Hunki

I guess that I'll have to look for some other enterprise to make my millions. But, this morning when I expected to breeze straight through to the Big Easy for dinner tonight, I was shocked to find that my flight was cancelled again, so while I was packing, Punki thoughtfully called the 1K desk to rebook the flight. Now, instead of SEA-DEN-MSY, its SEA-PDX-ORD-MSY, with no confirmation out of ORD.
When I drove into the SEA-TAC parking garage, I found parking spaces across from the elevator on 6, no huge crowds in the ticketing area, but long lines to check luggage. The 1K line was empty, so I was able to walk directly to the counter and check in. It was a little unnerving to be told by the agent that she could get me to Chicago, but that she couldn't give me a seat on the plane yet because they didn't know what it was going to be. So I surrended my 500 mi certs on the faith that I would be upgraded, and headed for the gate.
As I approached what I thought was the line for the security check, I noticed that the woman in front of me had a rather large bag. So, when I mentioned it to her, she remarked that she was in the baggage check line. I beat a quick retreat and found the security check line (all of two or three people. My one small computer bag (I really packed light on this trip) was pulled aside and checked with the sniffer, but not opened. I walked through with the Swiss army knife that Rudi had given me (I had completely forgotten that I had it in my pocket with my change). So, should I keep it in my pocket or put it in my bag?
When I checked into the RCC, they requested to see my card and my ticket. New procedure. Note: they mentioned that they are not taking any new members, so renew your membership before it runs out.
Flight to PDX on United Express was about 1/2 full, but the flight to ORD was completely full, and short 2 FAs. I did get my upgrade, tried the screw-top wine, but couldn't hack it. We did get table linen with the meal service + 2 plastic knives with the rest of the silver.
I'm presently waiting at the RCC with my confirmed upgrade ready for the flight to MSY.
I think that as a group we need to support the airlines and all of the rest of the services that exist out on the concourses and terminals. I even got my shoes shined (well they needed it anyway)to help out. I'll let you know how it ends up/

jerry a. laska

I flew PIH-BOI-SEA-JNU on AS on 9/15 (which was my intended return date) and, other than being somewhat apprehensive for the first flight, everything progressed perfectly. The airports seemed almost deserted with only ticketed passengers being admitted to the gate areas. I ran into a close friend from JNU in BOI, who had been trying to get home for three days and so had a traveling companion for the rest of the trip. People were muted for the most part and Borg's in SEA was only half full and not as festive as normal. The lines at security at C and D were nonexistent, I guess because only ticketed passengers could come through. My flights were ontime if not early departing and arriving - the only exception was the BOI-SEA which had a flat tire which required us to wait for and then take another plane. I agree with Hunki's decision to support businesses in the terminal and had an extra Black Butte Porter at Borg's and frozen yogurt from TCBY!

I'm heading down to SJD this weekend and do not anticipate any problems.

smooth, glad to hear you made it home and that your employer was caring and concerned.

jerry

Hunki

Well, made it to MSY! No hassles, flight was only about 10% full, except for 1st Cabin which had 1 empty seat. Even got in 10 min early, but too late to join Mathew Clement for the evening.
My seatmate, a Swiss German food broker consultant from SFO who doesn't know Rudi, said that his flight was about 2/3 full.
We'll see if my flights tomorrow stay as written.

Joe

curt

That's exactly what I think. Over here we've seen terrorism all over the continent... and still, life always returned to nomality.
That is impossible...

TravelWeary

Please don't take this wrong and blast me, as I am genuinely curious about this. I lived in Europe for a number of years and do agree that terrorism is and has been more a part of Europeans' lives than Americans. However, I'm trying to think of any one event of this magnitude in terms of sheer numbers that Europeans have had to "know how to carry on" after. What are you comparing this event to historically? I can't think of anything offhand, but that doesn't mean I don't need a history lesson here. As a researcher by trade I would be sincerely interested in looking at the aftermath of a similar event. Thanks for helping me out on this one.

ExpoTrac

I was in SoCal last week, and was scheduled to return on Friday. Before I left the hotel, I checked and both flights were on as scheduled. Arrived at SNA 2 hours before flight time - lines were fairly long for check-in, but thanks to status only 6 in FC line. I didn't see any difference in the check-in procedure, with the exception of signs for "No Knives". I did have to show ID and Boarding Pass to go thru the metal detectors - but I took a glass bottle thru without question, and did not have to turn on my laptop, as has been the case in the past. The flight was only about 60% full, with a deadheading crew (who were taken off and put back on within 10 minutes). It did take 20 minutes or so to depart after everyone was boarded - the pilot reported that this was due to "weight & balance" calculations being done on the ground and not by the pilots now, but I suspect that they may have been running passenger manifests through a name match. The overall mood of the passengers seemed normal until we learned that a couple in the row in front of me was heading to NY to find their son who worked in the WTC. As I was in 10F and didn't have storage in front, I put my computer bag in the overhead - I was almost afraid to retrieve it after takeoff, as I didn't want to panic everyone! Upon arrival in ORD, found that my connecting flight to ORH was cancelled. Had to go out to Ticket Counter, where lines were not bad at all. FC had only 1 or 2 in line. First TA was not very helpful, said he rebooked me on the same flight the next day and I could try to fly standby to PVD the next AM if I wanted. He didn't even offer help with hotels until I asked "Is that all?", and then he offered a $50 rate at a Holiday Inn. Luckily, I checked the monitors and found a flight to BDL 2 hours later. I went back (to a different agent) who put me on the standby list (which was at 40, but it appears that Gold status moved me up to 7th). I had to go and retrieve my luggage and recheck it. Again, nothing special noted - ID and boarding pass to go thru metal detectors, no check of the computer...but there were police and SWAT sitting just inside the metal detectors. Same delay after boarding with the "...waiting for paperwork..." reason. All in all, it seemed fairly normal, but I did notice myself checking out the other passengers a bit more. I do think for flights in the near future I will go for the inconvience of shorter connecting flights vs the non-stop transcon flights.

squeakr

my father in law who served in WW2 said the closest thig he could imagine was the bombing of Dresden - without getting into who's on what side, that the magnitude seemed like a similar scale

SCMM

One night of firebombing in Dresden killed over 150,000 people. But that was a "real" war and not a terrorist attack.

