"This Changes Everything"
 

Remembering that overused phrase, I'm thinking "but it didn't". Too much was unchanged. That's one unfortunate reason we are in a mess. Because I'm thinking one thing that DID forever change post-9/11 was the smug belief of airlines that there was a good chance of getting their aircraft back. Now they must always realize that a slip in security means not ONLY does the aircraft become a smoking pile of metal, but worse yet, the government GROUNDS all their aircraft! I never heard how many billions were lost during the month of no flying, but it must have cost a lot of jobs. The stockholders must have really taken a bath.

Now what I'm wondering is: Given what airline management has learned from the incident, is there any reason they will ever again mindlessly ignore potential threats? Will passengers ever again feel comfortable when the emphasis is on speedily boarding them, whatever the cost?

Not saying, wondering.

I'm hard pressed to think of an example of an airline mindlessly ignoring a potential threat. Quite the opposite; the number of disruptions caused by patently obvious hoaxes must be in the thousands.

Only possibility is that cockpit access should have been addressed long ago after two fatal intrusions and numerous hijacks. (Aside: I'd use the photo of John Testrake for emphasis, except that it's a fake. Maybe. http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/200...in-beirut.html ).. That was an FAA issue but the airlines could have done it on their own initiative (El Al), and if you want to point to someone dropping the ball on pre-9/11 security that would have to be the FAA. Not the airlines. Not Argenbright etc..

I'm comfortable with a speedy boarding process since I do not believe the TSA has a hope in hell of detecting and disrupting a genuine attack by a competent terrorist(s).

Well, one thing we've learned from the incident is that while it takes the TSA several million dollars to teach their BDOs to pretend they can SPOT terrorists in the crowd... There's an app for that!

Well, so far no one really seems to think the airlines are still oblivious to the dangers. But it is probably too early to judge.

I agree that cockpit doors should have been secured long before 9/11 but I don't see how the airlines can be held responsible for ignoring a threat of which they were not aware. However, numerous government agencies did have information about the 9/11 terrorists long before they arrived at the airports. They were also well aware of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab months before he was escorted onto the plane in Amsterdam. So I'm at a loss here as to why blame is being laid at the feet of the airlines.

True. But now the entire world is aware. The stakes are extremely high, and the industry is on shakey ground. So what really is the need of feeling up flyers? I can't see it.

I agree with you on that statement. My skin crawls every time I get near a CP. But I was trying to answer what I thought was your question. Perhaps I misunderstood. I don't see that the airlines have ignored anything. I also don't see the need to live my life in paranoia. Do the bag checks, metal detectors, even puffers (once they are working properly). The money now being given to the TSA would be better spent on maintenance of airplanes and on intelligence. Fix the problems that exist between different government agencies not sharing information and don't allow known terrorists to fly. Allow passengers to do what they now do and act when something is amiss. I'd be comfortable with that being the extent of what I need to deal with when I pay thousands of dollars for an airline ticket.

Yeh, we don't need a Ministry of Interior in this country. We already know what those do in other countries (Libya just being the latest reminder). We shouldn't sleepwalk into a living nightmare.