Originally Posted by
bernardd
I maybe pessimistic but I don't see the US trusting UK security or vice versa any time soon, let alone the security of some third world country.
But what about the US trusting German security and vice versa? Two years ago I flew United LAX<->FRA then SAS FRA->Western Norway (in one direction with a stop in CPH, the other a stop in OSL), and never another secuirty check past the initial one at LAX outbound or in Western Norway inbound.
While you may be right about the existince and plans for security at LHR, I think the reason for the difference is that Germany is a Schengen country, as is Norway. But the UK is
not a Schengen country, so no connections to/from LHR are Schengen connections. (The
only connections that would be "borderless" at LHR are to/from UK domestic flights.) I bet that, rather than "trusting", is the reason that additional security screenings are needed when switching int'l planes in LHR but not when doing the same in FRA.
(This is also probably why my current trip to Norway, which is my thrid, is the first time I've had my passport stamped by Norway, because it's also the first time that I didn't come in through a Schengen country.)
Presumably the same would be the case for OW if you switched at Madrid (since Spain is Schengen) instead of London, with your ultimate destination another Schengen country, but of course AA has way fewer flights to MAD than to LHR, so connections to IB there are way rarer than connections to BA at LHR for most AA FFers.