New Security
Thanks for that - I've been looking at costs/times and Harwich to the Hook looks quite promising. An on-line quote gave a price of £292 return were I to travel tomorrow! And then only about 4 hours to Bremen...
Which means that, door-to-door, it is a more agreeable concept than air travel. And, very probably, also quicker given the delays for convict-level search going on at airports at the moment.
Air travel may soon have had its day. It is getting to be an intolerable embuggerance for the business traveller.......
One wonders whether airline executives are reading this?
....and so much for the A380!
Which means that, door-to-door, it is a more agreeable concept than air travel. And, very probably, also quicker given the delays for convict-level search going on at airports at the moment.
Air travel may soon have had its day. It is getting to be an intolerable embuggerance for the business traveller.......
One wonders whether airline executives are reading this?
....and so much for the A380!
There are alternatives to flying out of the UK
Originally Posted by fyrefli
If your "quite near an an aerodrome somewhere in England" is on the south coast this may not work (although three hours to Dover suggests not) but, if you can make the times fit, the HSS Harwich >> Hoek van Holland is only a little over 3 hours and very pleasant to work on. Shaves over an hour off the journey to Bremen the other end, according to MapQuest.
Cheers,
Rich.
(Edited due to inability to quote BEagle's location correctly or choose correct Bremen in MapQuest
)
Cheers,
Rich.
(Edited due to inability to quote BEagle's location correctly or choose correct Bremen in MapQuest
)
Checkin is a nice 40 minutes b4 departure (with car),if travelling on foot, the train takes you to the boat (no taxi needed), crossing is 3.5 hr o/w 4hr back (due to problems with the wash from the boat causing large waves - killed a couple of fishermen b4 the cause was identified). One way ~ £25 (on foot from London, incl train ticket)Paris is 2hr 50 min from Waterloo, London is 90min from birmingham, 2hr 20min from leeds, ok it's 4.5hr from edinburgh. But with only 30 minute checkin and as much hand baggage as you can carry. At the moment it's a nobrainer - Eurostar wins my vote for a route to a mainland-europe jumping off point. Sorry BAA - I won't be coming your way any time soon.
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I thought RYR now charged per hold baggage item. What is the consequence of pax being forced to have their 'hand baggage' only placed in the hold? Are they being charged?
Paxing All Over The World
Airport checks 'not sustainable'
BBC Saturday, 12 August 2006, 18:37 GMT 19:37 UK
Stringent security searches which have led to long delays and cancellations at Heathrow are not sustainable, airport operator BAA has warned.
The airport cancelled a third of flights on Saturday evening in a bid to speed its return to a normal schedule. Heathrow earlier came under fire from British Airways for being unable to cope with the extra security measures.
Meanwhile, Ryanair said the government should provide additional staff to carry out body searches at airports.
The article continues ...
BBC Saturday, 12 August 2006, 18:37 GMT 19:37 UK
Stringent security searches which have led to long delays and cancellations at Heathrow are not sustainable, airport operator BAA has warned.
The airport cancelled a third of flights on Saturday evening in a bid to speed its return to a normal schedule. Heathrow earlier came under fire from British Airways for being unable to cope with the extra security measures.
Meanwhile, Ryanair said the government should provide additional staff to carry out body searches at airports.
The article continues ...
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I've deferred my next visit to the UK in the hope that the carry-on restrictions are somehow changed. I do roughly one day-trip per month to London with a laptop and an expensive camera. No way can I let either travel in checked bagage. With online checkin it had gotten so easy to do a day trip. Now I'd need to queue to check in and wait for baggage at the other end - hopefully undamaged & unstolen! It makes my day trips less feasible. Overnight stays will add to my cost and visiting the UK will become unviable financially.
Not sure what I'll do if the restrictions don't change.
Not sure what I'll do if the restrictions don't change.
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Originally Posted by jetstream7
Why should any airline, Irish, British or otherwise, and their customers, be penalised by the decision of the British government?
The Government decisions were taken to protect our backsides
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At last I agree with something coming out of Ryanair - there's a first time for everything!
There are no restrictions on hand baggage on flights into the UK, other than one or two countries not allowing liquids. If you believe that the UK restrictions solve a problem, then consider that almost every outbound passenger gets a return flight sooner or later - effectively, if you believe that the UK government has solved a problem, you're saying you're willing to get blown up coming into the UK as long as you don't get blown up going out.
The government decisions were taken to protect THEIR backsides, not ours. If a flight inbound to the UK gets attacked, the likelihood is that no fewer lives are lost, no less damage is done. All that happens is that the UK government can point the finger elsewhere.
