TRAVELLING TO/FROM LONDON OR TRANSIT IN NEXT FEW DAY?

Travel advice for passengers



Following this morning's police action, security at all UK airports has been increased and additional security measures have been put in place for all flights.


With immediate effect, the following arrangements apply to all passengers starting their journey at a UK airport and to those transferring between flights at a UK airport.


All cabin baggage must be processed as hold baggage and carried in the hold of passenger aircraft departing UK airports.


Passengers may take through the airport security search point, in a single (ideally transparent) plastic carrier bag, only the following items. Nothing may be carried in pockets:



Pocket-size wallets and pocket-size purses plus contents (for example money, credit cards, identity cards etc (not handbags)


Travel documents essential for the journey (for example passports and travel tickets)


Prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight (eg, diabetic kit), except in liquid form unless verified as authentic


Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases


Contact lens holders, without bottles of solution


For those travelling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger) and sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight (nappies, wipes, creams and nappy disposal bags)


Female sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, if unboxed (eg tampons, pads, towels and wipes)


Tissues (unboxed) and/or handkerchiefs


Keys (but no electrical key fobs). All passengers must be hand searched, and their footwear and all the items they are carrying must be X-ray screened.

Pushchairs and walking aids must be X-ray screened, and only airport-provided wheelchairs may pass through the screening point.


In addition to the above, all passengers boarding flights to the USA and all the items they are carrying, including those acquired after the central screening point, must be subjected to secondary search at the boarding gate.


Extra time


Any liquids discovered must be removed from the passenger.


There are no changes to current hold baggage security measures.


Regrettably, significant delays at airports are inevitable. Passengers are being asked to allow themselves plenty of extra time and to ensure that other than the few permitted items listed above, all their belongings are placed in their hold baggage and checked in.


These additional security measures will make travel more difficult for passengers, particularly at such a busy time of the year. But they are necessary and will continue to keep flights from UK airports properly secure.


We hope that these measures, which are being kept under review by the government, will need to be in place for a limited period only.


In light of the threat to aviation and the need to respond to it, we are asking the travelling public to be patient and understanding and to cooperate fully with airport security staff and the police.


If passengers have any questions on their travel arrangements or security in place at airports they should contact their airline or carrier.

The DfT doesn't say how long this will be in force. This tops BA's annual strikes for chaos.


Heathrow is now closed to flights, except those already in the air.

I don't get it. What to do with BA?? Or I am mising something?? I thought the whole story is - London may have an airport terror!! Kill all the al-Qaeda!!!

This should be the latest news.

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.871220.0.21_held_in_liquid_bomb_plot_to_blow_up_planes.php

Where is all this heading? I feel we are in the process of a quantum leap in the way we will be traveling around the world from now on. This information from an Australian source.....


"Late last night, Qantas announced liquids had been banned in cabin baggage on all its flights to and from the US - including duty-free alcohol, suntan lotion, creams, toothpastes and hair gels.


The move, mandated by the US Department of Homeland Security due to a heightened terror alert, came as Qantas announced it was also banning books, laptops, carry-on luggage and liquids in hand luggage, on all its flights leaving London's Heathrow airport, as well as screening all passenger footwear".


Puts a whole new meaning to traveling light! Very sad indeed.....

One of the allowable liquids was baby milk - but the accompanying passenger had to taste it in front of security.

Realistically, if you want total security on an aircraft in this day and age, airlines will have to consider a whole new way of processing passengers and baggage. It will lead to you traveling only with essential documentation, and everything else in the baggage hold (if you're lucky).


Air travel is something we have all taken for granted for such a long time now, but lets not forget that flying is, after all, a very un-natural thing to do. We all climb aboard an aluminium tube with large jet turbines strapped to the wings, and roar around at 350 knots and expect everything to go like clock-work whilst sipping champers and watching a movie!!

Yes, it does make you wonder where it's all heading...


My imagination is running wild here, but even with vastly enhanced security checking and ongoing intelligence, on the presumption that caterers know in advance exactly what items will end up on individual flights, I guess it is not completely impossible that terrorists are right now in steady jobs with the catering, security and delivery firms and could be planning to plant devices on board via meals/drinks services?


If it goes the way that no essential carry-ons, e.g. books, iPods, etc. will be allowed then inflight entertainment companies should do well as airlines will have to spend more to keep bored passengers occupied.


Maybe the airlines are working together on some kind of pill to hand out in our amenities bags that contains exactly the right amount of sedative to knock us out after take-off until until just before touch down. Would save on staff, food, alcohol and entertainment costs - and would stop the problem of drunk passengers ;)

Hey Fooly - you are right on the money! The airlines and staff cop a lot of Sh*t when this happens and are usually blamed somehow for the intense security that ensues.


Traveling Expat - have you ever been to Dubai? The security measures they have there are miles ahead with those of HKG. Crew get the 'full bit', unlike many other asian destinations. My wife had to pass through the scanner several times before they were satisfied that she was clear. Finally they told her to take off her belt. As she started to remove the belt it temporarily created a panic amongst the security staff that a women was 'undressing?!' in public. She was wisked off to a cubical with a female security staff so that she could remove the belt!


My point being....get used to it, don't resist and just get on with it and accept it as the way we do things now! Good on all these measures that are being put in place I say! Sooner or later it will negate plans of these cruel people.

Oh, and I forgot about the carry-on luggage. What a ridiculous thing it has become. Some airlines couldn't give a toss about what goes on, whereas here in HKG (mostly) they police it, and Sydney they enforce it! You can be sure that 50% of the time that your flight is delayed it is because the cabin crew are trying to sort out the carry on baggage or they are taking the oversized stuff down the the hold. As I said earlier, we have forgotten that we are all in a hollow tube passing through an un-breathable atmosphere at 80% the speed of sound! It's an aircraft, not the Ritz Carlton!

Yep, the good thing is it will finally thwart those carry-on hogs.


Slightly less good thing is if no carry -on baggage becomes permanent it will bring about the end of duty free - and airport shopping malls - as we know it.


But hey, we've had it good for so long, and as most posters above are saying: Deal with it! Airport/airline staff need our full co-operation more than ever now.

Agree re. carry-ons. Seems incredible that you can be amongst the first to board and still not get any space in the overhead bins due to enormous wheely bags etc. Will change the nature of business travel though - cannot race from the plane the a meeting anymore. No more work onboard or in the lounge....may never see my husband again.


I presume that they will eventually ban people from bringing anything but tickets, passports and medication airside and let you buy any other essentials in the airside shops.


Has anybody flown with an infant in the last 24 hours? They say that we can bring milk, once the parent drinks some at security. That does not work for a 13 hour flight though; the milk would have spoiled within an hour.

Thanks Brit Wit. Am hoping that they will let me take the sealed ready made formula. Fingers crossed.

I agree with Foolonahill-- these are measures to ensure security and to deter terrorist attacks while airborne. If this is the cost of safety, both ours and our travelling loved ones, I think its better to suffer the inconveniences of long lines, limited carry-on items and tighter airport security.