Additional "security" at American airports
Yesterday, my wife returned from Los Angeles six days late but otherwise, thankfully, safely.
One point which did concern both of us more than a little is the "increased security" which she experienced at LAX. Travellers are being advised to arrive at the airport three and a half hours before international flights. However, these extra security measures are just not in place.
Her passport was checked at check in and she was asked the usual security questions. (Including are you carrying any scissors, pens, knives, nail files and so on in your hand luggage). She was then handed her boarding pass. At no point was any check carried out on her hand luggage and once in posession of the boarding pass she was able to move freely around the entire airport. Never again was her identity checked or matched with her boarding pass, meaning she could have given her boarding pass to anybody
at the airport to board the plane instead.
When she and other passengers on board the aircraft raised this with the airline staff they were told that "being European" they did not understand the situation and while they needed vigilant people like them, their passports/ID had been checked at the check-in counter and it would also be checked upon arrival in Frankfurt and with regard to
baggage searches nobody need be concerned as they knew what they were doing!
If this is increased security, how on earth can last Tuesdays terrible events be prevented from happening again?