So surely not, you want us to acknowledge that we don't have all the answers. Okay, YOU tell me what the answer is, and you have to be able to implement this. Pretending 9/11 never happened is not one of the available choices.
This isn't a knee jerk reaction. This has been evolving over a period of years. We did reasonably request that everyone tighten up security, yet the evidence is that at Heathrow it has not. (several major heists airside since 9/11, A BA aircraft landing with a body in the wheel well today etc) And actually security can NEVER be perfect, that is a pipe dream.
So what would you propose actually be DONE about it? Come on, you just said you had the answer.
As to tourist's avoiding America? They may, but the evidence actually points the other say. The dollar is such a bargain right now that tourists are flocking to the USA. And monitoring pax behavior, safety is actually not an issue with passengers. Traffic on an airline doesn't really dip after it suffers a crash, even where the airline is found clearly negligable (valujet). Infact, the only pax that don't come back for Frequent flier miles or a fare sale are the ones that died in the accident. Sad but true.
The problem I have is other than Danny, no one offers a solution. They just bury their heads in the sand.
I have to wonder what kind of pilot would choose to emulate a flightless bird...
As to your point 5. The only people I see whinging about this are some British Pilots. Even Grandpa and I see eye to eye on this (sorry gramps meant to acknowledge that earlier
).
SCUD,
Everything there except regular contact with captain during the flight is the same as in the US. Could have been done without all the chest thumping.
However, that regular contact during the flight seams quite stupid as it might make it possible to eyeball skymarshals (maybe they will adopt a better policy for it than I can quickly imagine, but it seams quite foolish.) Maybe they mean regular contact incase the skymarshal has acted which would be sensible and inline with US practise. Why a skymarshal on a quiet flight with nothing happening should keep reporting to the cockpit is beyond me. This smells of a "Captain's authority comittee" which when formed usually do far more harm then good... Got to keep puffing up the captain old chaps...
However, I find BALPA's chest thumping on this issue to be ludicrious when more important things are out there. They also claim to represent the majority of pilots around that world and that is at best a stretch if not an outright lie...(IALPA, (international, not Irish) has taken the opposit stand.
Cheers
Wino