Home again! Experience at airport

 
Old Sep 15, 2001, 7:55 am
  #1  
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Home again! Experience at airport

Returned from SAT yesterday. I got to airport 2 1/2 hrs. before flight. No elie line, but a very long one to check baggage. Announcements said that everyone needed a boarding slip to get through security, so even thoughs without baggage to check was in line. After 1 1/2 hr. I got to agent and he told me that I was "selected" as one of the random people to have my bags examined. Another line.This process was very exact. Everything was examined. Presents would be unwrapped, every piece of clothing taken out and examined. Three Delta employees were doing this. I had 15 minutes to my flight when they finished. At the security line I was asked to take my computer out and turn it on.
I was the last one on the plane. They said that they were waiting for me.We left and arrived on time.(Had a 30 minute wait for gate in Atl.
Everyone was professional and polite. Two and a half hours may not be enough time for pre-flight arrival in many locations.I showed my ID a total of 4 times.
In Atl I saw a very active airport as crowded as ever.Everyone needed a ticket/boarding pass.
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 8:12 am
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Flew IAD-ATL-DEN yesterday and it was mostly uneventful. Printed my new itinerary from the www, which is a very good idea. Lines were LOOOOOONG at ticket counter, about 300 people. the Mediallion line was only about 20 people, and it took me over 45 minutes to get through. Same 2 useless questions. Marshalls were stationed lots of places, and had to show my ID and BP to pass through security. Exact same process through scanners. Took computer, digital camera, phone and Palm through, same as usual, but wasn't even asked to change the face on my phone. Flight was 99% same as always... only difference in First was that I had a plastic knife instead of a metal one with breakfast. On second leg, had no knife... spread my butter on my roll with a spoon. Heard other travelers tell of random checks that were extreme like above... frisking, wanding, completely checking everything in a bag, etc. but saw none of it myself. GALD to be home and hug my family, but it won't ground me. I am ready to go again.
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 8:19 am
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I'm glad to be home as well. It seems all airports will be different. We might as well be prepared for the worst and if something better happens,great. I'm still trying to make up my mind if I should cancel my next trip on Tuesday.
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 9:21 am
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Flew PVD-ATL-PHX yesterday. I showed up 3 1/2 hours before my flight to fight nobody in line at the ticket counter. I was asked the usual questions... no difference there. The only difference was at the security checkpoint where I had to show my boarding pass before I could go thru. However, what really surprised me was the fact that I still received a metal knife with lunch on the PVD-ATL leg!
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 10:06 am
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I too flew out of SAT yesterday; the SAT delta counter does have a First/Medallion line. My flight was a 5:55 AM SAT-DFW-FLL that was rescheduled four times since Wednesday. SAT-DFW left about 45 min. late and I missed my connection to FLL, the choice was to wait at DFW for five hours for the next FLL flight or change to a PBI flight leaving right away. I took the PBI flight and arrived with no problems. The only problem was my checked bag never made it; Delta just delivered it to the motel 10 min. ago.

The biggest problem I saw yesterday was getting flight crews to the aircraft before the flight. Both of my flights were delayed due to late arriving flight crews. All in all Delta seems to be doing a good job of getting their flights back in operation.

My airport experience was not too difficult, with the only difference, having to show ID and ticket at the security screens. My laptop was not searched, but I did take the time to check anything that I thought would looked pointed. Place all small screwdrivers and knifes in you checked baggage and you should be fine. Lines are extremely long; if you are Medallion or traveling First Class find those check-in points for somewhat shorter lines. Persistence and patience pays off in contacting Delta, and a good redial button on your phone will be needed.

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Old Sep 15, 2001, 11:13 am
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I was told that they "mirged" the first line with everyone "to speed up the process". By the time I left every lap top was being turned on and about 1 out of 30 was getting a complete bag search. I rode next to a pilot. He was one of about 10 on the flight. There was about 25 empty seats.
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 1:56 pm
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Just returned this afternoon on DL406, FLL-LGA. I arrived at FLL at 8AM for an 11:15 departure. I was asked for my photo ID at the ticket counter, the scanner machine and again at the gate. The F/Medallion line moved quickly and I received my boarding pass in less than 5 minutes of waiting on line. Spent the rest of the wait in the new CRC until they were boarding. They were short 1 FA and the departure was delayed 20 minutes.

Once onboard, the pilot kept the door to the cockpit open until we reached the takeoff runway. I was shocked not to see the door closed before we left the gate. In addition he didn't even warn the FA's to prepare for takeoff and the FA in F was taking our food orders when he fired up the engines to takeoff. To say the least, she was in shock and jumped into an open seat. The rest of the flight was uneventful until we flew past the Southern tip on Manhattan and I saw the smoke still coming up from the site of the WTC. It brought tears back to my eyes all over again.

