Bin Laden Is Dead ....

[LuckyOne]

I am obviously very naive.

When I woke up to the news that Bin Laden was dead, the first thought that crossed my mind was that travelling by plane would become a more pleasant, less dehumanising experience.

I was completely wrong when I left LHR T5 last week and returned early this week.

What has to happen to make air travel a pleasant experience again, especially given the massive level of tax imposed on tickets?

[Bossybabe]

I am obviously very naive.

When I woke up to the news that Bin Laden was dead, the first thought that crossed my mind was that travelling by plane would become a more pleasant, less dehumanising experience.

I was completely wrong when I left LHR T5 last week and returned early this week.

What has to happen to make air travel a pleasant experience again, especially given the massive level of tax imposed on tickets?

I guess because the Yanks haven't managed to kill all his rabid followers yet.

[Bosh]

I travel a lot. It's slow enough through security but what I find so frustrating are my fellow passengers. You can have 10 punters waiting to go through security control to be x-rayed and half of them wait until it's their turn and only then do they take off the coat, empty pockets, remove belts (shoes if required)... Feckin winds me right up !!

[Riedquat]

I guess because the Yanks haven't managed to kill all his rabid followers yet.

Killing anyone else who just happens to be in the same area doesn't help either.

[Ruffneck]

What i don't get is this new approval you have to get from Homeland Security in the US to travel there now.

What happens is you buy your tickets , book your hotels and AFTER all that you have to apply to homeland security telling them your arrival , departure , hotel visiting etc.

I don't agree with the policy but surely you should apply to DHS BEFORE booking your flights and accom , what if DHS refuses you entry , you are out of pocket?? ridiculous.

[ken_ichikawa]

What i don't get is this new approval you have to get from Homeland Security in the US to travel there now.

What happens is you buy your tickets , book your hotels and AFTER all that you have to apply to homeland security telling them your arrival , departure , hotel visiting etc.

I don't agree with the policy but surely you should apply to DHS BEFORE booking your flights and accom , what if DHS refuses you entry , you are out of pocket?? ridiculous.

Its the same system China uses, the thing is though unless you tick the journalist box people are seldom denied visas as the Chinese visa system is a money making exercise. As far as I know the US transport system is NOT integrated yet so therefore you can book ghost flights to get around it.

You need an inbound and an outbound ticket for the USA, Alan an acquaintance of mine went to a street in Thailand and bought a fake ticket. Good enough to pass visual inspection. He got into the US had a ride around and left via New York much later on.

Or simply don't go there! For example the USA imposed all these travel restrictions on skydivers, the USA used to be cheap and easy going for this. They put up all these walls so instead people went elsehwere. Aerograd Koloma for instance is hosting a lot of what used to go to the USA. The tickets cost what they cost in the USA and the lifting capacity is enormous.

[Riedquat]

What i don't get is this new approval you have to get from Homeland Security in the US to travel there now.

What happens is you buy your tickets , book your hotels and AFTER all that you have to apply to homeland security telling them your arrival , departure , hotel visiting etc.

I don't agree with the policy but surely you should apply to DHS BEFORE booking your flights and accom , what if DHS refuses you entry , you are out of pocket?? ridiculous.

So what? They're not going to give a damn. All reasons I've no intention of going to the US.

[Pole]

I travel a lot. It's slow enough through security but what I find so frustrating are my fellow passengers. You can have 10 punters waiting to go through security control to be x-rayed and half of them wait until it's their turn and only then do they take off the coat, empty pockets, remove belts (shoes if required)... Feckin winds me right up !!

-1

The whole thing is designed to see how much shit you can swallow and continue smiling. And you want more of it and even faster.

[The Masked Tulip]

Alan an acquaintance of mine went to a street in Thailand and bought a fake ticket. Good enough to pass visual inspection. He got into the US had a ride around and left via New York much later on.

I think Ken has just spotted a gap in the security process.

[Bosh]

-1

The whole thing is designed to see how much shit you can swallow and continue smiling. And you want more of it and even faster.

Where did I say or imply that Pole? Like me saying from your post that you want herpes and will love it

-1 back at ya.

[RichB]

-1

The whole thing is designed to see how much shit you can swallow and continue smiling. And you want more of it and even faster.

++

[MC Fur Q]

++

/ 0

[Pole]

Where did I say or imply that Pole? Like me saying from your post that you want herpes and will love it

-1 back at ya.

Really sorry if I misunterstood you...

But you clearly said that you were very annoyed with people who are slowing you down to the x-ray machine (as if x-raying everyone for no reason was completely normal).

I find the whole process not only unhealthy, undignifying and extremely offensive, but on top of that completely illogical.

[Bosh]

It`s all good Pole,

I hate security control. I flew to glasgow from Gatwick last week and was still subject to long lines of people, shoes off, liquid in a see through plastic bag and so on. It`s complete overkill and mostly pointless. The commited terrorist will get a job at the airport or just send something freight.

On a selfish note, I prefer to spend the least amount of time at any airport so whatever security measures are in place I would prefer people to be ready to be processed. Until the situation changes we have what we have.

I have just booked two further flights. One to Geneva and another to Amsterdam. For the Amsterdam flight I have to input all my personal details on my passport and that of my colleagues or it clearly states we will not be flying unless we do so. This is all with Sleazy jet.

Don`t get me started on flying to and from Vegas last year. I felt abused.

[EmmaRoid]

I flew to the US for the first time in January and I had far more trouble with the Noddy Jobsworthies at Manchester than I did with Immigration or the TSA in New York.

I have posted this before but at Manchester Airport, my wife's passport was apparently not good enough, what she actually needed was a credit card to 'prove' her identity

[RichB]

I flew to the US for the first time in January and I had far more trouble with the Noddy Jobsworthies at Manchester than I did with Immigration or the TSA in New York.

I have posted this before but at Manchester Airport, my wife's passport was apparently not good enough, what she actually needed was a credit card to 'prove' her identity

Did she have to swipe it? Or did he just remember the numbers...

[Guest eight]

Really sorry if I misunterstood you...

But you clearly said that you were very annoyed with people who are slowing you down to the x-ray machine (as if x-raying everyone for no reason was completely normal).

I find the whole process not only unhealthy, undignifying and extremely offensive, but on top of that completely illogical.

I don't understand why airliners are such an obsession for terrorists. Surely that only terrorises those intending to fly? If there was a genuine terrorist threat, wouldn't it be more "terrifying" to just walk around a provincial town stabbing randoms? Or park a truck on a level crossing? Or get a job at McDonalds and put poison in everything?

Good job for the rest of you that I haven't got an axe to grind!

eight

[ken_ichikawa]

I don't understand why airliners are such an obsession for terrorists. Surely that only terrorises those intending to fly? If there was a genuine terrorist threat, wouldn't it be more "terrifying" to just walk around a provincial town stabbing randoms? Or park a truck on a level crossing? Or get a job at McDonalds and put poison in everything?

Good job for the rest of you that I haven't got an axe to grind!

eight

Its an image thing, the more safety concious they are 'seen to be' then the more paranoid americans will fly with them. You know the crick you're safe in our hands. A lot of people jump at my home DZ precisely for this reason, it is percieved as safer as they run a whole load of safety checks. All rigs are inspected before you put them on and tagged. You get a flight line check. And most people get a pin at 9000ft.