What was flying like before 9/11?

[Wandafishcake]

I was 14 in 2001, I remember that security processes at airports got much tighter and more time consuming following 9/11, but I can’t properly remember what it was like before? Was the security much quicker and less intense? Could you take more things into the cabin with you?

I was a flight attendant during the 80 / 90s. The cockpit doors were never locked. I remember one pilot habitually flew with the door open during the flight (closed during take off and landing). Passengers would stop and pop their heads in when they were going to use the forward lavatory. Most pilots welcomed children up for a visit, some didn't.
Smoking - I remember working in the back of economy in a cloud of smoke. I didn't miss it when they made the flights non-smoking.

In the early 80s I was on a flight from London to Warsaw. My dad asked a FA if I could visit the cockpit and I ended up sitting in the cockpit for the whole flight. I was on tbe jump seat behind the pilot and at one point the pilot let me sit in his seat while he stretched his legs!

@Wandafishcake

Could people visit the cockpit pre 9/11?

Yes, we could. I was airline staff and I sat on the jump seat on the flight deck of a British Midland 737 for a flight from Palma, landing at night at LHR. It was a beautiful clear evening and we approached over central London with a clear view of the Houses of Parliament & all the landmarks. Such fun!

I'm not sure much changed internationally more just on internal flights. In the 70s & 80s my Irish dad travelled frequently between Dublin & London & was always stopped & questioned.

You just got on the plane with whatever, it was no big deal. I remember in the late 90s I would board planes home with full bottles of booze in my luggage and nobody batted an eyelid. The staff were more concerned about a teddy bear that I was taking to give to my cousin, they turned it inside out looking for drugs. And my quilted leather jacket, they thought that was stuffed with drugs too. No thoughts of terrorism, happy days.

The exception was travelling into/out of Israel in late1972. We had to fly from Beirut to Tel Aviv via Cyprus. Tensions were high, reactions of airport guards pretty touchy. They tried to make me open my camera, despite the fact that it had a half-used film in it. My little tape recorder was taken from me and returned only after the flight. The El Al cabin crew were tough looking sheilas in short skirts, hands on hips, glaring at the passengers from the hermetically sealed cockpit door. It was a very frightening time in the Mid East.

I did a few internal flights in usa in 2000 and I always remember it was like going for a bus, you just walked over from one section to the other in the airport. No checking bags etc.

I remember flying in the 70/80' and a curtain dividing the smoking and none smoking. It was a huge wall of smoke if you opened the curtains

I remember my brother and I going into the cockpit on a flight to Spain, would have been about 1980 ish, this was during the flight.

I asked if you kids could do the same a few years ago, and they were allowed, but only once we'd landed.

The only real difference I remember was being able to take liquids on board. But then again this was before I flew for a few days at a time, so I always had a large suitcase to cover a few weeks so put all my liquids in there. It's only been a thing recently to just take a cabin bag, but I'm presuming that's due to being able to afford shorter breaks

@Wandafishcake

Could people visit the cockpit pre 9/11?

Yes, I've photos of me in the cockpit as a child. We were invited up to have a look and got to sit in the chair.

I only vaguely remember security pre 9/11, it was definitely a lot quicker and less hassle.

The big change in screening and security came in after the Locksrbie disaster when triple A security procedures were introduced. Lockerbie was in 1988 so a long time before 2001.

Even post 911, my luggage frequently ended up on separate flights to me. Once it beat me to Chicago by a full 24 hours even after having done a detour to Detroit.

There were fewer flight delays pre Lockerbie, as that was terrorism by a person checking in, having luggage put on, and then not getting on. Hence the need to find and remove luggage if someone checks in but then don't get the flight.
Of course 9/11 introduced the notion of suicide terrorists in the air. Hence the locked cockpit.

It was always more strict in the uk and Europe than usa. They're so used to flying domestically the checks were less stringent

Of course they're the opposite now. It can take hours to go through security in the states

I was flying on the first morning of August 2006 when the liquid ban came in, so before there was a well-oiled machine of clearly understood rules, signage, the distribution of clear bags, and bins.

