Dec '09 UA Security Procedures-operational changes on INTERNATIONAL flights? [Merged]
Dec 26, 2009, 9:32 am
#1
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Dec '09 UA Security Procedures-operational changes on INTERNATIONAL flights? [Merged]
Moderator note: FlyerTalk's Travel Safety/Security forum has an extensive discussion on new travel policies after the DL AMS->DTW flight. Please discuss there any general matters about these new rules. This thread is meant to be a discussion of specific UA situations and experiences on the new policies. Please help us keep this open by limiting the discussion to updating the UA experience or other related discussion focused specifically on UA. Thanks, the United Moderation team.
For DOMESTIC UA Flights, please use the following thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ts-merged.html
On my icn-sfo flight, (arrived just now) IFE was down and everyone got skykits. And Also got an email saying IFE uses GPS (map portion I guess) and therefore had to stay turned off. Everyone else had similar experience?
12/28 Update from UntedPR:
For DOMESTIC UA Flights, please use the following thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ts-merged.html
On my icn-sfo flight, (arrived just now) IFE was down and everyone got skykits. And Also got an email saying IFE uses GPS (map portion I guess) and therefore had to stay turned off. Everyone else had similar experience?
12/28 Update from UntedPR:
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.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Dec 28, 2009 at 5:20 pm Reason: added moderator note and retitled thread
Dec 26, 2009, 9:52 am
#2
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If so, that would be a major blow to the IPTE program and has the possibility to delay the 777 upgrades... not sure they'd want to install IFE on these planes until a new software is released which could take awhile.
Dec 26, 2009, 9:57 am
#3
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And, of course, our beloved Channel 9 
Last edited by l etoile; Dec 27, 2009 at 9:27 pm Reason: quoted text now-deleted
Dec 26, 2009, 10:45 am
#4
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there was mention in the massive NW/DL thread about yesterday's incident that pilots are no longer allowed to do announcements like, "if you look out to your left, we're passing over Des Moines" - that offer insight into the planes current location.
hopefully channel 9 won't be disabled....
hopefully channel 9 won't be disabled....
Dec 26, 2009, 11:53 am
#5
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9630/4.7.1.57 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)
Well I'm sitting on UA881 ORD-NRT and they told us bc of the incident yesterday no IFE, now I have nothing to do for 13 hours except drink... This is a joke, like we won't be able to have a general idea of where we are by looking out the window and knowing we have to cross an ocean to get to Europe or Asia... What a waste of 3 SWU I just used to upgrade my dad, brother and myself! Once I get to the hotel in tokyo I'm sending my email to 1kvoice. I asked about skykits or something but there was an onboard service supervisor on and he said united would reach out to us, let's see!
Well I'm sitting on UA881 ORD-NRT and they told us bc of the incident yesterday no IFE, now I have nothing to do for 13 hours except drink... This is a joke, like we won't be able to have a general idea of where we are by looking out the window and knowing we have to cross an ocean to get to Europe or Asia... What a waste of 3 SWU I just used to upgrade my dad, brother and myself! Once I get to the hotel in tokyo I'm sending my email to 1kvoice. I asked about skykits or something but there was an onboard service supervisor on and he said united would reach out to us, let's see!
Dec 26, 2009, 11:57 am
#6
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Dec 26, 2009, 12:03 pm
#7
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No restrictions on your stuff but the in-seat power is not working so you have as long as your battery lasts. I'm mostly pissed about not being told before checkin or before boarding so I could have went to the bookstore here in the airport, not even a word about this while we were in the RCC either.
No restrictions on your stuff but the in-seat power is not working so you have as long as your battery lasts. I'm mostly pissed about not being told before checkin or before boarding so I could have went to the bookstore here in the airport, not even a word about this while we were in the RCC either.
Dec 26, 2009, 12:21 pm
#8
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Well I'm sitting on UA881 ORD-NRT and they told us bc of the incident yesterday no IFE, now I have nothing to do for 13 hours except drink... This is a joke, like we won't be able to have a general idea of where we are by looking out the window and knowing we have to cross an ocean to get to Europe or Asia... What a waste of 3 SWU I just used to upgrade my dad, brother and myself! Once I get to the hotel in tokyo I'm sending my email to 1kvoice. I asked about skykits or something but there was an onboard service supervisor on and he said united would reach out to us, let's see!
Dec 26, 2009, 1:03 pm
#10
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Do you really think disabling a function is going to take a while?
These systems are highly programmable, and it's probably just a matter of removing it from the menu system.
The older systems may be more difficult to program than the newer ones because they're the ones most likely to be hard-coded. Doesn't the 777 seat have a map button, for example?
Dec 26, 2009, 1:19 pm
#11
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Has UA made any statement, or given any indication, how long this IFE nonsense will last? Nothing on the web site as of now.
Dec 26, 2009, 1:42 pm
#12
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I'm flying all the way from SFO-SIN tomorrow with our 2 young children (2 of us have cleared into J and the other 2 are waitlisted). I'll lose the will to live if I end up sitting in J with no IFE and nothing to entertain them with - especially when their iPods, DS etc all run out of batteries!
Dec 26, 2009, 1:48 pm
#13
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This is ridiculous. The scale is so out of whack on those. The plane is about the size of Rhode Island. 
Dec 26, 2009, 1:48 pm
#14
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UA should sue the TSA for $X,000 per day they are forced to shut off the IFE.
Why don't they learn from Isreal, who, despite all the security threats against them, have never had a problem because they have invested in proper security, and so do it right beforehand. The guy who caused the whole incident has been on a US terrorist watchlist for ~ 2 years now - how was he even allowed to board the plane. What's the point of the list if its not being used. What is the point of this department?
The airport and specifically security - which I'll now refer to as the circus - is just going to cause the 99.9999999999999% of us honest people to jump through hoops to get on our flights, and not do a single thing to stop the behavior of the ones trying to harm us.
Let me clearly state I have no problem in going through extra security if it has the chance of making a difference - unfortunatetly, having FA's enforce everyone sitting in their seat for an hour before landing and shutting off the IFE, among other things mentioned, isn't going to make a difference in stopping these types of things. Investing in the proper type of security, and not putting all our efforts and $ into trying to stop the last attempt, would be a lot more effective.
Why don't they learn from Isreal, who, despite all the security threats against them, have never had a problem because they have invested in proper security, and so do it right beforehand. The guy who caused the whole incident has been on a US terrorist watchlist for ~ 2 years now - how was he even allowed to board the plane. What's the point of the list if its not being used. What is the point of this department?
The airport and specifically security - which I'll now refer to as the circus - is just going to cause the 99.9999999999999% of us honest people to jump through hoops to get on our flights, and not do a single thing to stop the behavior of the ones trying to harm us.
Let me clearly state I have no problem in going through extra security if it has the chance of making a difference - unfortunatetly, having FA's enforce everyone sitting in their seat for an hour before landing and shutting off the IFE, among other things mentioned, isn't going to make a difference in stopping these types of things. Investing in the proper type of security, and not putting all our efforts and $ into trying to stop the last attempt, would be a lot more effective.
Dec 26, 2009, 1:55 pm
#15
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To be consistent, they should not reveal flight times any more either since if you know you're departing Chicago at x and you want to do damage to a plane over Denver it wouldn't be too tough to figure out when you'd be there, map or not. Beware of anyone who looks at their watch in flight. 