TSA in Germany

"I was under the impression that after you arrive state-side, you'd have to repack those duty free liquids into your checked baggage for the US portion of your return flight." *** Elaine, you are correct. If you have to switch to a connecting flight after you land in the U.S., you're back under the 3-ounce carry-on rule.

Some recent changes have been implemented allowing people to purchase duty free liquids beyond the 3 oz limit and take them as carry-on even if when you have layovers and change planes. However, only certain airports have are part of this new deal. I know Frankfurt and Calgary are. And some American airports. You'd have to do your research to find out whether the airports you are connecting through are part of the agreement.

What you saw is what you will experience in the EU. They are head and shoulders above what I call the "security theater" we see in the U.S. As far as the duty free, you will still have to pack them up in your bags when you re-check your bags in at your entry airport in the U.S.

We just flew home from Munich on Saturday. We had to go through the general security line, and then we had to go through security again when we got to where the gates were. We were told that anything bought Duty Free would be subject to the liquids rules after we got back to the U.S. if we were changing planes here.

Yes, if you CHANGE planes, you will need to repack them- if it is direct, you will not. And it is true, the German security is SO much nicer than the U.S, although I still have fond memories of the sweet old ladies at John Wayne in Orange County (the exception).

Maybe the difference is that, in the UK anyway, security staff are airport employees and in theory should be more customer orientated? The airport owners would/should be concerned about passenger services and therefore provide appropriate training.

For what it's worth - my experiences are not the same as far as security staff. I went through security - twice - in Frankurt, Germany, and the staff were abrupt, impatient, and almost hostile. Security staff at Munich were better, but not by much. All-in-all, my experiences with TSA staff were better. I know - it's the luck of the draw.

We flew out of Berlin last week. We went thru security twice. We got patted down, they physically went thru each carry on bag. Our plane was an hour late leaving. Very stringent, cops everywhere but they were very friendly. Show up early for your flight.

"And some American airports."******This is incorrect. If you fly from Europe to the U.S., and then have to connect to a second flight, you are subject to TSA regulations on the second flight, including the 3-ounce rule. There aren't any exceptions.

"it's the luck of the draw". No, it's systematic. I've flown out of Germany 6 times since 9/11, Munich 2x, Düsseldorf 1x, Stuttgart 1x, FRA 2x. Never has the TSA been such a total PITA as in Philly. I think half of the personnel are hired merely to harass the passengers.

We flew out of CDG (Paris) in July and the security there were incredibly nice and friendly. We were absolutely amazed! We had to change planes in Chicago and they were beyond horrible!!

PITA??? I'm having trouble deciphering that but suspect it's one Id like to know.

PITA.......Pain in the "Gluteus Maximus".

The only difficult experience I have had with airport security was one bad experience in Frankfurt. Really, to me most of them are okay if you just do what your supposed to do and have patience. Like anywhere in life, I think you often get what you are expecting. If you are expecting problems you are likely to find them-anywhere.

"it's the luck of the draw". No, it's systematic." Excuse me, but since my experience was the opposite of others here, this illustrates that not ALL TSA staff are rude, incompetant etc. "No, it's systematic" implies a factual statement, and, clearly it's not.

"I think half of the personnel are hired merely to harass the passengers." They are low-level and low-paying jobs - these minimum wage people think they have some power over the travelling public, and oh boy, they are going to show you who's boss.

Sorry , I have to take exception to the "TSA Slammers." First, I have no idea how much they make - do you? Second - TSA people have to deal with all kinds of people all day long, and enforce rules that they don't necessarily understand or agree with. Remember the "hero" flight attendant who flipped the bird while holding a beer and activating the emergency chute? Look - these people are trying to do a job. I have found that if you are patient and cooperative, they are just fine. I sense a little elitist attitude here - and it is not flattering to you all.

I tend to agree with Elaine that some of the TSA staff I have encountered at SFO since their origins were indeed in need of customer service training. I was turned off especially at one incident. Aside from that one time, which might have been an exception, you just have to put up with the security process and them, just as they have to put up with you. Still, I'm not going to defend them.