Andy
Originally Posted by spinnaker
The Government decisions were taken to protect our backsides
The government decisions were taken to protect THEIR backsides, not ours. If a flight inbound to the UK gets attacked, the likelihood is that no fewer lives are lost, no less damage is done. All that happens is that the UK government can point the finger elsewhere.
Andy
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Similar picture with friends in the North. Some are looking at the Edinburgh to zeebrugge ferry, and then via rail around europe/contintental flights, and other looking at the Newcastle-Ams for week long business trips. The fact that absolutely everything including car key/phone/documents is 'put at risk' in the hold will make business flying pointless. Add in the extremely long queues etc... and we can be sure it will knock aviation hard in the UK.
I fully agree with tight security, but when the whole focus of BAA airport management is on 'retail opportunities', it is hardly going to get better in the short term.
Out of choice, I probably will try to avoid any flying in the short term, just because of the hassle, queues, and hand baggage restrictions.
On a more important point, can someone confirm if it is still the case that someone can work airside in an airport/airline for six months before security checks are complete?
I fully agree with tight security, but when the whole focus of BAA airport management is on 'retail opportunities', it is hardly going to get better in the short term.
Out of choice, I probably will try to avoid any flying in the short term, just because of the hassle, queues, and hand baggage restrictions.
On a more important point, can someone confirm if it is still the case that someone can work airside in an airport/airline for six months before security checks are complete?
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Sorry unable to fly at all with the new restrictions According to BAA website only prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight (e.g. diabetic kit), I take in excess of 300 tablets/liquid medication a week. With this medication I can lead a reasonably normal life and are not confined to bed or have to have a wheelchair. If I check my medication in as hold baggage and it goes missing what chances do I have to get it replaced within 12 hours. Zero.
This will effect very many disabled people who will not take the risk of checking in medication
This will effect very many disabled people who will not take the risk of checking in medication
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Security Screening at Airports
Hi All;
Sincerest apologies if this subject has been covered elsewhere, I could not find it myself, but here goes anyway .....
As a result of the events of this past week, flying as a passenger has become increasingly frustrating. No hand luggage allowed UK to US, yet it is allowed US to UK. Passengers not allowed to carry water themselves on any flights, especially those longhaul routes where it is vital. Airlines differ as to the amount of non alcoholic liquids they give passengers during flights
Lines are getting longer at security checks at airports and tempers are fraying.
While I am in favour of extra security and agree almost 100% with decisions made to protect me and the travelling public, I do have some questions directed to the companies, making substiantial amounts of money, running major airports ...
Why is nothing being done to increase the area being used to screen passengers at these airports
Why are we not seeing any extra "temporary screening areas" to check passengers
Why has there not been more screeners on duty to cope with the situation
Airports have no problem allowing as much space to shops, duty free etc etc to contribute to their profits, yet will make no extra space available to the travelling public when the situation requires it. Now I am aware that some airports are space restricted, but if only they put the some consideration into the needs of the travelling public over their greed at profits it might help alleviate some hassle for passengers
Maybe some may think I am going off on a tangent here, but it appears to me that the airports are doing little or nothing to help the travelling public apart from putting in a few extra screeners at already congested security points
Why has no airport (to the best of my knowledge) offered free small bottles of water to passengers, before they board aircraft, most of whom at this stage, deposited valuable property in bins that they are not allowed carry onboard
Before anyone decides to "flame" me, please remember I am in favour of the security measures but am at a total loss to understand the actions of the airport managers
Sincerest apologies if this subject has been covered elsewhere, I could not find it myself, but here goes anyway .....
As a result of the events of this past week, flying as a passenger has become increasingly frustrating. No hand luggage allowed UK to US, yet it is allowed US to UK. Passengers not allowed to carry water themselves on any flights, especially those longhaul routes where it is vital. Airlines differ as to the amount of non alcoholic liquids they give passengers during flights
Lines are getting longer at security checks at airports and tempers are fraying.
While I am in favour of extra security and agree almost 100% with decisions made to protect me and the travelling public, I do have some questions directed to the companies, making substiantial amounts of money, running major airports ...