I do not believe there has been a terrorist strike of this magnatude anywhere else. "Just" lots and lots and lots of smaller events that "only" killed a few hundred people or less at a time.

Europeans are more used to terror attacks and we do not let this stop us from going about our normal lives. Like anything else the more it happens the more it just seems "normal".

I just hope that the Americans never have to get used to this, as be it one or ten thousand killed, it is all a stupid waste of life.


Stewart.

Hunki

Just completed my first leg home from MSY-DEN. The flight left on time, was about 2/3 full in coach, full in First with at least 3 crew. However, when I was checking in, and found that my connecting flight DEN-SEA was cancelled, I asked the TA about it and he said that the FAA is one doing the cancelling, not the airlines. I was booked on the next later flight.
As I was walking away from the counter, I remembered that I still had Rudi's gift Suisse Army knife in my pocket, so I transferred it to my carry-on bag, figuring if the security check people took it, I would have to take a trip to Switzerland to replace it. I threw my bag and cellphone on the belt and walked thru the scanner. Much to my surprise, the alarm went off and I got the full treatment of a pat-down and wand search. They detected metal in my belt buckle and shoe eyelets, but my bag went through without any additional inspection. Since I didn't want to cause anyone to panic, I just proceeded on without comment.
It was really quiet on the concourses and I think that there are a lot of small business that are not going to survive because the rest of the public can't get out there.
So far, it feels like its getting back to normal, except for the plastic knives.

Joe

Nobbi

It seems, as Hunki reported, that the security checks in the US have NOT changed much. His experience mirrors mine from last Friday SFO-YVR.

Flying so far has not felt any different, but then I did not get close to the east coast (US)

Nobbi

stimpy

Someting unique at NCE last night as I flew BD to LHR. After going through slightly increased security at the X-Ray (it was much more sensitive as my cheap sunglasses made it beep), I was one of the last to board, only to find the jetty was loaded with people.

When I finally made it up to the front, my passport was checked again and I was asked the extra questions that UA usually asks here in Europe. Then I was told to lay down my belongings and put my arms out as they waved the detector wand over me.

That seemed quite stupid to me since I could have put any potential weapon back in my carry on. I even layed my jacket on the table with my bags so a weapon could have been in there.

Thanks to this extra bit of non-security, we took off 25 minutes late. Fortunately this was at night. During the day the 100-odd people standing crowded in the jetty would have roasted under the sun.

stimpy

As for Europe, yes both World Wars had plenty of tragedy and somehow the survivors were not only able to carry on, they would get up the next day and fight. Russia probably had it the worst, first with the Bolsheviks carrying on their own terrorism. Later, the groups they suppressed carried out their own terrorism/freedom fighting.

In more recent times some terrible bombings have happened in Europe. None of the magnitude of last week, but whether it's one life, 100 or thousands, it still captures the hearts and minds of the nation attacked. Yet they do carry on.

curt

TravelWeary, as stimpy pointed out, there have been some bad bombings over here. While none came even close to the number of victims, the bombings here had and have one feature that makes them especially frightening: small in magnitude but high in frequency and highly variable in place.

This means that in places like MAD, car bombs can actually go off anywhere, be it in the city center or a quiet residential area. Some time ago in Paris, every trash bin was a possible drop place for bombs (therefore they were removed). Parcel bombs exploded in mail centers in Austria and Germany. A pipe bomb killed 16 people in the entrance of a DUS subway station. In 1980 terrorists blew up the Bologna train station, killing 85. London is still under the threat of IRA bombings. Terrorists in MOW blew up big appartment blocks.

Last weeks attacks were focused on symbols: WTC, the Pentagon, probably the White House. So my impression is that as long as you stay clear of vulnerable buildings or places, you are safe: the chance that a terrorist attack will occur in a residential area in, say, Kansas City is close to zero.

yummyham

I think the original point was that Stimpy was making
was that we, as Americans, shouldn't let this defeat us -
that we should continue with our lives. What this has
turned into is a kind of one-upmanship of who has
had it worse off as victims of terrorism. Quanitifying
the various events in Europe and the U.S. is basically
splitting hairs. It's like saying we should offer more
sympathy for the parents who lost two children instead
of the parents who lost one child. A loss of life is a loss
of life...The point is, is that we continue life, mourn the
loved ones, and be a little more on the alert.

Hunki

Made it home last night without any problems.
However, my seat mate was just making it back from a business trip to NYC where he watched the second jet fly into the second WTC tower. He said that his product manager who talking to him on the phone at the time didn't seem to understand why he was so distracted.
Other than that, we got to watch previews of all of the tv shows on NBC. So, I guess that I would say that it feels the same in the air, but in the terminals it's definitely different.