Airport Security

[phabric]

My friend has just returned from Britian. She said going through security, they were MORE thorough than in the past, looking at everything, even the items in the plastic bag. They are getting ready for the Olympics. Plan your time, as it will take you more time to go through.

[newport dave]

Wouldn't expect anything else really, imagine if you were trying to get into the States with them holding the Olympics, it would be a complete nightmare......

[letsgo39]

We always get our carryons and ourselves thoroughly searched in London at Heathrow. We believe it is because of our Irish surname.:eek::eek:

[Starlaker]

I took us 2 1/2 hours to get through security and passport control in Vancouver a few months before the winter Olympics there. They were testing a new security system in preparation for the Olympics.

[scottbee]

I took us 2 1/2 hours to get through security and passport control in Vancouver a few months before the winter Olympics there. They were testing a new security system in preparation for the Olympics.

 

Which took the time? While Security at YVR is one thing, what you've called "Passport control" is likely pre-clearance into the USA done by the United States dept of Homeland Security (so you don't have to in the USA). There are very very very few places in the world (mostly in Canada), where you clear the destinations entry requirements, before getting there.

[geduffer]

Which took the time? While Security at YVR is one thing, what you've called "Passport control" is likely pre-clearance into the USA done by the United States dept of Homeland Security (so you don't have to in the USA). There are very very very few places in the world (mostly in Canada), where you clear the destinations entry requirements, before getting there.

 

I'm not so sure about that. When I return home from my Bahamas timeshare, we clear US Customs at Lyndon Pyndling International Airport (Nassau) which means that our flight is considered just another domestic flight. There must be others.

[Starlaker]

I honestly don't remember Scottbee. There were two areas we went through. The first was security and that took the longest. We were in Disneyland type snake lines and my feet were aching after standing there for hours. The second part (which was probably customs, not passport control) went much faster. They told us that they had instituted a new procedure the day before to deal with the large crowds for the upcoming Olympics. The new procedure needed a little work.

[scottbee]

I'm not so sure about that. When I return home from my Bahamas timeshare, we clear US Customs at Lyndon Pyndling International Airport (Nassau) which means that our flight is considered just another domestic flight. There must be others.

 

US bound departures from some Canadian (YHZ/YYZ/YUL/YOW/YYC/YEG/YVR) airports, from the Bahamas, from a couple others in the Caribbean and SNN/DUB in Ireland, there are also a couple of other land crossings pre-cleared like Amtrak Vancouver-Seattle.

 

Flights from perhaps a dozen airports, destined for a single country; it's a pretty unusual situation, and people are quick to blame a Canadian airport when it was the US dept of Homeland Security that directly caused the delay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_border_preclearance

[aquilegia]

We always get our carryons and ourselves thoroughly searched in London at Heathrow. We believe it is because of our Irish surname.:eek::eek:

 

I don't know why you think that. Far from being treated more strictly, Irish citizens coming into the UK are in fact free from controls, it being a so-called 'common travel area', so there is no reason why an Irish surname would attract any interest.