Dec '09 UA Security Procedures-operational changes on INTERNATIONAL flights? [Merged]
#211
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MileagePlus Premier Gold
Posts: 11,522
Haha, this is what it always is like on Singapore Airlines. The ridiculous serving of the second meal 2-3 hours before landing...
#212
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA USA
Programs: SPG PLT, AA EXP
Posts: 3,732
A lot of those small devices require the loading of maps to show positions, and that needs some sort of internet connection. You could get exact coordinates of course with no map needed, but on devices like the IPhone, the Google Maps GPS feature won't be of much use if the device can't load the correct map.
#213
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Former 1k, Lifetime UA Gold, Starwood Gold; Avis Preferred; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,728
Can Anyone Confirm on UA
This suggests that TSA caved on the last hour in your seat restriction. Can anyone report about their travels on UA today?
http://twitter.com/WestJet/statuses/7130990888
http://twitter.com/WestJet/statuses/7130990888
#214
Company Representative - United Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: United Public Relations
Posts: 151
Wanted to clarify some topics mentioned in this thread.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
#215
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Wanted to clarify some topics mentioned in this thread.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
1. Are there any new restrictions on in-cabin electronics?
2. Will I still be able to bring on board one carry-on plus one personal item?
3. Has UA stopped applying these restrictions on out-bound flights from the U.S.?
Thanks!
#216
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 48,919
Thanks for the clarification. A couple of more questions:
1. Are there any new restrictions on in-cabin electronics?
2. Will I still be able to bring on board one carry-on plus one personal item?
3. Has UA stopped applying these restrictions on out-bound flights from the U.S.?
Thanks!
1. Are there any new restrictions on in-cabin electronics?
2. Will I still be able to bring on board one carry-on plus one personal item?
3. Has UA stopped applying these restrictions on out-bound flights from the U.S.?
Thanks!
#217
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,228
Wanted to clarify some topics mentioned in this thread.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
Denying access to CH 9 and airshow/route mapping is monumentally stupid. Anyone with a watch and a rudimentary knowledge of math can figure out when an international flight has made landfall after crossing the Atlantic or Pacific.
CH 9 and Economy plus are two very unique products that separate United from the competition. If United doesn't act to push back against this ridiculous and totally unnecessary TSA Kabuki theater, you are putting your own bottom line at risk.
#218
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
I do the same thing. I have my iPod and laptop for IFE, which is far more appealing to me than any on-board IFE. Like you, I am an Airshow addict and, notwithstanding all my self-provided amusements, I spend more time staring at the map, altitude and speed info than anything else.
#219
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,010
Many of us have heard unconfirmed reports that TSA has relaxed the inanely stupid restrictions about being seated for the last hour of the flight, and the disabling of GPS and other real time connectivity instruments - which led to no CH 9 and no airshow on the IFE.
Denying access to CH 9 and airshow/route mapping is monumentally stupid. Anyone with a watch and a rudimentary knowledge of math can figure out when an international flight has made landfall after crossing the Atlantic or Pacific.
CH 9 and Economy plus are two very unique products that separate United from the competition. If United doesn't act to push back against this ridiculous and totally unnecessary TSA Kabuki theater, you are putting your own bottom line at risk.
Denying access to CH 9 and airshow/route mapping is monumentally stupid. Anyone with a watch and a rudimentary knowledge of math can figure out when an international flight has made landfall after crossing the Atlantic or Pacific.
CH 9 and Economy plus are two very unique products that separate United from the competition. If United doesn't act to push back against this ridiculous and totally unnecessary TSA Kabuki theater, you are putting your own bottom line at risk.
It never ceases to amaze me how many pax have the airshow map on when I walk down the aisle on a given flight. And to me, Channel 9 is a real plus over other airlines, though not so much a dealbreaker as E+ going away would be.
These rules are incredibly dumb, and UA should lobby the government against implementing stupid restrictions which will do nothing to actually make us safer but will only make our flights that much less enjoyable (and I've said as much in a letter to the 1K Voice, anyway).
#220
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 554
Wanted to clarify some topics mentioned in this thread.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
Shortly after the situation on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, we temporarily disconnected the IFE on IPTE flights inbound into the U.S. We did this to immediately comply with a component of the new TSA security directive. If we were not able to comply, we likely would have had to cancel the flights that were scheduled to depart shortly after the directive was issued.
As more time progressed between when the directive was issued and when our next bank of international flights departed, we were able to turn off the GPS portion of the IPTE IFE system and keep the remainder of it in operation. IFE on IPTE (B767 and B747) is now in operation and continues to be on the B777s.
For those of you who were inconvenienced during this short interim phase, Customer Relations will be reaching out to you to apologize with a goodwill gesture.
To comply with the current TSA security directive, Channel 9 is turned off on international flights inbound to the U.S.
All this aside, we hope you had a nice holiday.
#221
Company Representative - United Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: United Public Relations
Posts: 151
Yes, we hear you and along with other U.S. airlines, we are all uniting under our industry's governing body, the Air Transport Association in Washington D.C.
#222
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 217
These are exactly the cases when having an official PR person here (I suppose twitter works too) helps a lot.
#223
Moderator, Trip Reports
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA GS-2MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 3,696
My suggestion is a simple one.
Whoever is responsible for making and setting the policy needs to do the following:
1. Fly one transatlantic RT in E- (lets say from IAD to LHR)
2. The fly one transpacific RT in E- (lets say ORD to SIN, via HKG)
3. Check in one standard suitcase
4. Take their laptop and a wheelie
5. No IFE, no seatmap and no getting up 1-hr prior
6. Do this in 7-days
Then lets see how they go - after a period of delays, missed connections, boredom, frustration and total discomfort. They can then experience what it's like for 99% of the flying public.
Whoever is responsible for making and setting the policy needs to do the following:
1. Fly one transatlantic RT in E- (lets say from IAD to LHR)
2. The fly one transpacific RT in E- (lets say ORD to SIN, via HKG)
3. Check in one standard suitcase
4. Take their laptop and a wheelie
5. No IFE, no seatmap and no getting up 1-hr prior
6. Do this in 7-days
Then lets see how they go - after a period of delays, missed connections, boredom, frustration and total discomfort. They can then experience what it's like for 99% of the flying public.
#224
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Global Services 1MM,, AA Exec Plat. Hilton Honors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 605
The Terrorists seem to be taking every last pleasure out of commercial flying; another sad moment for airline travel. The removal of IFE and Channel 9 on inbound international flights is sad indeed, but hopefully in time these features will return.
I am confident that United will push for the return of these features, so long as it serves the safest interests of its passengers.
TSA's motivation behind having such features removed (IFE, Blankets,1 Hr Sit Down before Arrival etc.) all seem to be initiatives which aim to comfort rather than address the real problems. If the policy is 1 hr prior to arrival, what would stop someone from getting up 1.25 hrs prior to arrival? A more proactive approach sounds like it would include more aggressive procedures on the ground prior to departure.
I am confident that United will push for the return of these features, so long as it serves the safest interests of its passengers.
TSA's motivation behind having such features removed (IFE, Blankets,1 Hr Sit Down before Arrival etc.) all seem to be initiatives which aim to comfort rather than address the real problems. If the policy is 1 hr prior to arrival, what would stop someone from getting up 1.25 hrs prior to arrival? A more proactive approach sounds like it would include more aggressive procedures on the ground prior to departure.