If you want to understand the background for this thread, please read my original posting and the other thread:
"Avoid Heathrow Airport in London UK at all costs, Allow only 1 carry-on - rigidly enforced"
Background: Most of us must carry two bags on the plane, one with expensive camera gear, and the other with a laptop. We are forbidden to do that at Heathrow -- even if you are only changing planes. You will be forced to get out of the line, pass through customs, and check either your camera gear or your laptop. By then you'll also miss your connecting flight.
As I originally said, AVOID HEATHROW AT ALL COSTS if you must travel with two carry-ons as are allowed everywhere else in the world. STAY AWAY FROM THE UK, AND DO NOT FLY ON BRITISH AIRWAYS, UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE CAUGHT IN THIS DRAG-NET.
As the below update reveals, many others are avoiding Heathrow for the same reasons I provided in the original thread, and the pressure on the British Govt is beginning to have an impact.
Before providing the update, let's all agree to keep this thread on the topic of the carry-on policies of Heathrow and the UK and how that relates to all of us as traveling photographers. So let's try to avoid digressions about street crime, terrorism, or any ethnic comments. So hopefully this thread won't be closed as well.
Here is the update. NOTE -- READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END FOR AN IMPORTANT UPDATE TO THIS UPDATE! This is from the blog The Cranky Flier, and am providing his report verbatim. (I highly recommend The Cranky Flier for anyone who flies on a regular basis as it provides excellent updates on airlines and airports.)
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VERBATIM FROM THE CRANKY FLIER:
Big News . . . in the UK . . . About Carry-Ons
You thought the big news was about a Delta/United merger? Nah, that’s not news . . . yet. Airlines talk about mergers all the time, and until I see an actual proposal, I’m not going to bother worrying about it. So far we have a hedge fund that has money in both airlines and wants to see them combine. They’ll make them a ton of money, and then it will turn into a huge mess for the airlines afterwards. This is all assuming that it actually happens at some point, and I’m far from convinced.
So for now, let’s focus on real news. This is coming from the UK. No, I’m not talking about the BA ghost flights. I’m talking about the end of the one carry-on rule at UK airports!
Now, don’t get too excited just yet. My exclamation point is a bit premature. If you’re flying today, you won’t see a difference, but change is coming. According to the BBC, on January 7 of next year, the requirement that airports only allow one carry-on bag through security will be eliminated. Now sadly that doesn’t mean that you can bring the standard 1+1 (purse, briefcase, etc) that you’re allowed in the rest of the free world right away. Each airport has to work to make the change.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said, “We are inviting each airport to submit plans to take advantage of new technology, operational innovations, and unexploited capacity in the system to make a real difference to passengers as soon as possible.”
Blah blah. When will it happen?
The assumption is that UK airports will have all applied to do this within a few months, but there’s no indication how long it may take to get it approved. And really, most of the world outside of the UK just wants to know when the London airports (especially Heathrow) will change, since those carry the bulk of passenger traffic. Once that happens, people will have one less reason to avoid flying through London.
UPDATE Nov 19 @ 316p: Musings of The Global Traveller came across an article saying that BAA, which runs many of the UK’s large airports, won’t have the ability to take 2 carry ons per passenger at any airport. They will, however, allow First and Business class passengers to carry on a second bag at Heathrow. That’s it. Booooooooo! No wonder people hate BAA. Keep avoiding LHR for now . . . .