Jump to content

Urgent help needed re photo ID for internal UK flight


taxi4ballet

Recommended Posts

My flying problems have just started,  Received an email from Air France today telling me my flight has been cancelled (maybe it is bad luck to fly on Friday 13th) so instead of catching a mid day flight I now have to get up at the crack of dawn and just hope there are no train/tube disruptions as there won't be any leeway if there are.

 

Also just realized my cheap flight taking hand luggage only means I'll have to buy over-priced miniature toiletries and won't be able to take such items as nail scissors and eyebrow tweezers.  I won't be able to go shopping either as I won't have any spare room in my holdall. 

 

They had better bloody well serve breakfast - or is that too much to expect?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MAB, I always take a cheap pair of tweezers in my hand luggage (I never check in luggage when I travel for work). I don't want to run the risk of having my favourite pair confiscated, but having said that, I've never once even had the tweezers even queried.

 

I decant my own toiletries into plastic travel bottles. It gives me plenty for the trip.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I decant my own toiletries into plastic travel bottles. It gives me plenty for the trip.

 

Yes, I do that as well, but I have to say that I sometimes struggle to get cleansing lotion out the little pots I have.  They don't squeeze very well as they are rather rigid.  Can anyone recommend a decent set of plastic travel bottles?

 

Also, I find it very odd that things such as tweezers should be deemed dangerous. Last time I was at the airport, someone had some nailclippers confiscated.  Yet several women walked (or should I say tottered) through on shoes with 5 inch narrow heels that would have made remarkably effective weapons.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I do that as well, but I have to say that I sometimes struggle to get cleansing lotion out the little pots I have.  They don't squeeze very well as they are rather rigid.  Can anyone recommend a decent set of plastic travel bottles?

 

 

Don't buy the Boots ones Fonty, I had the same problem using theirs.  I like those samples that the up market brands give as a gift (I'm a Clinique fan) but their little products tend to be in tubes so no good for re-use.  I find deodorant the biggest problem thinking it outrageous that they charge £1 for a tiny thing that only lasts three days when you can usually get a good brand full size one in Poundland for the same price. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you mean to say that these days you need a passport (or equivalent) to fly from, say, London to Southampton? It does seem weird that this is needed for planes but not trains, but maybe the days will be coming when you need picture ID for everything.

 

Would you even need that to travel from Paris to Madrid in these days of EU open borders?

Edited by Melody
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The UK isn't part of the Schengen agreement group of countries so we have to show our passports on arrival.  On the occasion I flew from Germany to Spain however I didn't go though immigration so no need to show my passport on arrival because they are both part of Schengen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And don't citizens of most European countries have to carry their ID cards?

We have been on European trains that have crossed borders. Sometimes police board the train and randomly check some or everyone's ID, other journeys you don't know you have crossed the border until you reach next station.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you mean to say that these days you need a passport (or equivalent) to fly from, say, London to Southampton? It does seem weird that this is needed for planes but not trains, but maybe the days will be coming when you need picture ID for everything.

I dare say it is because aircraft can be hijacked, flown into buildings or blown out of the sky by nutcases and the airlines are doing all they can to prevent that.

 

Needing ID is still a pain though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes police board the train and randomly check some or everyone's ID, other journeys you don't know you have crossed the border until you reach next station.

 

Yes that happened to me when I was on a train in Germany for an extended period of time - I don't think I was even crossing a border! But I was grateful I'd happened to bring my passport with me. Is there some penalty if you don't carry photo ID there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you mean to say that these days you need a passport (or equivalent) to fly from, say, London to Southampton? It does seem weird that this is needed for planes but not trains, but maybe the days will be coming when you need picture ID for everything.

 

Would you even need that to travel from Paris to Madrid in these days of EU open borders?

 

Is photo ID not needed to fly internally in other countries then? 

 

I think photo ID is on its way out actually. Passports and ID cards are moving towards biometric data and we're almost at the point of using the veins in our fingers and hands (more unique than a fingerprint) for bank security. Quite exciting stuff! 

Edited by Sunrise
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is photo ID not needed to fly internally in other countries then? 

 

 

I remember when we flew from Portugal to Spain, there was no passport control at either end, and we just breezed through.  However, we did need our passports to check in, but this was in the days before on-line check in.

 

I don't know what the situation would be now, if travelling between Schengen countries. You still have to show ID with your boarding card when getting on the plane, I assume?

Edited by Fonty
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Things have just got worse regarding my trip to Paris.

 

After sending me an email informing me that the flight I had originally booked had been cancelled and putting me on a flight leaving three hours earlier, Air France has today sent me two further emails with the same information.  However, when I checked the small print details below it seemed that they have also changed my return flight too but with no explanation - this time by a whacking six hours, Which means I have to cancel my plans for Sunday as I will only have time to go straight to the airport.

 

I've been flying for over forty years and I have had a flight substantially altered just twice but never with a major carrier and never going out and coming back.

 

I've tried ringing Air France for an explanation but just ended up being put on hold indefinitely.

 

From now on Air France goes on my personal 'no fly' list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is totally rubbish MAB, so frustrating.

 

The same happened to us last year on a return flight and we were able to cancel and get a refund and rebooked return with a different carrier. But only works if a suitable is available and very stressful. ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All went smoothly in the end, but what a difference between two similar-sized British airports when it came to security and customs checks. 

 

One was quick & smooth, with smiling pleasant staff who were thorough and very efficient.

 

The other was less quick (busy time of day though), with staff who were tense, borderline-aggressive, vigilant, on edge & extremely thorough, (goodbye tiny nail scissors); with the whole thing watched over by a number of alert-looking police officers armed to the teeth with machine guns.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...