I live on the Westside of Manhattan 2 blocks from the American Red Cross headquarters on Amsterdam Ave. and 66th street. There were people lined up down the block to give blood and donate money. This will be my first stop as soon as I unpack.

God Bless America!
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 1:59 pm
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I got home yesterday by flying BNA-CVG-PHL. I was originally scheduled to fly BNA-ATL-EWR, but went to the airport that I was just going to be as patient as possible and get on the first plane that had space that would get me closer to NJ.

Incidentally (and I might regret saying this), but perhaps the best $50 I have ever spent was on a one-day membership to the CRC. Since I went to the airport at 9:00am and did not get in to PHL until 9:30pm, I spent a lot of time there, both in BNA and CVG. MUCH shorter lines for ticketing issues and the drinks and comfy seats were more than worth the 50 bucks.

As for security, I was actually expecting more than I saw. I had to show ID at pretty much every ticket counter, but that is pretty much standard. The only other changes I noticed was that I was asked about ANY sharp objects (including nail clippers) and that I had to show ID at the security checkpoint as well. I was wand searched and patted down from the waist down, but never had to open my bags. I didn't hang around to watch how many were searched more thoroughly, but I was actually surprised that I wasn't asked more questions.

Once I got to CVG, the CRC told me that getting to EWR, LGA, or JFK was "probably not" going to happen, and that HPN, SWF, and Allentown, PA (ABE?) were shut down. They were able to confirm me on one flight to PHL and another one to BWI, and put me on standby on two other flights. The display monitors were totally unreliable, though, as I almost missed my confirmed flight to PHL because the monitors in the CRC and the terminal never displayed a departure time for my flight. As it was, I made it on to the 3pm flight to PHL that didn't leave until 6:30pm and we landed in PHL at about 8:30pm.

On the CVG-PHL flight, the pilot came over the intercom as we prepared for push-back to commend all of us for showing the rest of the world that America will not be intimidated into staying on the ground, and saying that we represented what was best about America by taking to the air so quickly after such a difficult week. When he finished, there was spontaneous applause, and again when we landed - something I've only witnessed before on long international flights or very turbulent flights.

All-in-all, a good day, but a long one. And I'm back to it all tomorrow, though hopefully EWR will be more opened up by then for DL.
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 8:00 pm
  #9  
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Forgive me, but isn't all this ID checking pretty silly? The hijackers had IDs, for crying out loud! How does this improve security?

Bruce
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Old Sep 15, 2001, 9:33 pm
  #10  
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It doesn't. It helps pacify the moorons. Oh, and as LexPax pointed out elsewhere, gives the FAA some temporary cover for their posteriors.

I'm not quite as pessimistic as Lex about our future flying possibilities, but I must admit that the idiocy force is strong with this stuff...

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Old Sep 15, 2001, 9:50 pm
  #11  
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ID Checking - proves nothing
Extra checking - proves nothing
Removing small knives, nail clippers - means nothing
Keep non passengers out of concourse - means nothing
Removing cars 300 ft from terminal - means nothing
No curbside checkin - means nothing

Making travel difficult - means airlines and all the support services and the economy goes to he**.

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Old Sep 15, 2001, 9:58 pm
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The really scary thing is that security is really not much better now than it was before this nightmare started. Bruce is right, the highjackers had IDs - they showed them to get on the planes they took over. For that matter, why are the airlines being forced to continue asking bag questions? Does anyone really believe that a highjacker smart enough to learn to pilot a 767 would be dumb enough to admit that they had a weapon or explosive? When we look back on this disaster one of the contributing factors will clearly be stupidity...
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Old Sep 16, 2001, 3:07 am
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I just got home (430am) after coming in from JFK. I'm gonna do a full trip report about my experiences there, but let it suffice to say that there is a lot of *profiling* going on. While I appreciate the need for security, the next time that I am threatened with having handcuffs slapped on me *for the peace of mind of the other passengers* while awaiting my flight will be the last time I fly Delta. Ever.
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Old Sep 16, 2001, 4:26 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B747-437B:
While I appreciate the need for security, the next time that I am threatened with having handcuffs slapped on me *for the peace of mind of the other passengers* while awaiting my flight will be the last time I fly Delta. Ever.</font>
What??? Say it isn't so.
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Old Sep 16, 2001, 5:03 am
  #15  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by rcs85551:
What??? Say it isn't so.</font>
FlyerTalk has helped this thread continue by assisting in clearing up certain opinions.
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