Air Canada Travel Advisory: New U.S. security procedures
Dec 26, 2009, 9:09 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 20,550
Note to self:
Avoid travel to the USA until the insane overreactions are reeled in.
I am happy to be retired and in control of my travel destinations.
My sympathy to the road warriors who must travel to the USA.
On another note, this is a plus for AC who can advertize connections through Canada.
Avoid travel to the USA until the insane overreactions are reeled in.
I am happy to be retired and in control of my travel destinations.
My sympathy to the road warriors who must travel to the USA.
On another note, this is a plus for AC who can advertize connections through Canada.
Dec 26, 2009, 9:28 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Platinum, hhonors Gold
Posts: 3,422
Looks like this is going to lead to an opperational melt down. Not sure how this can be good for anyone.
Have a look at some random flights and pretty much every flight to the US is delayed about 2 hours (sometimes 3) today. They've updated their website with a plea asking you to carryon nothing and that you can check all that you want... perhaps a Christmas present for dishonest package handlers, a shopping spree in the baggage hold.
Not clear to me why Canada is being singled out as they appear to have done nothing at all for flights within the US. Perhaps there is a specific threat?
So far only BA and AC seem to have done anything, but clearly AC is in the worst position to handle a US bound flight policy as they have to be #1 in terms of numbers of international flights bound to the US.
Have a look at some random flights and pretty much every flight to the US is delayed about 2 hours (sometimes 3) today. They've updated their website with a plea asking you to carryon nothing and that you can check all that you want... perhaps a Christmas present for dishonest package handlers, a shopping spree in the baggage hold.
Not clear to me why Canada is being singled out as they appear to have done nothing at all for flights within the US. Perhaps there is a specific threat?
So far only BA and AC seem to have done anything, but clearly AC is in the worst position to handle a US bound flight policy as they have to be #1 in terms of numbers of international flights bound to the US.
Dec 26, 2009, 9:39 am
#18
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Cheers,
Dec 26, 2009, 9:44 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YTZ
Programs: AC SE, Hyatt Platinum, SPG Gold, Priority Club Gold
Posts: 487
Yes in some cases it might be better to do nothing then move forward with a knee-jerk over reaction...actually better yet, actually screen for bad people, rather than questionable items in their belongings. At most airports in Canada pax will have already cleared US customs; maybe let the people who's job it is to keep baddies out actually do their job.
Dec 26, 2009, 9:54 am
#21
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K MM * DL MM * HH Diamond * Marriott Lifetime Titanium * Queen's '92
Posts: 5,950
Of note - I haven't yet seen any indication on restrictions on US Airlines or within the US - nothing on any of the US carrier websites nor on FT.
Is it international airlines and/or departure points only?
Simon
Is it international airlines and/or departure points only?
Simon
Dec 26, 2009, 9:57 am
#22
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
I'm already avoiding the US as much as I can!!
No locking of checked in bags, shoes off at security, now with these ridiculous new rules. When are they going to start mandatory sedation of all passengers while onboard?
I would rather risk having a terrorist attack than being subject to these unnecessary stupid procedures!!
No locking of checked in bags, shoes off at security, now with these ridiculous new rules. When are they going to start mandatory sedation of all passengers while onboard?
I would rather risk having a terrorist attack than being subject to these unnecessary stupid procedures!!
Dec 26, 2009, 10:01 am
#24
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 642
I can see your point, I just don't see the point...if you get what i mean.
Nowadays people still carry their nail files and swiss army knives - but now they have them confiscated (most of the time). The shoes and ever increasing amounts of electronics now hold everyone up at security. Security people have arguments with passengers over the size of their shampoo bottles and whether something is a liquid or a gel. None of these things make me feel safer especially when, almost 10 years after the "big event", a guy still got on a plane with something he shouldn't have had and he did something he shouldn't have done and all these layers of security didn't do a damn thing about it.
There are bad people out there who want to do bad things and bad things sometimes happen - I understand that - but freaking out after the event doesn't help, if it worked then this decade would have turned out a lot differently.
Nowadays people still carry their nail files and swiss army knives - but now they have them confiscated (most of the time). The shoes and ever increasing amounts of electronics now hold everyone up at security. Security people have arguments with passengers over the size of their shampoo bottles and whether something is a liquid or a gel. None of these things make me feel safer especially when, almost 10 years after the "big event", a guy still got on a plane with something he shouldn't have had and he did something he shouldn't have done and all these layers of security didn't do a damn thing about it.
There are bad people out there who want to do bad things and bad things sometimes happen - I understand that - but freaking out after the event doesn't help, if it worked then this decade would have turned out a lot differently.
Dec 26, 2009, 10:03 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AE
Posts: 10,566
Note to self:
Avoid travel to the USA until the insane overreactions are reeled in.
I am happy to be retired and in control of my travel destinations.
My sympathy to the road warriors who must travel to the USA.
On another note, this is a plus for AC who can advertize connections through Canada.
Avoid travel to the USA until the insane overreactions are reeled in.
I am happy to be retired and in control of my travel destinations.
My sympathy to the road warriors who must travel to the USA.
On another note, this is a plus for AC who can advertize connections through Canada.
Dec 26, 2009, 10:10 am
#26
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Also, I question how much any Pearson delays this morning really have to do with these checks - as opposed to the nasty flying weather we've been experiencing - especially in the US northeast - for the last few days.
Cheers,
Dec 26, 2009, 10:12 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Well within Jazz territory
Programs: AC E
Posts: 951
Dec 26, 2009, 10:16 am
#30
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YQR
Posts: 2,743
I will likely curtail my US trips too until this settles down. Why bother with the hassle?
When we flew out of AMS this September (enroute to DUB), my wife and I were surprised by the security measures in place--it all seemed very lax and disorganized. I know there is much theatre to what we see in any case over here, but AMS seemed particularly for show. Maybe that was a one off experience.
I just noticed that the Globe and Mail has a rather old stock photo of aircraft on its homepage--there even a Tango logoed plane inthe shot.
When we flew out of AMS this September (enroute to DUB), my wife and I were surprised by the security measures in place--it all seemed very lax and disorganized. I know there is much theatre to what we see in any case over here, but AMS seemed particularly for show. Maybe that was a one off experience.
I just noticed that the Globe and Mail has a rather old stock photo of aircraft on its homepage--there even a Tango logoed plane inthe shot.