JulieVikmanis

Seeking tales of experiences traveling to the US but beginning in Rome FCO, hopefully to dispell my concern that what I recently experienced there is not "normal" and that I may hope for a better time on my next trip.

We returned to the US from Rome FCO on Sunday October 22. It was incredible. All persons flying to the US were prevented from going directly to their carriers for check in. Rather we were all made to go through a line initially, checked for flight/airline, etc., then sent to our carriers for check in, then put in yet another line for security. Lines were incredibly long and the whole thing took a couple of hours (it didn't help that we were too early for our flight and made to wait until the carrier started checking in for it--between the first and last lines) I noted lots of people with Carnival Cruise tags on their luggage. Thinking this was somehow a special problem due to cruise disgorgement, I asked our Delta check in person if there was some special problems that day, or if the airport was always like this. She replied the latter. Oh, woe! We have another flight through FCO on Jan. 3 and I'm already dreading it. My question: Has anyone else been through FCO recently bound for the US with similar or different experience. Is this truly the norm at FCO? Thanks for any tales you can relate to confirm of deny my worst fears.

norween

The situation you met is not specific to Rome but to flights to the USA with the specific security rules, you will be faced with the same situation in most airports

Viajero2

Sounds like my embarcation experience at FCO back in Nov 2003. What about it??? "your worst fears?" My worst fear is lax security.

Hal8999

This has been standard procedure at Rome for a long time.

DeirdreStraughan

This is standard in Milan for most direct flights to the US, and I think all of those on US carriers. To avoid it, fly through some other European hub - but the same thing might happen to you there.

best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

beginningwithi.com

nessundorma

On a recent flight out of Brussels to the US, I was put throuogh 3 separate security checks, and the departure gate was so far away from the main terminal, I thought if I walked any further I'd be in Holland.

Milan/Malpensa also segregates passengers on flights bound for the US.

If you have any problems with this, don't vote for Republicans two weeks from now. The war has infinitely worsened the security situation for Americans abroad and at home.

Girlspytravel

First of all, I don't appreciate the above poster's silly political comment: the current more stringent aviation security policy has virtually NOTHING to do with the war on Iraq-that's just partisan political nonsense.

Julie-it's necessary to understand something here with respect to aviation security policy- THE THREAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN FROM OVERSEAS- NOT DOMESTIC. Therefore, it makes sense that more stringent security regulations and screening, which have almost ALWAYS been in effect for overseas flights inbound to the US well BEFORE 9/11 (yes, it's true!) have been greatly enhanced/accelerated, due almost specifically at THIS point to the British bomb plot, which was a pervasive plot to bomb American air carriers inbound to the US, the true dimensions of which have not been publicly released, as well as other threats to aviation security that are not necessarily made known to the traveling public-the recent change in EU security rules reflects USG policy-EU has to fall in line behind the USG's regulations on aviation security policy- the ban on liquids and gels has remained for US flights-US flights leaving the UK have been under more stringent security policy than British flights even. Non US flights not transiting US/UK have not been under these restrictions.

But the threat situation for European carriers has changed-now-ALL EU member states must enact the carry-on restrictions re liquids and gels as per the directive.

If you know anything about the so-called "no-fly" list, you know that has been in effect in the US for years, the EU was, at one time, at odds with the provision that data on European pax had to be given to the USG prior to the flight. Now, the EU has fallen in line, and that information is now provided to the USG without objection (remember it always WAS provided to the US-under objection-or else the European carrier did not fly to this country).

A roundabout way of saying that what you experienced at FCO is similar to what other pax are experiencing at other European airports on flights inbound to the US-Brussels being probably the most stringent now, as it is perceived to be at a greater risk of attack. And there is no way to "avoid" this by flying out of some other airport-ALL airports are enacting these stringent security measures.

