Security on flights to USA stepped up

[dfdasein]

BBC News - 'Enhanced security' at overseas airports with US flights (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28138526)

[kaikohe76]

Most likely more grief for the normal & totally law abidng pax, much easier for the airport security thugs to go after them & let the real bad boys get on with it.

[Mark in CA]

TSA now requiring passengers at some overseas airports that offer U.S.-bound flights to power on their electronic devices. Devices that won't power up won't be allowed on planes, and those travelers may have to undergo additional screening.

TSA: Some at US-bound airports must turn on phones (http://news.yahoo.com/tsa-us-bound-airports-must-turn-phones-164651235--politics.html)

[Espada III]

You can just see the confusion on people's faces.........'what? turn the phone on??? I thought it had to be off? Make up your bloody minds!'

[Basil]

Used to be a requirement to demonstrate electronic equipment working. I guess it's just being re-instated.

[PAXboy]

If I recall correctly ... all laptops had to be switched on but the amount of time take for each laptop to boot up - and then shut down, caused delays. As the number of pax with laptops increased, so did the queues. Also, it was obvious to anyone that you could make a PC that booted up and looked normal and could still contain malign substances.

Whilst many laptops are now sitting in 'Pause' or 'Hibernate' and will boot more quickly, they can still contain many things. The supposition must be that some very specific thing is being looked for/prevented.


In this article: BBC News - Heathrow and Manchester issue must-be-charged gadget advice (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28193654)

Heathrow and Manchester airports have told passengers to ensure all electronic devices carried as hand baggage are charged before travel if they are flying to the US.

The move follows a request from the US that "certain overseas airports" implement enhanced security measures.

A new rule states that if a "device doesn't switch on, you won't be allowed to bring it on to the aircraft".

However, it is being applied differently at the two sites.My emphasis to show the further confusion being extended to the traveller.

[fa2fi]

I remember doing this on a UK domestic about 15 years ago. Just out of interest, you have you £600 ipad. It is dead. Your charger is now in your good luggage or you have lost it. What happens to the pad?

[DaveReidUK]

What happens to the pad?That's entirely up to you. Your iPad isn't going anywhere. It's too late to check it in the hold (and there are conflicting reports as to whether dead devices are even allowed in checked baggage).

So you either fly without it, or you miss your flight while you seek out another charger.

[fa2fi]

No doubt the airports will move their pay for charging stations closer to security to give people a boost of electricity to get through screening.

[west lakes]

What happens to the pad?

Covered in some depth in the BBC article in a section headed
Powerless Phones

I guess folk are too busy to bother to read it! :ooh:

[500N]

Fa2fi

It means people will have to get organised and keep the charger with them.
Not too difficult for most people with half a brain.

[Wannabe Flyer]

I read somewhere that the inherent threat seems to be in iPhones and Samsung Galaxy.....does this mean Blackberry is making a come back :E

[ExXB]

I guess folk are too busy to bother to read it! :ooh:

West lakes, there are lots of reasons why some don't like to click through to links posted on forums like this. Not least that you never know where it's going to take you. It is so easy to spoof a url address. http://www.bbc.com/this really isn't the BBC it's PPRuNe/ (http://www.pprune.org/passengers-slf-self-loading-freight-61/)

Of course everyone trusts other PPRuNers, but ...

I wish people would post a summary (not a cut and paste) rather than just post a link.

[NRU74]

I left Manchester this afternoon having gone thru' 'Security' with no requirement at any stage to switch on my phones or my ipad.
There appeared to be no questioning by the Baggage Inspection staff as to what one's destination was.
My phones were in my hand baggage (i've got more than one because I've got French Sim Cards and don't use my UK phone in France)
Has anyone experienced US bound pax being checked in a more intensive manner than EU bound pax ?

[Hartington]

NRU794. I think you'll find the extra security is done at the gate. That's what BA did when I flew to New York last week from Heathrow.

[Jarvy]

A quick out and back to Boston last week, no sign of any change in security. Didn't see anyone being asked to turn on anything.

[ExXB]

Went through GVA and LCY last couple of days during times that US flights would be boarding (and with a single security checkpoint for all passengers) and saw nothing different. They may be doing this at the gate, but ...

[Mark in CA]

The Air France (US) web site has had this message on its home page for some time now

FLASH INFO: New security measures on flights to the United States and Canada from Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport

and it links to this notice:

Air France Operations News - Air France (http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/local/information/news/news-air-traffic-air-france.htm)

which seems to now include flights to Canada.

[Skipness One Echo]

NRU794. I think you'll find the extra security is done at the gate. That's what BA did when I flew to New York last week from Heathrow.
Unless they have an xray or a pat down at the gate, what's to stop me, in the certain knowledge my iPhone is my own and flat, lying and just walking past them?

[Laarbruch72]

The fact that if you're selected for extra screening, it will include both your person and your belongings / devices.

[ExXB]

I read somewhere that the new LHR terminal 2 isn't fit for the new at security measures. Anyone been through there to n. America, who can comment.

[Laarbruch72]

I don't think a public forum is the sort of place to analyse specifics around this, but suffice to say that many terminals worldwide were built with no plan for gate screening. You adapt and make it work though, indeed you have to or you don't operate.

[ExXB]

OK, it'll take it to the Telegraph, where I read it first. Nobody reads that, do they?

[Laarbruch72]

No, the paper printed an unconfirmed story, and now you're asking people to publicly verify or comment further, so not the same thing. I'm merely suggesting that discussion on the effectiveness or otherwise of specific measures at specific airports is not to be encouraged anywhere, whether in a newspaper article or not. And your reply was tantamount to kids justifying their thoughtless behaviour by crying "but the bigger boy did it first". It still doesn't mean it's a good idea.

[radeng]

I couldn't decide from the published info if medical devices were exempt. Things such as insulin pumps and neuro-stimulators, which tend to work automatically and have no manual controls. In any case, not sure how you could prove the insulin pump was working without special test gear, and you would not wish to give the user an extra dose of insulin only to have him go into a glycaemic reaction 800 miles out.......

Although I always liked the 'switch off all electronic devices for take off and landing'. Can't always be done - pacemakers, for example, and turning off a hearing aid would be very dangerous. Obviously not thought about by those who wrote the briefing script.....

[Laarbruch72]

No device is necessarily exempt, but it's accepted that some medical devices clearly have to be examined and screened differently.

Your comment about electrical items on take off and landing is probably best dealt with on an SEP thread, it's a bit outside the scope of this discussion.

[paulc]

ExXB,

passed through T2 at LHR to Chicago on 20th July - my camera bag was checked / swabbed but I was not asked to turn any of the electrics on (phone / tablet etc)