Things that airline staff want you to know...

[FlyMayBe]

If you bring the wrong passport to the airport, you will not be allowed to fly on an international flight.

No, the captain will not hold the aircraft for you while you wait for your relative to bring the correct passport in a taxi.

Lost your passport in the airport? Nope. You still can't fly - unless it is a domestic flight and you have reliable photo ID.

Thanks for the tips re water fountains. I last looked at Stansted a couple of years ago and couldn't find them.

Hadn't thought to ask at the catering outlets.

Manchester airport security staff shout and bark orders and the whole experience was intimidating for my ASD son.
They were treating people like criminals the way they were shouting at people and the way they were issuing orders. It felt like you were in a prison queue not going on holiday

I'm not saying they should be having a laugh in the security queue and comedians but the way they were has put me off flying from Manchester.

The couple of airports I've been to lately, they've been outside the toilets!

Here is spain's initiative... good on them! AENA runs all the airports so I think it's countrywide.

'Airport governing body AENA has promised that bottled water from machines will not cost any more than €1.60, although it has not confirmed the bottle size.

Drinking fountains are expected to be set up in all Spain's airports.'

I would like to think this is because I made a complaint at an airport I use quite a lot last year

"I've only lost it with airport staff twice. Both involved knitting."

I have never tried to fly with my knitting in my cabin baggage, @Whatdoesitmatteranyway - but I crochet as well, and once flew three times, within a few weeks of each other, and had different experiences at security each time.

Glasgow Airport had no issues with either my crochet hook or my scissors (which I had ensured were within the guidelines, as you did). Coming back the same day from Heathrow, security had no issue with my crochet hook, but insisted on seeing my scissors, to make sure they were within the guidelines. Then, a few weeks later, flying back from London City Airport, security there had no problems with my scissors (the same scissors) but had to take the crochet hook away and have a little confab about it (presumably 'What is this thing, and can this middle aged, overweight woman use it to hijack the flight??') before finally deciding that the hook and I were perfectly innocent, and allowing us both to fly!

Funniest airport security conflab I saw was a group of the security people trying to decide whether a man's collection of snow globes were acceptable hand luggage.

I don't know if they thought they might be a useful weapon, or if the liquid inside was more or less than 100 mls, but I saw them handing him a roll of bubble wrap and a cardboard box, so it looks like they didn't pass the security test.

We flew to Carcassone a few years ago. Security on the way back insisted that all medications, prescription included, were not allowed in hand luggage. One of them had a half a bin bag of paracetamol, ibuprofen, Imodium and the like. I even had to abandon a tube of Rennies. I don't know what happened to those with prescription drugs.

My mother once flew from Glasgow to Orkney - and only realised when she got there, that she'd got a small penknife at the bottom of her handbag (she is a very keen gardener, and the penknife is for the taking of cuttings - only when she has asked first, I am sure). Somehow it had slipped through at Glasgow airport security, but as she didn't want to risk losing it on the way back, she posted it to me, and collected it on her way home.

My mum - the international terrorist!

The regional airport I fly from does not have water fountains after security, So yes I have always ended up paying too much to buy a bottle of water again.
I hate on MN there is always someone insisting that their experience is always right.

Just ask at a cafe and they will fill a bottle for you. Or are there no food outlets at your airport either?

I don't think anyone has said all airports have water fountains, let alone insisted on it, but just suggesting that many have water fountains, and that they're becoming more common.

I have never thought of asking at a cafe. I had assumed they would say no as you are using their facilities.

Bottled water and cafes is a difficult one. It's become socially unacceptable, but many outlets have always made a lot of money from it so could be fearing the loss of revenue. I did see a notice at a motorway service station once stating that you could get water bottles filled at Costa. I guess they hope many will buy a coffee or snack at the same time.

DP is a trustee of a charity that runs a community sports facility and they're currently struggling with this issue - there is a lot of demand for a water fountain so people can refill their own reusable bottles but the onsite cafe isn't happy because bottled water is one of their most profitable lines.

We once stayed in an apartment in Tenerife that had a vending machine where you could buy chilled filtered water for 10 cents a litre. I thought that was a really good idea - the tap water there is desalinated, so while being safe to drink, doesn't taste very nice, so many people buy bottled water, but that took away that need.

I’m afraid it never occurred to me that I would need a passport when flying between London and Glasgow so I didn’t take it with me. I don’t have a driving licence either. I was accepted with my work pass.

@FedUpOfBrexit I got barked at by a security person at Manchester airport on Tuesday. No idea why as I never have liquids in my handbag, don't travel with hand luggage(other than my handbag) and I'd taken my coat off.

I was travelling at the weekend and had the pleasure of being present at security when staff found a Swiss Army knife in one guys hand luggage and he went beserk when they told him he couldn't carry a weapon onto the plane

We actually take advantage of the amount of bags that can go onboard
If we need 3 cases I pay for 2 and check them into the hold. Then we take the third ( wheels case small enough to in the overhead locker) as hand luggage. When we get to the gate 99% of the time we are asked if we would mind putting it in the hold ( for free). We then take out the smaller bag inside with our on flight essentials and let them take the bag
When we flew back from Seville last Feb and did this the staff member said that we were very kind for offering to do this and so he allowed us through the Priority Boarding gate past the huge Q of people waiting to board!
Works every time, saves around £20-30 but if it ever doesn’t we don’t mind taking the case onboard anyway.

Swiss Army knives are actually allowed according to the rules, which seems unlikely, but the blade is below a certain size.

I always check my wheeled carry on at the gate if given the opportunity, I can’t be bothered with the faff of finding a space for it. Everything I actually need for the flight goes in a medium sized handbag, under the seat in front.

I fly a lot and always get shouted at by security, no matter how hard I try to concentrate, not helped by every airport doing things differently. I amuse myself by being super polite in response and thanking them profusely for their help. It does confuse them.

Chemenger I assume you are not flying economy. Most of us take large carry on bags into the hold not because we want to, but to save money.

I always ask “shoes on or off” and whether the answer is yes or no it is always delivered with the implication that I’m an idiot for asking. My most local airport has signs saying that shoes must come off and liquids out but both re not required in practice. Taking shoes off will get you shouted at.

I’m always flying economy! Lately basic economy on Delta in the US, which is one step above actually travelling in the hold. Usually there is an announcement in the lounge inviting people to check their large hand baggage in free, sometimes you also move up a few boarding groups. I’m first in line. This is the same as a PP was describing, so I don’t pay for a hold bag but don’t have to wrestle with a big carry on. It gets checked through to my final destination as well so I don’t have to haul when I’m running from gate 1 to gate 72 in Atlanta. I have a 20 minute guarantee on getting by bag back as a frequent flyer so it’s usually on the carousel by the time I get there.

I should say all my recent flying has been in the USA, I haven’t had the joy of Ryanair or EasyJet for a while, although I’ve done my fair share of Norwegian and Wow in the last few years.

I do a lot of flying and have only once heard an announcement about checking a hold bag in for free. Probable depends who you fly with. Our local airport only has a few carriers, and anywhere else I need to go to Heathrow.

Maybe the checking carryons happens more here, Americans do take vast amounts of stuff on to planes, although they seem to have stopped bringing full sized pillows, which used to be common. They are nowhere near as strict about carryon size here as they are at home in the U.K. or at security.