Understand, the USG is far stricter, far more pervasive and really, has always been ahead of the rest of the world on aviation security policy because of our sad history of American aircraft bombings, starting from the mid-80's, then 1989, with Lockerbie -where a bomb was placed in a suitcase in the cargo hold of a Pan Am jet at Heathrow Airport-and continuing through to the 9/11 attacks.

ira

HI JV,

Except that the sad story goes back to the 1970's, I agree with GST.

See http://tinyurl.com/ybz4ux and http://tinyurl.com/yav2um

You are going to have to put up with long lines no matter which airport you use.

bajaflash

We were at FCO in July to catch an Air France flight to Paris. The lines at the ticket counter were HUGE. We finally found the business class check in (which was shorter) and tried to check in. However, they were not checking in that flight yet so we were unable to get up to the Air France lounge. We went to Alitalia and changed our tickets (no charge) and went through security to the lounge.

bblount

Ditto GST....... The political remark was stupid, but that just goes to show.......

We flew home on October 3rd from FCO with no problems at all... The first line was a bit long, but aren't all airports at some time or another?

nessundorma

On 7/7, 2006, Zawahiri released the final tape of Shehzad Tanweer: Tanweer said,

"What you have witnessed now is only the beginning of a string of attacks that will continue and become stronger." . . . Tanweer says in a Yorkshire accent on the film that attacks will continue "until you pull your forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq".

http://www.juancole.com/2006/08/stri...-continue.html

JulieVikmanis

Thanks for the replies. Not exactly what I was hoping to hear, but helpful. We flew out of CDG in September with nowhere near the problems we experienced in Rome in October. Guess we'd best just get used to things getting worse and worse. Perhaps Rome is just more disorganized which adds to the effect overall. At any rate, thanks for the responses.

unaS

I don't know if you folks will appreciate this comment but . . . El Al has always had the most stringent security regulations in the world. It is standard practice from anywhere in the world for them to provide an pre-check in security line before you can get to the carrier's own check in line.

With time the procedure has been improved, the kinks smoothed out, but the security remains.

From what I read here it appears to me that the rest of the world - with the USA leading - is now implementing what has been SOP for El Al for many years now.

bblount

This is the last remark on the political issue from me....... If I believed everything written by the biased media, we'd be in really big trouble..........

SeaUrchin

yes elal has been strict for a long time and the others are left in the dust.

Julie it sounds like you had hit the airport when tours from gigantic ships were just there too, not such good luck but can happen at any airport.

Be calm.

nytraveler

I don;t know what you're fearful about. While it is fairly irritating, this is the cost of security. I have gone through a variety of procedures - almost all time-consuming, which seem to vary by country and airport.

(One time taking off from Lisbon all passengers on flights to the US had to go through 3 separate security checks. We were then finally bussed to a plane at the far outskirts of the airport, with the bus being surrounded by army personnel carriers with machine guns. The plane too was completely surrounded by soldiers with machine guns - and we had to go through a final security check as we started walking up the stairs to the plane.)

But - better a little wasted time and irritaiton than blown to smithereens.

cafegoddess

Girlspytravel, thank you. I agree with you.

Darnwright

Wow.We just returned from FCO October 18th and had no problem at all. We actually commented that the lines were not as bad as 2 years ago. We flew Continental to Newark and then onm to Houston.

nessundorma

What's silly is to imagine you can go on endlessly punching people in the face and none of them will punch you back.

It's pretty obvious to most people that US and British policy in Iraq has radicalized a lot more people who become motiviated to commit "payback" in the form of terror against notable, telegenic American and British targets.

Why deny it? The OP asked about a political situation. An answer explaining the current politics is in order.

Hard to believe there is anybody who supports the Iraq war anymore, or who refuses to hold Republicans accountable.

cafegoddess

Ness, Please give it a break. Okay, we now know that you will not be voting for any Republicans. Good for you.

I come here to read about traveling adventures not to be lectured. There is enough blame to go around.

Now, to a more important issue. Anybody been to Italy lately?