B1

New York Times, Dec 28
"Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong-based carrier with direct flights to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, said U.S. authorities had stopped requiring airlines to black out the route-tracking channel on their in-flight entertainment systems.

International travelers also had been told that they could not leave their seats for the last hour of a flight, during which time they also could not use a pillow or blanket. But that requirement was slightly revised, according to a Cathay official, Carolyn Leung.

“The latest version indicates more generally that carriers must ensure that passengers remain in their assigned seats when directed by the flight crew,” Ms. Leung said Monday in Hong Kong. She also said no air marshals were being added to Cathay’s flights to the United States.""

Shareholder

Everyone will be given an injection of something that will knock them out for the final hour of the flight...the idiocy and absurdity of anal retentive bureaucrats never ceases to amaze! As one security expect on MSNBC noted, all this loses the point that the system broke down when he was allowed to get onto an airplane, either in Lagos or AMS, with all the red flags he should have set off.

Guess all those folks who use their Amazon and Sony "books" are going to have to resort to paper...and our ears will be buzzing for the last hour as we must also remove NR headphones.

Shareholder

I do find it somewhat ironic that there are several threads on the AC forum about this matter and many hundreds of posts, but over on the KLM forum a single thread! (about transiting at AMS for US flights). And it was KLM that sold the ticket, boarded him in Nigeria, etc.

Simon

What % of KL FF are impacted vs AC?

KathrynInCanada

CBC this morning is reporting only 1 carryon with no wheels.

I haven't seen mention of no wheels anywhere here so don't know if it is a charter/US airline's rule (they were reporting from YYZ T3) or if it was something a screener said to them.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/sto...rt-delays.html

Q Shoe Guy

The reporter also said that Terminal 3 is where "most" of the USA flights leave from!

pkeung

Where is the irony? I don't know the exact numbers but would bet there are 10x+++ more AC flights effected than KLM.

SensFan

The no wheels statement does make sense. AC and WJ have said only one personal carry-on item. Larger carry-ons are almost all wheeled so this just simplifies the instructions to the general masses who don't know what a personal carry-on item means.

Large backpacks are not wheeled and prohibited but they are rarer than rollerboards so this covers most of the banned items.

ssconfiguration

I posted my YVR experience this morning here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13066219-post45.html

lynchpin_yyz

Holy Freedom of Information act Batman!

So the TSA is basically telling everyone that all they are doing is ramping up what they were already doing. That'll keep everyone safe...

KathrynInCanada

This is from the AC advisory:

There is no mention of wheels.

My smallest computer bag (which is 16"x9"x13" when full) has wheels. A personal item, as defined by AC is 17"x6"x13" and my bag can be only 6" deep if I don't put anything in the outside pockets but it has wheels. If they aren't allowing wheels, why doesn't the AC website explain that (or for that matter, why doesn't the advisory say what is considered a personal item referring to size - my purse is 4" x 8" x 1" for instance but I know women who have much larger purses.

I have a back condition and can't carry my computer bag(or a large purse!) any distance - and yes, I need my computer for my job on the road. So the lack of wheels will be an issue for me if the new rules are extended passed Jan 13. That trip is: YOW-SFO-EWR-DEL-FRA-LHR-CPH-FRA-YHZ-YOW. While I can check two bags for YOW-SF0, after that I'll be limited to 1 bag of 20kg on many of the flights. Not to mention that I'm packing for 2 climates during this month long trip (India and Northern Europe in Winter). It is trips like this during unsettled security procedures that make me totally hate my life.

Thankfully, I have the Tilley expedition jacket with gazillion pockets so will use that on the plane to keep everything I need close at hand.

payam81

Visa was issued in 2008 with validity through mid-2010, long before he was on any watch list so. (Although I do not understand why a multiple entry visa is issued to a then 21 year old young guy with no job!) They could have technically banned him or pulled his visa, however his case was in the beginning stages of reviews and even then, he could probably get on the plane and land on US soil before being deported etc. Yes, US Intelligence dropped the ball but this doesn't negate the fact the current state of airport security leaves gaping holes for any potential bad guy to get through with unpleasant material.

payam81

EL Al is a relatively small airline with 37 planes and 45 destinations. Try doing that with a real major airline. US diplomats did pass the info to the appropriate agency however at that point this case wasn't deemed urgent because it wasn't on any solid facts other than the dad feeling he might be up to no good.

BTW, profiling doesn't work because once you establish a profile then you've made yourself a target. Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right wing Israeli. So much for the profile. Last I checked there wasn't a shortage of White American/European Talibans including a documented case of a White European female suicide bomber!

LRESFG

The following is in one of AC's many advisories over the past few days: "effective Sunday, December 27, and until further notice, carry-on baggage will be restricted to one personal item (purse, computer bag, diaper bag, brief case or small backpack). All other items (roller bags, large backpacks, etc) must be checked-in."

I read that as applying to a regular sized carry-on with wheels, but given all the confusion that surrounds this whole situation, it could be interpreted many different ways. All the AC issued advisories can be found at
http://micro.newswire.ca/13213-0.html

tomh009

And the recent TSA knee-jerk reaction doesn't eliminate those holes, either.