I do not want to (and may not be able to ) take our planned vacation from SF)-LHR next tuesday. I am really thinking of cancelling the whole thing - as I am reall y terrified - not jus tto fly, but of what may happen when the US does react/retaliate/declare war etc. Any suggestions or factors I should consider? It is a direct flight from SFO without stopping in NY.
I'm not even sure why I'm posting but I would value some feedback and advice.I don't want to "let them win" but I also have ot deal with what kind of vacation tjhis may be if I'm terrified and /or war isdeclared...m FLight 1

Squeakr, I'm in the same boat here. My new wife and I were supposed to start our honeymoon tomorrow (9/13) in Europe, with one segment being SFO-LHR. We had discussed the same things you posted, and we had decided on taking the trip, until they canceled the flights today. We'll probably delay our trip by a week to reorganize everything.

For us, it was more a matter of, will this trip still be enjoyable? The answer for us is yes, but you'll need to decide that for yourself. Also, while the tragedy is still fresh on everyone's minds, security will be extra tight, so it would also be a safer time to travel.

As for timing, lets just say that there won't be a war until there is undeniable evidence linking responsibility, and that will certainly take a while.

Anyway, that's my take on it, perhaps it'll provide a different point of view to help in you final decision.

Decisions like these are always personal ones, and ultimately only you can decide whether you feel comfortable flying and spending time in a foreign country.

For what it's worth, my opinion is that your flight to / from LHR is about as safe as they come. Because of the long history of terrorist activity in the UK, police awareness is excellent and security at LHR is top-notch. I hope that most of the positioning / re-accomodation delays are gone by next week.

London has laid on significant amounts of police around the capital. Given the current political situation, I would probably dress conservatively and be discreet (so the Disney tee-shirt and camera around your neck are probably not a great idea) but suspect you'll have no problem.

If I were in your shoes (and to a certain degree I am, as an American ex-pat living in the UK) I would travel and not worry about it. But as I said in the preface, it is a personal decision and you must do whatever you feel most comfortable with.

In either case, stay safe. And if you do make it to the UK, get in touch and we'll go out for dinner!

Greetings Squeakr,

I'll say fly it. It's not so much a matter of letting them win, but me getting back to what I enjoy doing, and that is hopping on a plane. The sooner I can do that, the better. There will always be an element of risk in anything we do but I'll be better off when I catch my next flight. I've got a few more transcons in the next few weeks (same routing as one of those involved yesterday) that I plan to fly.

Squeakr, I suggest that you continue with your travel plans and show these idiots that we travelers will not be deterred by their terrorist attacks. You are more likely to be in a accident on the way to the airport than an air related incident. I was sitting at FRA waiting for a flight when Pan Am 103 was blown up and I still recall the German special police running through the airport and beefing up security which I appreciated. Don't let these so called Islamic animals dictate our lives with their f-cked up ideals!

Squeakr-

GO! I have a friend that is a constable at Heathrow, and I've been to their police headquarters there, as well as behind the scenes. I would feel very safe there, as they are very security conscious, dedicated, and will be on guard. They do one fantastic job in keeping the place safe. Unlike the unarmed constables you see throughout London, members assigned to the diplomatic unit, and some airport constables, are armed, and can deal with anything that comes there way. They get a lot of training in dealing with all sorts of incidents, and it has to be one of the safest airports in the world.

I've probably done more than 20 U.K. trips in the last 10 years, generally for 2-4 weeks each. No matter where I have been, I have felt safe and welcome, even in neighborhoods where I was the minority, or certainly stood out as an American.

I would dress down (i.e. no clothing with American flags, or American designer labels, or Jansport backpacks), and have a wonderful time. If you need some contacts in London or Scotland, I'd be happy to give you names of close friends there that could look after you if anything does develop. I have a friend in Greenwich that I go back with to elementary school that would be more than happy to help you should to not feel safe when there and need someone local to talk with. I also have friends that are constables at Heathrow and in Glasgow that you could rely on. Let me know, and I can e-mail them and give them a heads up before you head over.

thanks for everyone's kind words. I am not frightened of LHR itself as I know they ahve soem of the best security in the world. It';s more the unknown - what if I'm abroad when war is declared? What if planes start getting shot down out of the sky/ Is the route ot LHR on a missle path? I'm a nervous flier anyway....

I also suspect that atc system will still be in crisin by early next week so I'd like to let the changes have a chance to go smoothly. My best guess is that we will try to postpone till mid or late october...

Squeakr, you have too many what-ifs, sounds like you will not be comfortable and at ease going on this vacation....

postpone it for a later date when you are ready to enjoy the pleasurable trip

do not forget also there are many people waiting to get on flights to go home to see their spouses and kids, your unused seats may perhaps do them a great favour

like what other posts have indicated above, the decision is of course a personal one

we too, cancelled our trip to Eastern Europe, not because of fear of flying, but other than painfully long queues at the airport, also fear of not being able to relax and enjoy ... our minds are still here, in America... it would be rather difficult for us to switch our emotions from one day being angry, sorrowful, mournful to the next day of being bright-eyed, refreshed, ready-to-visit-the-museums tourists

take care,
belle

and that is where I have landed...so to speak ...I think we will postpone till a time when we may feel more like goig and feeling Ok away from home.

I have a fear of unknowns too, and the greatest unknown to me is death.

So rather than to think and dwell on that dim subject, I choose to live to life's fullest.

Hug those you love, tell them what you were embarassed to say before, and enjoy the vacation whenever you're ready to take it.

[This message has been edited by Indurain (edited 09-13-2001).]

I could not agree less with the idea of leaving your USA t-shirts home, etc. The Europeans have been wonderful and supportive and I have been looking for a store carrying ribbon so I can wear red, white and blue for the next few days before we come home from Bucharest/London. No country is more in our camp than England. If we all cancel our travel plans, the terrorists win. Come to Europe, have a good time, and be proud.

I had been scheduled to travel EWR-LGW-STO on 9/13th. Given the tragic events, I cancelled on 9/12---with the thought that my seat could be better used by someone who really needed to be there. CO then cancelled my flight. They gave me a full refund, which I then proceeded to use to rebook the same trip on 10/18. I am not at all worried about travelling abroad, but it is a very personal matter and if you feel in the least bit concerned, and that concern may spoil your trip--then you should cancel. Most airlines are still allowing full refunds given the situation, just call them and explain.

We are (and have been) for several months, booked to fly LAX/DFW/LGW on October 18th --currently, NO intention of cancelling

I am scheduled to go to a friends wedding in Liverpool October 11. Just sent an email that I will be there and repeated to this friend a conversation we had several years ago about the terrorism that was abundant in the UK at that time.
He stated to me that if we changed our normal activities than the terrorists had won. We proceed with caution but nevertheless we proceed. Anyway that is my personal decision.

I'm scheduled to leave from SFO to LHR
on Sept 26, returning Oct 8. I have to
first fly out to SF from NY before the 26th.
My sister has told me that she does not
want me to fly (she's more nervous about
the domestic flight than she is the
international one). In any case, I've pretty
much decided to go, but without a
satisfactory explanantion for my sister...