As far as the second security check and the pat-down that was mentioned before, as far as I know, that's a US regulation since 9/11, not anything specific to Germany. We've had good experiences with both TSA here and overseas, and not so good experiences with both (nothing bad, just some have been more abrupt than others). We have had German security put us through to a shorter line since we had a kid in a stroller, just like the TSA has done here. The TSA in Atlanta can be a bit more to-the-point than others, but since it's the busiest airport in the world, I cut 'em a bit of slack.

While departing a plane I walked down the jetway and got nearly to the mouth that spilled into the waiting area when I realized that I left my boarding pass on the plane (and my luggage claim sticker was stuck to the back of it). I turned to go back on the plane and was nearly tackled by a TSA agent who was manned at the mouth of the jetway. They guy started yelling and demanded proof that I had just come off the flight. Another passenger who had seen me on the flight walked by and confirmed I had been on the flight. Not good enough. The agent deemed the only acceptable proof to be my boarding pass [INVALID] the very item I needed to retrieve. I was then escorted to a desk in the waiting area while they pulled up my flight information and got a very rude lecture on how once you deplaned you couldn't get back on. 15 minutes later (after enduring several side conversations between this agent and others that were personal in nature) they found my name on their computer list and reprinted and reprinted my pass, then STILL wouldn't let me back on the plane to retrieve my original pass. The guy was a total %%^$!$!$!$. I could have easily lived without my luggage claim sticket and would have if I'd only known. The airport - SFO. I fly A LOT for business and this was by far my worse experience even though the major body search (hands under clothes) in CDG was no fun either.

I appreciate that the plural of anecdote is not data. But still, I travel for business a fair amount and have been through security all over the world. It is my personal experience that US screeners have worse 'people skills' than those elsewhere. Just last week, I watched as a screener in Chicago was barking at passengers to put their shoes directly on the belt instead of in the bins. An elderly man of Asian ethnicity just ahead of me put his shoes in the bin and the screener literally screamed at him, "I said, not in the bin!" He looked confused and put his arms out to be searched. It seemed apparent to me that the guy didn't understand anything besides the fact that the screener was upset with him. Again, the screener yelled at him to put his shoes on the belt, this time even louder. I decided to intervene and took the shoes out for him, smiling and saying "OK OK." That should have been the end of it but it wasn't. The screener continued to berate the guy, "Next time you get cute you won't be flying!" I noticed that he had a Korean passport in his hand; why didn't the TSA person? I can't imagine this happening in any of the major world airports outside the US, frankly. Now again, I'm not saying this is typical, or that there aren't some perfectly pleasant TSA folks out there. But unpleasant episodes are common enough in my experience to make me question the level of training provided to them, especially in dealing with passengers with disabilities, lack of English fluency, misunderstanding of the rules due to inexperience, etc. Those folks have a right to be treated with respect just as much as we who are frequent experienced flyers do, and I have seen too many instances in which that simply isn't the case.

@Steve: yes we do know what they make: http://www.tsa.gov/join/careers/pay_scales.shtm Airport screeners are bands D and E. I fly approximately 4 times a month and the vast majority of times the TSA is a PITA. It is not just the "war on liquids" or "wanting to view my family naked". Those are major complaints, but I often find: 1. barking - the ability to loudly repeat the same instructions over and over and over and over 2. making up their own rules, such as "I have to see a passport, you're on an international flight" or "saline solution is NOT exempt as a medical liquid" or "shoes on belt/shoes in bin" or "taking off a thin sweater when only wearing an undershit tank" or "I don't care that the TSA website says it's ok (after I show it on the iphone) I say you can't fly with it!" 3. Screeners just standing around staring at passengers. Ooohh, intimidating. Why don't you 4 go open another lane so this 35 min line can be cut in half? 4. Gate screenings. If we have "world class security" we wouldn't need to have 15 of 200 people on plane checked again. I could go on all day....

JER, I've warned my family that they may see me on TV one day, in handcuffs...and that's why.

Eileen - I'll bail you out.