In case you’re flying to the British Isles, please note that the security level at their airports is still at “Severe” (the second-highest level, one just below “Critical”). By now, you’re probably aware of the current restriction that prohibits you from bringing liquids, gels and aerosols onto a plane, but you might not be aware of a couple of other security measures, some of which aren’t published anywhere. I encountered these on my return trip from Belfast.
This restriction is published in an announcement on Belfast International Airport’s site. I also wrote about it in this post: you’re allowed only one carry-on item when boarding a plane at a British airport, and it may not exceed these dimensions:
They are incredibly strict about this size restriction. At Belfast, the security people had wooden sizing boxes into which you were asked to place your carry-on item. Their internal dimensions were the same as the maxima listed above; if your carry-on item didn’t fit, they would ask you to remove some items from it (if it was a pliable bag) or check it (if it was something rigid, such as a box).
There were no restrictions on electronics; they had no problem with my having a laptop, spare battery, digital camera and iPod.
Here’s one thing they don’t tell you: boarding will take much longer than usual because in addition to showing your ID and boarding pass, you have to consent to a search. Remember, this is after you’ve passed through the metal detector and X-ray and gone to the departure lounge.
As rows were called to board the plane, everybody had to go to one of three security stations set in front of the jetway. A security person would ask you to empty your pockets and place the items on a table. If you had a carry-on bag, it would be very thoroughly searched by hand.
Next comes the personal search. I haven’t been frisked so throughly since my check-up at the doctor’s last month. The security guy did a full police-style pat-down search, including checking under the collar and the waistband of my jeans. You’ll also be asked to take off your shoes for inspection.
Continental’s international 757-200s (unfortunately, they use narrow-body jets for second-tier international flight) seat 156 in cattle class and 16 in Hermes tie class. With this many people being searched three at a time, the boarding call started a little over an hour before the scheduled departure. I strongly recommend that you make an allowance for the delay involved with this search.
Another thing they don’t tell you — in fact, they don’t tell you until the search at the gate: they won’t let you bring a pen onto the plane. I only lost a ball-point pen which I’m pretty sure came from Tucows’ office supply closet. Others were less fortunate; in the bin where confiscated pens were being collected, I saw a at least a dozen “executive” pens, including Crosses and Mont Blancs. If you’re accustomed to carrying an expensive pen, do not take it with you!
Without pens, we had nothing with which to fill out the immigrations and customs forms required for international flights arriving at their first port of entry to the United States. We ended up — all 172 of us — sharing the chief flight attendant’s pen, passing it from row to row.
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The terrorists have won. When is the great travelling public going to all stand together and refuse to part with their pens (or whatever else is this week's utterly arbitrary and pointlessly excluded item)? If everyone said "NO" and refused to travel then the airlines would pretty quickly tell the powers that be to get real (or would go out of business). Good grief!
Whoever confiscated the pens for that flight was acting against BAA's stated policy here: text pdf.
They explicitly list several kinds of pens (including ballpoints and foutain pens) as being okay for carry-on.
Just think what MacGyver could do with a pen! :)
Okay, I think I saw a pen used as a weapon in a James Bond film once so maybe there's some justification there... ;)
You really would think, though, that the flight crew would have some cheap plastic pens with the airline's logo on them to distribute to the passengers. Wouldn't you?
note to self: carry a pencil.
Oh sure, a bag of pens. They're obviously trying to keep those dangerous weapons OFF of the plane. Why don't you give the flight crew a bag of bombs while you're at it?! :)
all the better to stab your way into the cabin, eh? terrorist!!!
Just got back to the US after leaving Gatwick. No problem with pens there, and was told specifically that they were okay by staff. We were called to board by gender/zone as well, though not all of us were hand searched. In fact, in spte of the fact that I'm a male in my late 20's and have a ponytail, I was passed through and the 70 + year old man in front of me was searched instead. Ah, the ways of paranoid security measures are nebulous indeed. US to UK measures are much more stringent and ridiculous, but UK to US seems [relatively] reasonable. Definitely though, these security measures are adding time onto the boarding process, so people should plan to show up at least an hour early.
AFAIK these strictures are for flights to US only.
Last week I was flying out of Heathrow (to Poland) and pens were no problem. Also, there was no second security check and at the gate.
So this is probably on request by US authorities.
Nah, not us policy, our only change is no liquids, pens are fine. It was inept security folks or some that ralyl wanted a bag of 200$ executive pens for ebay.