Weird Airport Security & Airline Issues

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Some know I travelled to Alberta last week. I found the security issues to be odd. First, what is the point of the resealable plastic bag for liquids and gels?

And is Lypsyl (similar to Chapstick) really a “gel?” I had to put my tube of chapped lip stuff in a plastic bag.

In Toronto, I didn’t have to put my lighter into a plastic bag, but in Edmonton I did.

The other thing about the plastic bag is once the items are in it, what are you supposed to do? Keep them in the plastic bag on the flight? I had to use the Lypsyl on the flight and just stuck the tube back into my pocket out of habit.

West Jet is a great airline, especially with regard to baggage allowance. Air Canada sucks.

Heading off to a fly fishing competition meant taking several fly rods, lots of gear and fly tying equipment. West Jet allowed two pieces of checked baggage at 60 pounds a piece. Air Canada’s allowance was less than that.

I was also allowed to take on board the plane my rod tube containing my fly rod that didn’t fit into my luggage because it was too long.

Air Canada wanted to charge one of my teammates some ridiculous fee like $250.00 for adding a light (less than a pound) piece of luggage consisting of a 5′ long small diameter tube containing a fly rod. He decided to leave it at home – he could have got a fly rod brand new for the price Air Canada wanted to check it in.

Earlier this year, Air Transat in Belfast wouldn’t allow me to carry on board the same rod and tube – but they didn’t charge me anything extra to have it stowed as a special oversize fragile item though.

Would someone mention to the staff at “The Second Cup” coffee shop in the Edmonton airport that when there’s a long lineup of customers, one person serving is simply not enough and that the other person who was slowly walking around behind the counter grinding coffee beans should have helped out at one of the tills? Seriously – a 20 minute wait for a cup of coffee is a bit ridiculous especially at an airport where you’ve got to be in time for another connecting flight.

2 thoughts on “Weird Airport Security & Airline Issues”

  1. Airports and restaurants in general are weird places. Restaurants/Coffee Shops don’t seem to get that they are there to serve the customer and by serving more customers they make more money. Of course, the low paid employee at the counter could probably care less.

    As for Airports… I still don’t get the security rules, they are protecting almost nothing. It is nice they check for explosives, and I understand the lighter issue, but the rest of it is stupid.

  2. I ran into a lot of inconsistent policies over the summer, traveling to and around eastern Europe. The liquids in a plastic bag nonsense is from the idiotic scare that a terrorist could bring on a bunch of liquids and brew up a bomb in the lavatory; putting them all in a plastic bag makes it easier for the travel overlords to see them and confirm that travelers are complying with their ridiculous volume limits. Once one is through security I don’t think they need to stay in the baggie—but you might need to put them back in it for subsequent connecting flights. For all my travels in former Soviet bloc countries, t’was the good ol’ USSA’s security that was the worst. Funny that. The wide variety in policies and practices really shows our system up for the theater it is.

    You waited twenty fookin’ [Darlin’ Daughter’s favorite term] minutes for a cup of coffee?? I’d only consider that if I were having serious withdrawal.

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