Domestic/Long Haul

[Katys Grandad]

Sadly they are not stories and i can confirm this does happen. I flew from LAX to LHR via Phoenix on a code share with BA and AA, the two airlines operate from different terminals at Phoenix which requires you to leave one terminal and catch a shuttle to another. The whole security process started again resulting in several passengers losing the duty free shopping they purchased at LAX.

Dave

What surprises me about that is that they were allowed to buy Duty Free in LAX when they weren't departing on an international flight. Bearing in mind that they were free to walk out of the terminal in PHX (and LAX for that matter) with their goods, I think the fault there lies with the Duty Free store who shouldn't have permitted it and certainly shouldn't have handed it to them direct.

Had they bought Duty Free goods at PHX their purchases would have been sealed and taken by the store directly to the plane to be collected on boarding to prevent the system being abused.

[Pookie]

With flights back to Manchester via Heathrow and Gatwick you do not see your bags until you pick them up at the domestic terminal at Manchester. The obvious implications of this are you never take your bags through customs. IIRC at Gatwick you don't even pass through customs but follow the transfer directions with those flying on to Europe.

A little blip that perhaps needs addressing, more from a customs point of view rather than security risk.

Lynne

[sammibabe]

I think customs is a bit of a joke sometimes - Heathrow last week not a person in sight, not even one not taking notice of passengers!

[Andrena]

I bought duty free perfume in Hong Kong and on arrival in Manchester they insisted that they be confiscated as they were over the 100ml limit. They were sealed but that made no difference. I then said that could I have my baggage and would put in them, but they said no as my baggage was checked through to Edinburgh. I was furious and said fine, just get my baggage and I will terminate my flight right here in Manchester and get the train to Edinburgh - we have free rail travel - suddenly they could manage to get my baggage and allow me to put my duty free perfume in it!! It is utter nonsense that we cannot take sealed duty free onward just because we have to transfer in a domestic airport, we are carrying security too far. I appreciate that we need security but it is going over the top.

Andrena

[mexico]

Hi Andrena I agree with you totally! It makes me furious because like yourself we travel from Scotland and find it very unfair that we are prohibited from duty free because anyone flying from a regional airport with a connection is barred from this if their luggage is checked through! And can anyone tell me what happens to the goods that are confiscated? And also why can it not be held by the cabin crew on the regional flight and handed back to you when you arrive at your final destination! I'm quite sure if they wanted to they could find a way around it!!!
Pauline

[Albert the Frog]

Hi Andrena I agree with you totally! It makes me furious because like yourself we travel from Scotland and find it very unfair that we are prohibited from duty free because anyone flying from a regional airport with a connection is barred from this if their luggage is checked through! And can anyone tell me what happens to the goods that are confiscated? And also why can it not be held by the cabin crew on the regional flight and handed back to you when you arrive at your final destination! I'm quite sure if they wanted to they could find a way around it!!!
Pauline

The key phrase there is --"if they wanted to"

[Katys Grandad]

The rules were relaxed recently and I think that there are different procedures if you're arriving from an EU country so Hong Kong and the US are still subject to the stricter approach.

If you have a connection to a UK regional airport from an international flight you aren't required to have your bags checked through to your final destination so you need to ask the check-in agent to ensure they're off-loaded at the port of arrival and then you check them in again having placed your duty free inside. You'll still be given a boarding pass.

Because of the vagaries of airline ticketing it used to be a lot cheaper to fly from the US through Manchester to Dublin than it was just to take the same flight to Manchester. As I travelled that route a lot I always bought tickets to Dublin and just didn't bother with the last leg. That meant I needed to have my bags taken off at Manchester so I just notified them at check-in. It was never a problem.

[Katys Grandad]

I bought duty free perfume in Hong Kong and on arrival in Manchester they insisted that they be confiscated as they were over the 100ml limit. They were sealed but that made no difference.

Andrena

Sorry to go Off Topic her Andrena but I'm curious which airline you were on that flew from Hong Kong to Manchester. I know Cathay used to fly that route but that was quite a while ago. I've used connecting flights on Cathay, Finnair and BA in the past but a direct flight would be very handy.

Thanks.

[sammibabe]

From Miami security announcements going very frequently you needed a clear bag for liquids so we were trying to find them. Told not to bother by person at bottom of stairs where you need to show boarding card so went up with some sceptisism but if no bag put it in the tray not in a bag. Realised in UK that I had left moisturiser (travel size) and something else but can't remember what in my flight bag. More concerned about cast and that was tested for explosive and xrayed seperately.