Yeah, I only have to take my shoes off if I'm flying to the US. Any other destination, shoes stay on unless I think they'll set off the alarm - I have a number of sets of heels like these that will set the WTMD off, so I take those off regardless.

AKL-SFO 29 May: No shoe removal. No belt removal. My netbook stayed in its neoprene sleeve.

Contrast with the domestic route:

SFO-PHX 29 May: Shoes and belt off, I was reminded that US air travel is insane. :) And Team SFO asks a stupid question which I didn't answer.

The DUB secondary shoe removal point in US preclearance is especially funny, as you're not required to go through a WTMD or remove coats/belts etc. at that time.

Saw the same mess in YYZ on Saturday. A group from Florida, flying to YVR made a mess of the checkpoint. No real fault of their own, mind you they were told several times...All in running/tennis shoes, took a while to get them off, then back on since they weren't required to remove them in the first place, pockets full of items, didn't know what they could leave in/on or not...caused quite the delay.

Shoes off in Australia only if they alarm when going through the WTMD.

A few times I've seen American's going through AU checkpoints automatically take their shoes off when they are putting everything else into trays.

At ZRH, the LX flights to the US have a segregated area where you have to go through security again, including removal of shoes.

Also, they have a bunch of small rooms in that area for pat downs (not used as primary) for those suspected for smuggling Swiss chocolate :eek:

Are you sure that isn't to check for US bound Kinder Surprise Eggs? :D

So it sounds like US bound flights, (except for Sri Lanka and possibly a few more) and in places like BRU perhaps all flights leaving from that area. I wonder if that is an airport design issue which necessitates that.

Just take the toys out first. The chocolate is awful anyway. :p

At ICN, it seemed that everyone was expected to remove shoes. There, they gave us special sandals to wear under our socks as we went through the WTMD. I could not tell whether this was required, but it appeared that everyone going through my security line was doing this. I was actually surprised that I did not find more about this on Flyertalk.

Philippines is pretty much 100% shoes off, belts off, pockets completely emptied followed by a WTMD and a cursory non-sexual pat down performed by a polite security guard. Security lines are segregated by gender so women and children go through the women’s line and men go through the men’s line. That's for all flights. Varying secondary gate checks including secondary WTMD and bag checks are randomly applied. PAL departures nonstop to the USA of course go one step further with a secondary gate check with 100% serious bag checks, laptops sometimes need to be powered up to prove they are functional laptops but no intrest is paid to the data, a 100% "drop your shoes off and pick then up later on down the line" shoe checking station, another WTMD and secondary non-sexual pat down and a document checking station.

All in all, even if it is over the top it is not time consuming and at least the employees are polite and good natured even if they are prone to making up weird rules.

I don't get that - if you KNOW you're going to be taking your shoes off, why wear lace up tennis shoes that take a while to put back on? I can understand some confusion over rules if you're an infrequent flyer, but if you "know" (as they did) that the shoes have to come off, make it easy on yourself!

I always wear shoes I can drop on the floor and slip on, at most I have to adjust a strap.

Sometimes when flying very far and long, convenience for the TSA pass is not as important as long-time comfort or convenience of transport (such as wearing your bulkiest shoes to get more packing space).

Besides, why should we be forced to change our travel attire for a stupid rule? Change the rule!

Shoes are not required to be removed for domestic flights in Canada. I can't assume they knew. But if they "assumed" they would have to remove them, then yes, I agree with your statement. I, like you, when flying into/out of the US, wear easily removed shoes.

They were a large group of older folks on a fun trip. Couldn't be bothered to say much about it aside from "Really, you don't have to take them off" but they were so conditioned, I guess, that they did anyway. :)

edit: On the flip side, perhaps those were the most comfortable shoes for travel. Very good point BL.

^

Shoes stay on in Hong Kong and Shanghai even when traveling to the US.