Air travel restrictions

[Dr. Drib]

I have no problem flying within, around, upside down, or sideways: I have a passport.

The U.S.A. is open and inviting, and as a citizen I like to flash both a passport and a smile.

See:

[tubemonkey]

EU call with Kelly buys time on laptop ban

The European Union seemed to stave off any immediate U.S. decision Friday on extending a ban on personal electronics in airline cabins — at least until the two sides meet next week in Brussels.

A face-to-face meeting of senior figures from both sides of the Atlantic was arranged during a conference call Friday among U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and the European home affairs and transport commissioners, Dimitris Avramopoulos and Violeta Bulc. It began just after 8:30 a.m. EDT, with ministers also patched in from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the U.K. and Ireland.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

And the only acceptable driver's license from Washington after the above date is an enhanced driver's license and that license requires proof of citizenship.



"Real ID" deadline looms: Proposed fix would leave Washington with two-tiered license

So what happens after June 16 2017 for air travel? My mother will be traveling to the east coast in early June and will be flying back in mid June. Will they let her fly here, but not fly home?

I also wonder about Social Security. Will you be able to get SS without an enhanced ID? This says "Washington*has a*limited extension*for REAL ID enforcement, allowing Federal agencies to accept driver's licenses fromWashington*through*June 6, 2017." Social Security is a federal agency, right?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

So what happens after June 16 2017 for air travel? My mother will be traveling to the east coast in early June and will be flying back in mid June. Will they let her fly here, but not fly home?

I also wonder about Social Security. Will you be able to get SS without an enhanced ID? This says "Washington*has a*limited extension*for REAL ID enforcement, allowing Federal agencies to accept driver's licenses fromWashington*through*June 6, 2017." Social Security is a federal agency, right?

Does your mother live in Washington?

The nationwide air travel restriction doesn't kick in until 22 Jan 2018. Until that date, a regular driver's license will work.

I believe Social Security has always required proof of citizenship status.

[tubemonkey]

How a wider laptop ban could threaten your safety and data

The cardinal rule of checking baggage is not to put anything valuable into a bag that will spend hours in the custody of strangers, many of whom don’t work for the airline you fly.

Note that this service may not alleviate another risk of banning laptops from passenger cabins: the fire hazards posed by their lithium-ion batteries, which are already banned from being shipped as cargo on passenger aircraft.

Analyst Bob Mann, president of the airline-consulting firm RW Mann & Company, warned that leaving this work to passengers would be even worse: “Given passengers cannot be presumed to know how to properly pack spare and in-use batteries and devices, this proposed order has very serious safety implications for every flight on which it is imposed.”

Protect your data if you can’t protect your device

“We recommend that people that can, travel with a Chromebook,” advised Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology. Those cheap, light laptops backup your data automatically to Google (GOOG, GOOGL), allowing you to wipe one before handing it over, then restore it on arrival.

If you must carry a “real” laptop, Hall advised setting a “reasonably complex” password and powering the device down before checking it.

Another tech-policy expert had similar advice about bringing hardware you can’t quickly reset and restore once you get home.

“Ultimately, travelers should be more careful with the devices they choose to bring across borders under these new regulations,” wrote Amie Stepanovich, a policy manager and counsel with Access Now. “In many cases the best advice will be to leave the laptop at home.”

[Hemmi]

Yes, so looking forward to next year when my state issued driver's license will not be good enough to board a flight or gain access to a government building. Even though they've had 12 years, my state (Minnesota) still can't get it together to get our licenses up to snuff. We're one of two or three in the US that still hasn't complied with the new rules.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

Yes, so looking forward to next year when my state issued driver's license will not be good enough to board a flight or gain access to a government building. Even though they've had 12 years, my state (Minnesota) still can't get it together to get our licenses up to snuff. We're one of two or three in the US that still hasn't complied with the new rules.

I have an enhanced MN driver's license that is acceptable. Unfortunately, you have to fill out extra paperwork, and go to a limited number of places to get one. I think it cost $10 more, too.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Unlike, I suspect, the overwhelming majority of participants in this thread, I've been subject to these restrictions (has anyone else?), and I have to say that for me personally it was really no big deal. I read a book and watched the in-flight film. Not the end of the world to be parted from my Kindle for 6h.

Did you take your Kindle or leave it at home? Did you have a laptop also? I'll be out of the country for a couple weeks, I really don't want to leave the ereader at home.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

I have an enhanced MN driver's license that is acceptable. Unfortunately, you have to fill out extra paperwork, and go to a limited number of places to get one. I think it cost $10 more, too.

