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Old Aug 13, 2006, 5:26 am
  #1  
FF
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What to do on board, then?

I cancelled my AA F (yes, Expedia) LHR-LAX today 'cos I don't really fancy 2 x 11 hours on AA with nothing to read except their choice of papers / magazines / movies.

Any reports from anyone who's been on a long haul flight over the past few days with no laptop / own reading material etc?
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 5:41 am
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Originally Posted by FF
I cancelled my AA F (yes, Expedia) LHR-LAX today 'cos I don't really fancy 2 x 11 hours on AA with nothing to read except their choice of papers / magazines / movies.

Any reports from anyone who's been on a long haul flight over the past few days with no laptop / own reading material etc?
I'm scheduled to fly four BA long-haul flights in the second half of August. It could be a good time to join the mile high club if most other forms of in-flight entertainment are unavailable.
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 5:47 am
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I understand you are still permitted to take airside purchases on board with you.

If so, nip into Smiths and buy some books. It was running a buy one get one half price promo on paperback puzzlers a few weeks back which may still be ongoing - sudoku, codewords and crosswords et al (plus pen/pencil) could easily keep you occupied for several hours. Does the trick for me - start with advanced and save the more gentle puzzles for later when the brain begins to tire.
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 5:53 am
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Crazy idea, you could interact (i.e. make conversation, i.e. talk) to the passenger next to you. Might make a new friend.
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 5:59 am
  #5  
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Not to / from the US, or so it seems from the AA / BA travel advisories. So no books etc from airside shops.

Will BA / AA etc be stocking up on extra reading materials onboard?

Must be awful for people travelling with kids



Originally Posted by Prospero
I understand you are still permitted to take airside purchases on board with you.

If so, nip into Smiths and buy some books. It was running a buy one get one half price promo on paperback puzzlers a few weeks back which may still be ongoing - sudoku, codewords and crosswords et al (plus pen/pencil) could easily keep you occupied for several hours. Does the trick for me - start with advanced and save the more gentle puzzles for later when the brain begins to tire.
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 6:03 am
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Books, magazine and puzzle books are the same price at airside shops as they are in high street shops. At the moment, you can still bring these purchases on board flights as long as you have a till receipt that you bought these airside.

Originally Posted by FF
Not to / from the US, or so it seems from the AA / BA travel advisories. So no books etc from airside shops.
I bought a book, a pen and 2 magazines for my BA flight on Friday 11 Aug for my flight from LHR to T4 to JFK. Are you aware of different rules for AA? If so this is a topic for the AA thread not the BA tread.

I saw many passengers; reading, working on puzzle books, sleeping and watching the in-flight entertainment. Really, you are only missing out on using your laptop.

Really, the irritation is more to do with BAA slow processing of hold security. You do have to check in at LHR at least 3 hours before scheduled departure time (I am using C and F check-in queue waiting times here; not Y which is far worse) you sure that your hold bags do make it on board the plane. WW was correct to criticise BAA for this. Business travellers are likely to be irrate landing without their laptops/blackberries, women arriving without their make-up, US residents without their house keys or car-keys.

Personally, I think that cancelling travelling plans because of a general threat is to let the terrorist win (a British stiff upper lip approach and I am not even British, although I have lived in the UK for a long time).

However, we do not need terrorist to screw thing ups when we have the likes of BAA efficiency and its slow ability to respond to heightened security measures to generate travel chaos for the public.
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 6:06 am
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Just a thought

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=581550
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 6:09 am
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Originally Posted by FF
Any reports from anyone who's been on a long haul flight over the past few days with no laptop / own reading material etc?
Eat a bit, drink a bit (not too much), watch a movie, sleep for a few hours, watch some TV, eat/drink a little more and then it is time for landing...

Ok, would miss my i-pod a bit. Would be nice if they have a magazine or two on board. But otherwise it wouldn't affect me much... maybe I am just an airhead who can't concentrate much on airplanes though...

Agree with what you say about kids - no toys/books/puzzles/"favourite cuddly toy"/blankey and no change of clothes (for those accidents that do/will happen) - must be harder on kids or those with kids than anyone else

Boo
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 6:42 am
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One could try doing some thinking and reflecting, both on work and personal themes. Highly under-rated way of passing the time.
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 6:58 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by fraisse10
One could try doing some thinking and reflecting, both on work and personal themes. Highly under-rated way of passing the time.
^
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 7:09 am
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what about

business papers and contracts? I really don't want to check these. Most are confidential. Also I want to work on them during the flights.

You can only have a pen if you buy it airside?

How long does it take for the QE2 to cross the ocean?
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 7:18 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by oldpenny16
business papers and contracts? I really don't want to check these. Most are confidential. Also I want to work on them during the flights.

You can only have a pen if you buy it airside?

How long does it take for the QE2 to cross the ocean?
Hi,

From the UK, business papers will not be allowed on board.

Pens - need to be bought airside

QE2- Likely to be 5 days to cross NYC-Southampton

Regards

TBS
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 7:25 am
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot
QE2- Likely to be 5 days to cross NYC-Southampton
Generally it is the QM2 (and not the QE2) that does the transatlantic crossings these days...

6 days according to the Cunard site - ok, it could do it a lot quicker, but (at least at the moment) these crossings are sold as "leisure cruises"...

Boo
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 7:27 am
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by oldpenny16
business papers and contracts? I really don't want to check these. Most are confidential. Also I want to work on them during the flights.
DHL / FedEx / etc. the douments to your final destination - I believe these companies are unaffected by the current situation.
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Old Aug 13, 2006, 7:35 am
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Originally Posted by jkw76
DHL / FedEx / etc. the douments to your final destination - I believe these companies are unaffected by the current situation.
Good advice

Courrier your business paper, laptops and even mobile and blackberry to ensure their safe arrival (rather than for BAA to loose the bags throught the security).
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