The island airport I was flying from didn't want to allow anyone to carry any hand luggage at all. I was finally allowed to keep a couple of disposable tissues, but I had to remove them from their plastic packaging and put them in the clear poly pocket I'd been issued with.

When we arrived in the city airport to witness the utter chaos for people trying to get departing flights, I realise I'd been very lucky.

Liquids and shoes actually only became a thing after another couple of attempted attacks after 9/11. There was the shoe bomber - a thick as a brick Brit who was spotted trying to set fire to chemicals in his soles with a lighter. And another attempt using liquids which, again, was thwarted but this time by the intelligence service in advance.

Some with long memories will recall there were problems with highjackers pre 9/11…

Yes. I think El Al aircraft have sealed cockpits or this reason? There’s another exit door from the cockpit and pilots can only enter or leave while the plane is on the ground.

I was 31 in 2001. I have never been into a cockpit myself but some people did, also the plane was often flown with the cockpit door open. I think that is the only difference in flight.

Bags were always screened, I am surprised somebody has said otherwise, but you didn’t have to take liquids out and put them in clear plastic bags. I have had to take shoes off only in a few airports (US ones) since 2001, but have never had to when travelling to or through elsewhere.

Sorry flight deck not Cockpit.

I flew a lot as a kid and from what I recall, security wasn’t as strict. I remember going into the flight deck several times mid flight, as a kid it was the most exciting thing ever! I think having metal cutlery was partly a security thing (although you still get it in premium cabins) but also a cost saving thing - my mum still has a small collection of BA cutlery 😂 it was smaller than regular cutlery so perfect for 5 year old me! Plastic is lighter (fuel saving) and cheaper.

When I was very young my dad took a friend to the airport and as he left the car caught fire, the police drove him back to the airport to meet his friend (who was in the departure lounge) and get his keys so he could borrow his car while they were away. Can’t imagine people being allowed to meet and pass stuff over now!

@gibletjane

I'm not sure much changed internationally more just on internal flights. In the 70s & 80s my Irish dad travelled frequently between Dublin & London & was always stopped & questioned.

Being questioned between London and Dublin in the 70s/80s would have been to do with "the Troubles" especially if your father was travelling frequently. Flying to eg Paris probably fewer questions asked but passports always checked, being a different country. Americans noticed the change more because they used to fly domestically almost the same as catching a bus.

On my way to Italy in 2001 I took a large bottle of water, my sewing. No taking off shoes or belts at all. Camera for bags was ignored and you could tell they barely watched the screen as they would be chatting and way less staff per gate. The door to the flight deck on the plane wasn't locked, just shut.

Flying back (A week or so after 11/9/01). We couldn't get through the queue of Americans shouting about flight numbers until some brash Texan (they really exist) realised we needed to get to security for a London flight. Then we were searched in a fingertip type way along bra line and seams of clothing - I'd never experienced that before! My bag ended up delayed (by a week) because it had a travel iron in. Hand luggage was just a book and my cash because they were just rejecting everything with wires in for thorough searches. We nearly missed the flight as security were obviously not used to moving everyone through like that yet. Everything was scrutinised.

Security before 11/9/01 was a fairly natural paced walk. Obviously that's a thing of the past.

I still have 2 sets of metal cutlery from flights in the 90s - one BA and one Air Canada. I kept them because they were smaller than usual (but not child sized) and were great to keep in my Army kit for use on exercises. I also remember trying to pinch small salt and pepper shakers from the Air Canada flight for the same reason but was foiled by a steward!

In the early 90s I boarded a flight wearing a scuba diving vest, complete with small air canister, lead weights and knife! Completely forgot that the knife was there. It wasn’t even checked. A group of us were diving in Malaysia and were wearing heavy kit to get round the hold baggage weight limit (they didn’t used to weigh cabin baggage). That same flight I got quietly hammered whilst my colleagues were sleeping after the cabin staff swapped my request for a cup of tea for brandy and dry - and kept them coming (for free)! I remember sitting and chatting with a stewardess after moving to the back of the plane for a fag and her letting me sit in her seat so I didn’t have to go back. I must have stank so bad when I got off that flight!

My dad flew a lot for work. He's a very people person and interested in everything. He was always ending up in the cockpit, particularly on smaller flights. I don't think that happened once after 9/11.