Besides being a TSA approved ID for their checkpoints, your EDL also works as a mini passport. It allows you land or sea access (no air access) between the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.

Washington has EDLs also ($108 - 6 yrs), but they cost twice as much as a regular DL ($54 - 6 yrs). That additional fee is outrageous since you can get a passport card ($30 - 10 yrs) that will do the same thing (if you already have a passport).
.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

BTW, the real reason why the TSA makes people take off shoes: to decrease the number of false positives when going through metal detection.

When I passed through the first scanner, at Schiphol, I took off my shoes. I was told it was not required. At the second scanner, Heathrow, I didn't take off my shoes and I saw that there was a false positive on the scanner. So, from then on, I just took off my shoes at all the other scanners (and yet they all still went off). Simply because of my bra.

Originally Posted by Apache

One was a pocket knife I forgot to leave home. I mailed it home and it was waiting for me when I returned home. I could just as easily mailed it to my travel destination.
Apache

When I flew back from India to the Netherlands, we had a stopover in Frankfurt. I found out that there that I had left my pocketknife in my handluggage. I simply had to hand in that handluggage there and then so it could be checked into the hold for that last hop.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Which screening process do you prefer - body scanners or physical pat-downs?

Having had to endure both: body scanners. Thanks to the body scanners they know exactly where to look, with those metal detectors they only know there's something metalic somewhere and if you're unlucky, you can completely undress (lesson learned: get an bra without metal! whale bone is better )

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

Yes, so looking forward to next year when my state issued driver's license will not be good enough to board a flight or gain access to a government building. Even though they've had 12 years, my state (Minnesota) still can't get it together to get our licenses up to snuff. We're one of two or three in the US that still hasn't complied with the new rules.

My DL expires in 2019 and I have no intention of upgrading it. Washington still isn't compliant and they're talking about adopting a two-tiered system. One DL that's compliant and one that isn't. If they do that, I'll get the cheaper non-compliant DL when mine expires.

[JSWolf]

Mid-June I'm on a flight to the US from the EU. I don't want to check my H2O. I fear it could become broken. I think the terrorists have already won. My rights no longer matter.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Mid-June I'm on a flight to the US from the EU. I don't want to check my H2O. I fear it could become broken. I think the terrorists have already won. My rights no longer matter.

If it does get broken, the airlines won't cover the damage.

Items not covered by our baggage policy

Some items placed in baggage are judged to be unsuitable as contents of checked baggage. Alaska assumes no liability for loss, theft, damage, or delay in the delivery of these items, and excess valuation may not be purchased. Some of these items include:

Cash, currency
Jewelry, watches
Cameras, videos and photographic equipment
Electronic equipment/devices, personal electronic equipment/devices, including compact discs and video game cartridges
Computers and related components
etc, etc...

Liability limitations

American does not assume liability for any of the following items in or as checked baggage: antiques, artifacts, artwork, books and documents, china, computers and other electronic equipment, computer software, fragile items, furs, heirlooms, keys, liquids, money, orthotics, surgical supports, perishable items, photographic, video and optical equipment, precious metals, stones or jewelry (time pieces), securities and negotiable papers, silverware, samples, unique or irreplaceable items or any other similar valuable items.

American does not accept these items in or as checked baggage and assumes no responsibility or liability for such items, regardless of whether American knew or should have known of the presence of such items in checked or transferred baggage. If any such items are lost, damaged or delayed, you will not be entitled to any reimbursement under American's standard baggage liability, or under any declared excess valuation. Do not attempt to check these items. Carry them with you in the passenger cabin (subject to carry-on baggage limitations).

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Mid-June I'm on a flight to the US from the EU. I don't want to check my H2O. I fear it could become broken. I think the terrorists have already won. My rights no longer matter.

That's my main problem.
Guess I coud use a p-book during the whole of my trip, I can live with that. But, what if I need my laptop during my trip. I'm not cheking out my $$$ laptop !!

Worse for me , my nexus 6 may be too big as well. Guess we're going to need some flight approved phones... Makes me glad i don't fly that often.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Mid-June I'm on a flight to the US from the EU. I don't want to check my H2O. I fear it could become broken. I think the terrorists have already won. My rights no longer matter.

The terrorists won on 911 by making everyone change their way of living.