

I know when we travel, my kids bring backpacks with all their activities for the flight, including their DVD players, DVDs, toys. I couldn't imagine not being allowed to carry that on.

Of course there is a need for security, and this is a very scary situation. However, sometimes it borders on the absurd and I hope it's modified soon.

[chemteach]

Yes, travellers will be inconvenienced. But it seems some people are missing the point that we now live in a time where people plan out how to kill huge numbers of civilians. Children may have to be bored on flights. I have 3 small children and it may be more difficult to fly with them. I'll still be happier believing that a flight I am on is safer.

Edye

[azsunluvr]

Maybe red-eye flights will become even more popular. You can't do anything on the flight anymore but sleep!

[talkamotta]

For a person who was taking 2 laptops home from a business trip and the airport lost my personal laptop and the company wouldnt reimburse me for it. I wonder about the digital cameras, we all take on our trips and the other electronics. I wonder will the airport reimbursement policy change.

If the airport lost my boyfriends prozac, wow, we might as well fly right back home.

[Dave M]

Fortunately, the new restrictions for flights between U.S. airports and from the U.S. to other destinations have more leeway.

[Keitht]

To put the concerns about lost luggage, nothing to read etc into perspective the latest news broadcasts in the UK are suggesting that up to 9 transatlantic flights were to be targetted. Assuming an average of 350 people per flight, plus crew that would be more than the total killed in the Twin Towers.
How important is lost / damaged luggage, prescription drugs excepted, now??

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

Keith, you have a good point, but for people who take prescription meds, we have always been told to carry them on board so they don't get lost. I am in the process of getting a prescription OKed for a new injectable osteoporosis drug, because I can't take the other ones due to esophageal problems that became severe. The stuff is incredibly expensive, like $700 a month! I don't think the insurance will pay for another prescription if it was lost in my luggage. Hopefully, there will be a solution that will protect people and let people take necessities on board, certainly paperback books weren't implicated in this plot.
Liz

[Dave M]

Liz -

I have a feeling there will be a lot of people who put some some medicine in checked luggage split between two bags and others who send some medicine via overnight courier to ensure it's there when needed.

[Keitht]

The prescription drugs issue is an important one. I understand the wording is along the lines of "Medication required during travel can be carried with you, the rest must be packed into hold baggage".
The big problem I see with that is the potential lengthy delays, particularly in the UK at present. How do you factor that in? Carry a couple of day's supply?

[EAM]

I am not really complaining about not being able to carry prescription medications on the plane, and I support the efforts being made to prevent terrorist attacks on airplanes. However, I DO need to take a few tablets daily to stay alive. So I am trying to figure out how I would cope with these new rules if they would affect a flight I would take. The suggestions to split the medications between two suitcases might work in most cases, but I remember the time that ALL of my luggage stayed in Frankfort while Lufthansa brought me to Chicago. I think I would also ship some separately. And if all of the medications need to be in their official bottles, then one would have to save some extra bottles or get some from the pharmacy.

Also, I could see emergency replacement of lost prescription medications being a worthwhile travel insurance benefit.

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

I know that when I get that osteoporosis medication it has to be kept cold, too. Plus the other medicines I take, I take quite a few, plus vitamins and if I had to bring the bottles (most are the mail order 3 month kind) I'd need a whole seperate purse or something. I guess I don't understand the medicine thing coming up now, as these were liquids yes? I am making an overnight trip to see friends in Oakland and visit my son and I am shipping a few toiletries so I don't have to run around to get stuff or impose by using theirs. I hadn't thought about shipping medications ahead. I know if I lose meds I'm out of luck, because my insurance won't pay to replace them until the month is up. That idea of travel insurance is good.
Liz

[Keitht]

Prescription medications CAN be taken on board. What seems to be causing confusion is the apparent requirement only to carry enough for your "immediate needs" and the rest must go into the hold.
I'm afraid the 'must keep it cold' argument won't help as it will be much colder in the hold than in the cabin.

[Hoc]

This really concerns me. I am flying to Europe via LHR on Sept. 21, and will be there for two weeks. If I can't take my laptop, there's no way I can go. The only reason I can travel as much as I do is that I bring my laptop, which has all of my documents and work-related software, and that enables me to work from any location in the world via the internet. If I can't take the laptop, I can't do my work and I have no way of being without it and away from the office for two weeks.

There also is no way to pack the laptop safely for travel under the plane.

Now, here's the real rub: If these are permanent restrictions, or even if they last through the end of September, the airlines may or may not allow a refund of the nonrefundable fares, but the hotels and apartments certainly will not allow a refund of the nonrefundable room payments.

Let's hope this is resolved in a month.