Why is nothing being done to increase the area being used to screen passengers at these airports
Why are we not seeing any extra "temporary screening areas" to check passengers
Why has there not been more screeners on duty to cope with the situation
Airports have no problem allowing as much space to shops, duty free etc etc to contribute to their profits, yet will make no extra space available to the travelling public when the situation requires it. Now I am aware that some airports are space restricted, but if only they put the some consideration into the needs of the travelling public over their greed at profits it might help alleviate some hassle for passengers
Maybe some may think I am going off on a tangent here, but it appears to me that the airports are doing little or nothing to help the travelling public apart from putting in a few extra screeners at already congested security points
Why has no airport (to the best of my knowledge) offered free small bottles of water to passengers, before they board aircraft, most of whom at this stage, deposited valuable property in bins that they are not allowed carry onboard
Before anyone decides to "flame" me, please remember I am in favour of the security measures but am at a total loss to understand the actions of the airport managers
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Flame,
I couldn't agree more. Much of the space in BAA airports has disappeared over the past few years, to allow more and more shops to be built. Years ago, many terminals were relatively spacious, but are now just hell holes full of shops and virtually no space left for the passengers. The upshot is that in situations like this, there is quite literally no space for the passengers. On the 11th you had the ridiculous scenario at LHR T1 domestic security, of pax queuing in a snake like patterm around BA check in desks and WHSmith.
For years, security at all BAA airports has been seriously understaffed (in order to maximise profits), and now in this current situation, the system cannot cope. This is despite the fact that everyone pays for the security checks. I personally would like to see BAA management taken out and shot, and half the shops removed from their airports.
Now we have the absurd scenario of goods being confiscated at security, but pax can then buy the same goods from BAA shops once past security. It's not about security, just BAA making a fast buck. Time the government did something about this mis-management.
Maybe BAA should start running shopping malls, and leave aviation to people who know how to run airports.
I couldn't agree more. Much of the space in BAA airports has disappeared over the past few years, to allow more and more shops to be built. Years ago, many terminals were relatively spacious, but are now just hell holes full of shops and virtually no space left for the passengers. The upshot is that in situations like this, there is quite literally no space for the passengers. On the 11th you had the ridiculous scenario at LHR T1 domestic security, of pax queuing in a snake like patterm around BA check in desks and WHSmith.
For years, security at all BAA airports has been seriously understaffed (in order to maximise profits), and now in this current situation, the system cannot cope. This is despite the fact that everyone pays for the security checks. I personally would like to see BAA management taken out and shot, and half the shops removed from their airports.
Now we have the absurd scenario of goods being confiscated at security, but pax can then buy the same goods from BAA shops once past security. It's not about security, just BAA making a fast buck. Time the government did something about this mis-management.
Maybe BAA should start running shopping malls, and leave aviation to people who know how to run airports.
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Originally Posted by EastMids
if you believe that the UK government has solved a problem, you're saying you're willing to get blown up coming into the UK as long as you don't get blown up going out.
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Originally Posted by dwhcomputers
Sorry unable to fly at all with the new restrictions According to BAA website only prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight (e.g. diabetic kit), I take in excess of 300 tablets/liquid medication a week. With this medication I can lead a reasonably normal life and are not confined to bed or have to have a wheelchair. If I check my medication in as hold baggage and it goes missing what chances do I have to get it replaced within 12 hours. Zero.
This will effect very many disabled people who will not take the risk of checking in medication
This will effect very many disabled people who will not take the risk of checking in medication
I'm now faced with the prospect of 36 hours of no moisturising cream of oil...result at least a fortnight of agony, worse if I scratch and it gets infected. And with no reading matter etc, I will be tempted to scratch.
I pray to god they relax the rules a little and start applying a bit of common sense.
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Originally Posted by spinnaker
I think you have missed it completely. The intelligence received indicated an attack on outbound flights from the UK to the USA. If similar intelligence was received on an inbound flight, I would expect the flight to either be cancelled or subject to the same conditions.
As other have said, the current carry-on rules are unsustainable, ineffective and pointless. Are we really saying that terrorists could not hop on a ferry to mainland Europe and carry out their nefarious plans from a hub there?
I suspect the real reason for the emergency security rules is to attempt to convince the mass public that in the authorities view this was a serious plot and that the arrest of around 20 men is for a good reason. Personally I'm keeping an open mind on that and am quite prepared to believe that there was a plot (though it sounds somewhat hare-brained), but the emergency measures are self-justification.
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For years, security at all BAA airports has been seriously understaffed (in order to maximise profits), and now in this current situation, the system cannot cope. This is despite the fact that everyone pays for the security checks. I personally would like to see BAA management taken out and shot, and half the shops removed from their airports.
My next trip across the Atlantic is now booked; I'm going by ship.
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I think we have got as far as we can get here, and with the change of rules on hand-baggage announced this morning, it is time to close this thread.
A new thread has been started by BEagle, SECURITY - Revised Uk Rules (14 Aug 2006) and I've made it stick to the forum top for a while: Please continue your discussions there.
A new thread has been started by BEagle, SECURITY - Revised Uk Rules (14 Aug 2006) and I've made it stick to the forum top for a while: Please continue your discussions there.
