1apreferably

I wonder if the last hour includes anticipated ATC hold time?

BearX220

Or perhaps there is no rational explanation, and they're just not going to admit it in public? What kind of master anti-terrorist plan involves turning off the Airshow, believing that without it, passengers can't tell when they're going to land? More likely, this is like when TSA can't execute anything consistently because of ground-level incompetence and corruption, then claims the inconsistency is all part of a big secret strategy.

Occom's razor says this is just blind, knee-jerk, panic policy with no rational basis. You'd have to prove otherwise.

longtime lurker

Perhaps the TSA want passengers to be bored out of their mind in the last hour of international flights, looking around to make sure nobody else tries something like what happened.

That UA's IFE seemingly can't be disconnected from Airshow is bizarre.

fastair

I would suspect Panasonic to come up with a software patch soon, if this rule doesn't change.

http://www.panasonic.aero/Products/Products.aspx
This link states their systems are customizable.

jraindc

I wrote a detailed note to 1K voice about the lack of IFE. United needs to push back on all this silliness immediately. It's beyond dumb.

iflyuaaa

people have been voting w/their feet and wallets for years (ie, going to WN). UA's solution is not to provide a competitive product, but rather to just cut more capacity. i think the same will happen if everyone switches to a carrier that still provides IFE. they will just cut more flights. this could be the death of some routes i fear.

UA_Flyer

I am all for public interest and public safety and have admiration for those who devote their careers to public administration^; however, this latest action by TSA is really head-scratching.

Until more information is available, I am not ready to point the finger and start the blaming the airlines or the government, especially at UA.

If this latest measure proves to be a knee-jerk reaction, then the various government agencies should start looking at themselves and be accountable. It is frustrating at times when the government is not accountable to anyone, and the general public pays the price for their mistakes.

I am also not sure if this latest measure apply to ALL airlines flying to the US. If not, I will switch to carriers that still allow IFE, pillows, blanket, free access to restroom when I have to go, and allow access to my own electronic devices.

GS benefits are nice, but there is no way I could tolerate being "jailed" in my own seat for all those transpac trips I have to fly in 2010.....if these latest measures are indeed knee-jerk in nature and proves to be overreaction by our out-of-touch politicians and civil servants.

Why should the taxpayers continue to suffer as results of government incompetence???

nnn

The AA board has a report of map and lighting being off the entire AA LHR-LAX flight.

Guess I'll have to put my lap infant in the overhead bin. . . .

lskohn

Interesting - when we left MUC 12/26 all the announcements were made - we can't tell you when we're going to land, all carryons in the overheads 1 hour before landing, seatbelts on for entire hour before landing, pillows and blankets in overheads 1 hour before landing...and other than omitting announcements of landing time, all was ignored by the time we landed, roughly 3 pm at IAD. They even forgot to come by and tell me to put my carryon up (I was in bulkhead). No comment on the change. Oh, and first class cabin was empty and dark, even though 3 days ago the seat map showed a smattering of F seats taken. Don't know how that was done.

Security boarding the plane was extraordinary (in the sense of not usual) - we were asked the OLD questions - who packed what, where were bags kept, were we given anything, etc. - at two different check points in MUC, and at the gate all carryons were searched and everyone patted down, which added 45 minutes to the boarding process.

We did not have the map showing our progress through the flight on the IFE, and of course, no channel 9. All other IFE was operational (and how bizarre to watch Inglourious Basterds en route from MUC...)

Diplomatico

Exception to the rule or has common sense prevailed?

Axey

What common sense? Are you implying turning off the moving map is logical to anyone but TSAholes?

Diplomatico

Yeah, that's what I'm doing.

Previous reports stated all IFE was non-functional during the flight. Restoring at least partial capability is a step in the right direction, if that's indeed what has happened.

zrs70

What about in flight wireless internet? Is that turned off as well?

emcampbe

Already, UA flights out of YYZ to all UA destinations seem to be running 1 -2 hours late due to "customer service", i.e. "increased security." I can only imagine this will get worse later in the day as AC, UA, US, etc. have more flights out starting toward the midddle of the day. Almost makes me wish a blizzard was the problem.

My question: Does the TSA have a booth set up at hubs where they will give compensation based on missed connections as a result of these rediculous new rules. I already booked a connection that gave me three hours because I know how unpredictable midwest weather can be this time of year. Unfortunately, I never considered.....oh, forget it.

I understand that UA can't really do anything about these new rules, especially until things calm down a little. The airlines, all of them, definitely need to get a little slack from us - they do from me. Our government, which majorly messed up it appears, doesn't get the same from me.

Edited to add: Already, delay's seem to have increased more - just saw one flight that's now delayed close to 3 hours

Edited again: Flight was just canceled, according to the agent, due to "SECU", i.e. security. Won't put me on an AC flight since its not weather that's the problem. Makes no sense at all. Trying to talk to a sup now. What does the gov't think they are doing. Trying to make flying more secure by eliminating the industry. That'lll do it, alright.

cockpitvisit

That's easy, just provide plentiful alcohol before departure

Most likely, the crews simply did not know how to turn off the moving map without affecting the rest of the system, so they shut down the entire IFE.

For me, this doesn't change everything because the only IFE feature I use is the moving map