Trans-Atlantic Terror Threat Busted

[bert5555]

Wonderful...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4778575.stm

[Nick]

Geez. Kinda looks like a big deal, or maybe it could have been. It's 6AM on the west coast...I guess I'll read more about it when I wake up later.

Too bad people can't just not try to blow other people's stuff up.

[MQAAord]

Bill was in BDL last night, he calls & wakes me up this morning and just like 9/11 I get woken up from a dead sleep with news of something blowing up. I hung up from our conversation under the impression that an airliner had blown up over Finland, and that now all liquids were banned from carry on items. Thankfully only one part of that actually turned out to be true! I'm still not sure where Finland fits into this (??), but I was much relieved to turn on the computer and see that no, no airplanes had actually been blown up this morning. Thankfully this was caught in the plot stages. What a PITA for everyone though, Bill said the F/As checked their bags, and I didn't pull from the conversation what Bill had done with the hairgel, shampoo, etc that he carries with him.

Ugh, I hate being woken up like that!

[bike21]

Grrrr. Why must these idiots keep trying to blow up airplanes? It isn't going to solve anything. Ever!

Hey Amber if you hear what your husband ended up doing with his toiletries let us know huh? I really don't feel like buying new after shave and face wash every night on my trip this weekend.

[wheelsup]

I did a trip with a CA and we predicted something like this happening, but on US soil. How easy would it be for a bunch of 'rampers' to stick bombs on aircraft as they were loading them, timed to go off in XX minutes or whatever. It could bring down dozens of planes over the US all at one time. Scary shiznit, and NOT cool.

[Brazilian_Pilot]

Is this gonna have severe effects on the Industry? Things were finally starting to get back to normal.

What are your opinions?

[bike21]

I'm gonna say no. Although the summer travel season is ending, I think the travelling public is pretty resilient these days. Also this not carrying your toiletries business needs to be solved quickly. That might deter people more than anything else. No one who travels often (especially flight crews) wants to check their bags every leg. I just posted on my company forums to see if any crewmembers have been affected by this.

Hopefully the TSA is exercising some common sense for us working folks.

[MQAAord]

With it having been caught in the planning stages, and being overseas, I don't see this as being terribly detremental to industry. The fall (late August til late October) is always a very light travel time anyway. Come the holidays, people will travel just like they always do.

[tonyw]

Originally Posted by bike21

I'm gonna say no. Although the summer travel season is ending, I think the travelling public is pretty resilient these days. Also this not carrying your toiletries business needs to be solved quickly. That might deter people more than anything else. No one who travels often (especially flight crews) wants to check their bags every leg. I just posted on my company forums to see if any crewmembers have been affected by this.

Hopefully the TSA is exercising some common sense for us working folks.

And they said no liquids or gels. So can I take my toothpaste or no? Do I have to buy little mini toothpaste and hair gel bottles every time I travel now or not?

I sure as hell ain't checking my bags unless I absolutely have to so I'll just buy the travel portions when I get to my destination if I have to.

What bothers me is that this is nothing new. They actually pulled off a bombing using these techniques in the 90s and they killed a Japanese businessman. The bomb was concealed in contact lens solution.

So after, oh, about ten years, our wonderful department of homeland (in)security decides, oh, yeah, they might use liquid explosives so let's ban all liquids?

How about oh, I dunna, actually putting explosive screening devices in airports? There are a lot of big and small companies chomping at the bit to sell those to airports but the deparment of homeland (in)security won't come up with any standards so they can't sell them!

This would also solve the issue of taking off your shoes!

[averyrm]

No toothpaste per the FAA website.

Hopefully jumpseating this weekend won't be an awful ordeal.

[Champcar]

No liquids are to be in your carry on, they have also been saying no electronics now also. Check it all in.

[Tim]

I think that eventually it will be just that...check everything at the ticket counter or curbside......I guess the only ones with carry stuff with be the pilots and their flight bags

[jtrain609]

No iPod's? F-it, I'm gonna buy my own Lear.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by Champcar

they have also been saying no electronics now also.

Sweet, no need to worry about using cell phone minutes to help save the company some money. Now we'll just go back to the gate to call mx or dispatch (works for me, more money in my paycheck).

On a side note, I think I'll get more gratification by just handing over my laptop, mp3 player, and palm pilot to the thug rampers.

[Champcar]

Well, now the news isn't saying anything about no electroics, but they did earlier.

Some guy was just crying on the air cause he had to throw away $15 worth of toothpaste away.

[MQAAord]

Originally Posted by Champcar

$15 worth of toothpaste away.

$15 worth of toothpaste?! Who carries $15 worth of toothpaste around?!

My toothpaste costs like $2 a tube...... and I only carry one!

[Doug Taylor]

Uniformed flight crews are exempt, woo!

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Uniformed flight crews are exempt, woo!

thank goodness

[Airdale]

This crap makes me scared to get into this industry. I think we need a pay raise to compensate for the fear of some nut job blowing the plane up. Ridiculous.

[jtrain609]

I think the threat of my students killing me is much higher than somebody blowing up my plane.

And by that same logic, shouldn't we lower ticket prices to entice people to take some additional risk because they might get blown up when they fly? I mean who wants to pay full fare if some terrorist is gonna blow up your 737?

[OldTownPilot]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Uniformed flight crews are exempt, woo!

Does that include while commuting?? or just "working" crewmembers?

[SeanD]

I was listening to the radio this morning. Some counter terrorism guy was told by an close source that this was to go down today. Damn who knows, pretty scary stuff. Apparently they were going to blow the aircraft up once they got over U.S soil or over the Atlantic. The target airlines were United, Continental and American. They are still looking for people involved. Close call and good for the authorities for catching this in time. My question is, would if the aircraft were already inflight then Birtish officials contacted the US to let them know there are XX terrorist on United flight XX to LAX?

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Uniformed flight crews are exempt, woo!

yea.. but now that means you have to wear your uniform to get to work cuz otherwise, there go your toiletries!!


it's gonna suck major for us girls... no liquid makeup and that stuff is PRICEY too.. I can't imagine the hords of women having a shiznit fit because they have to throw out their makeup and/or expensive perfumes.. whose going to pay us back for that? are they gonna mail it to us - doubtful...

besides, doesn't anyone but me see the BIG loophole here?

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by Airdale

This crap makes me scared to get into this industry. I think we need a pay raise to compensate for the fear of some nut job blowing the plane up. Ridiculous.

I agree.. I think it is putting aviation into the "dangerous job" category even more. except you don't get paid "danger" salary....

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by OldTownPilot

Does that include while commuting?? or just "working" crewmembers?

Commuting as well - my company is urging people commuting to commute in uniform.

********EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY**********

Effective today, the US Department of Homeland Security issued the following travel changes:

No liquids or gels are permitted to enter the sterile area through the screening checkpoint or be in accessible property or on one's person except:

• Baby formula, breast milk
• Prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger's ticket
• Insulin and essential other non-prescription medicines

Prohibited carry-on items include: beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency. These items may be transported in checked bags.

Beverages purchased in the sterile area must be consumed before boarding the aircraft.

Crewmembers in uniform are exempt from the security directive's restrictions to carry-on items at the security checkpoint; however, crewmembers are not exempt from the restriction of carrying beverages onboard the aircraft.