New Airline Security Rules

I fly Delta/KLM through Amsterdam a few times a year and this has been going on for about a year now. Delta has been very efficient in handling it.

Adding to what James E said, Delta has been doing this for a while now. Airlines had 120 days to implement these interviews and Thursday is that deadline. It's not a big deal whatsoever...at least on Delta.

And at Schipol (Amsterdam).

I had the "electronics interview" before my short flight from Basel to Munich; it wasn't the flight from MUC to SFO which had been SSSS'd. Swiss security attendant asked me, "Do you have an iPad? (no). Do you have a laptop? (No) Are you sure? (Yes) Do you have a camera? (Nope) Are you sure? (Yes) Do you have an e-reader? (Nope, just this Samsung mobile phone. I have no other electronics with me.) At the same time, he was looking through my carryons.

6 years ago, I traveled with my dumb phone, my netbook, and camera; this year I just had the one device; and I will in the future only travel with my phone.

Not flying into U.S. until January -- I figure the rules will change several times before then. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.

According to one of the news outlets today, these rules likely won't be applied the same way on flights from larger Canadian airports to the U.S., as passengers clear U.S. Immigration at the Canadian airport. CBP officers are currently stationed at airports in Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.

@ Shelley...."Do you have a camera?" That is new. I've never been asked that. Coming back from Gatwick on 24 Oct, I was asked as I was putting my things in the bin whether I had a laptop or any electronic gear (nope). The cell phone, my small digital camera in my jacket pockets were already in the bin. I'll have to wait to next time to get the SSSS.

I've come into the US 3 times this year. Always the same, always predictable, always relatively hassle free. I arrive at the airport knowing what to do and I pre-organize to make it go smoothly. Little things like putting everything in my carryon and nothing in my pockets and having my laptop (I have to work on holiday) in my hands and not in my bag.

Harassment = Security!

At least in the minds of the Thousands Standing Around

Oh and of course, your airline and airport employees won't be subject to this because they would NEVER do anything wrong would they???????? (And if you believe that give me a call I have some outstanding investment deals that only require you wire a few thousand dollars to someplace in Africa so a Prince can claim his fortune and share it with you!)

"...always predictable, relatively hassle free" and perfunctory too...how true. This year I have returned to the US twice, in July and in Oct., answered a few perfunctory questions, and got the two US passport stamps,...absolutely no problems or anything out of the ordinary.

I have had the interviews and the special screenings, no big deal.

It is what you make of it. Nothing more and nothing less. There were over 215 million International passengers traveling through US Airports in 2016. So if 1,000,000 were in someway unfairly wronged i would say that one half of one percent of the total is pretty darn good for anything the government does. But i bet the number is actually in the hundreds...

@ James...Sorry, I was imprecise in the above comment. Actually, like you, I came back to the US three times this year too. Along with the two times listed above, I forgot to mention returning from Canada in July, ie Quebec via Montreal where I went through US Border Control and Customs before boarding the Air Canada (BTW, a bit more than one hour late)....no problems, no SSSS on the boarding pass, nothing out of the ordinary, just answered the usual perfunctory questions, and they did stamp my passport.

I was just agreeing with you Fred. Given the raw quantity of travelers I think they do a fair job. No complaints. Most of the problems stem from the lady in the line in front objecting and arguing and failing to be prepared for the obvious. Last trip a lady had a pair of shoes with 4 buckles each. Took her 5 min to get the dang things off.

Happened to me leaving Venice Marco Polo flying to Philadelphia at the beginning of September. Interviewed me about where I was from, what they could see if they visited, and they wanted me to be very specific, asking more and more probing questions. Seemed like some sort of psychological profiling? Didn't mind since I think any kind of extra security is a good idea but an odd experience.

My husband got flagged "SSSS" in Reykjavik while changing planes enroute from Gatwick to Portland. They were calling dozens of people from flights that originated in the U.K. Only took a few minutes, but they did special checks on his laptop, iPad (remove the cover), and shoes. No questions, just the electronics examined.

@ James... true, a fair job. Only one time (this was at SFO, 10 years ago?) where a couple of TSA types were yelling and barking, not only at me, but at everyone, I just let it slide and put up with it. In a way it was comical since these types were taking themselves so seriously.

This time at Gatwick I didn't take off my belt, (wasn't told to, saw no sign indicating that either), was asked to step aside, not because of the belt, but because of the one oz. container of Purell in my carry-on sack, which they thought was suspicious. When I said hand sanitizer, as if he did not recognise it, he asked for permission to test it, Yes, of course, passed, and returned it to the sack...all very gentlemanly, ie, totally opposite of what I've witnessed and personally experienced at SFO on their "bad" days. At CDG coming back one time, the guy dumped it since the Purell was in my waist/ fanny belt....oh well... Still, no SSSS as yet.