I don't mind the TSA screening so much. I do mind the idiotic regulations - nothing on your lap for the last hour of the flight? Get a grip. If the next time around someone tries to set off something half way through the flight we will all be flying handcuffed to our seats and connected to a urine catheter.

I was already avoiding the US in order not to deal with the abuse immigration officers seem happy to dish out at random travellers. I travel with a baby and do not appreciate being yelled at or delayed for two hours in secondary screening for no reason. I will fly YVR-YYZ-SCL-EZE on Air Canada rather than shave 4-5 hours going through DFW or IAD just to avoid US immigration. I am due to fly back to Vancouver tomorrow, and have never been more grateful for taking the extra trouble of not touching US soil. Enjoy your pat-downs.

Going to fly out of YYZ when going to Asia next December.

I've not personally had a poor experience with checkpoints, other than their fairly routine lack of coutesy and professionalism -- traits which are more and more commonplace, generally, in my experience. After nearly forty years of travel, I've managed to figure out how to dress and pack to get through security with relative ease. So, no, it's not about any of that.

Excepting emergencies (business or personal), I stopped flying a couple of years ago -- not because of the hassle, which (for me) has been mimimal, but as a matter of principle. The very existence of secret regulations and government agencies publically accountable to no one is anathema to me and an insult and affront to every American.

In terms of business travel if I can drive it in less than about 12 hours, I drive -- that's about a 600 mile radius. In terms if leisure travel, my husband is a driving junkie so anything we can drive within three days, we drive. That effectively puts the continental U.S. within range. For short trips, the time involved isn't all that much different, taking everything into consideration. For longer trips, it's a trade-off -- but, overall, well worth it.

~~Irish

I have a flight from GLA to YVR via AMS and SEA coming up in two weeks. I'm seriously considering changing it to the direct AMS YVR KLM flight just to avoid all this stupid nonsense. It'll cost me heaps more but if it's less hassle it will be worth it.

What irks me more is that I travel up and down the west coast on AS out of YVR quite frequently, that short 1.5 hr hop to PDX is now looking like a whole lotta of trouble.

International long haul travellers will put up with an extra couple hours delay if their journey was long enough to begin with, the real dent to the airlines is going to come from the more lucrative short-haul cross-border travel between the US, Canada & Mexico. Adding an extra two hours to these short journeys is enough to make people find other means of travelling.

Yes, but it's not just TSA; it's the entire flying experience these days - the rude passengers, the indifferent and unhelpful gate agents, the delayed luggage, the long lines at immigration (ATL), the crowded and noisy airports, the delayed flights, the changes in flight schedules that now require me to take 4 connecting flights to get from MLB to SOF or LCA. It's just all awful and I hope that 2010 is my last year of flying TATL and in the US.

If the cost was reasonable and I had time on my hands, which I usually do, I'd happily return to the days of trans-atlantic liners.

No doubt though the TSA would get their greasey claws into that too, much like they have begun with cruise travel today.

I have.

I used to be a FF, a couple domestic trips mixed in with a few TATL's per year. Usually got me Silver, just under Gold for status. Now, I make 2 trips to Ireland a year, and drive domestically. My current job is in Utah, and I'm from Minnesota. I've made the RT drive a couple times now, at 1600 each way.


I recently re-enlisted back into the Guard in MN. We are training up for deployment and now I'll be flying back to MN once a month for drill. With the events of the last 24 hours, I'm REALLY not looking forward to this. I'm considering renting a car and driving maybe every other month or so. I HATE the TSA and as someone who has been sworn to defend the Constitution, they make me sick. I used to LOVE to fly, the airports, people, travelling, etc. Now, it's nothing more than a headache and I'm biting my tongue trying not to tell some clueless goon to go bleep themselves. Sad, really. :(

We are going private jet to Mexico. :D

That's one way to avoid TSA.

That number seems incredibly low. I think they also charge for "dimensional weight". So a package that could actually hold 50# of clothes may end up costing a lot more. May still end up being a cheaper option than checking the bag, and less hassle to deal with at the airport.

They still exist. I've done it twice. I might do it again with the family this coming year. 6 days is the shortest cross from near London to New York. I've even done the one from Galveston direct to Europe and avoided all flying stateside before. Cost is not that bad.

Ciao,
FH

+1

Yes. Was planning to take a trip to Palm Springs this week and was waiting to see which days would have the best weather. We have decided not to go rather than deal with the TSA idiocy.

We now gladly pay more to go from Toronto to Europe directly on either KLM or Air France, not through the US (would often be DTW). It's definitely less hassle, so if that's your measuring stick, then yes, it's worth paying "heaps more" in our experience.

Not just TSA, also US immigration rules and processes.

I used to visit USA 10+ times a year. In 2009 I just transitted USA once and never stopped there. My current RTW goes via South America instead of North America.

And no mention of the wonderful flight attendants who are there primarily for your safety? :rolleyes: