New Security Rule: Passengers to Remain in Seats Entire Final Hour of Flight

Posted on December 26, 2009

The New York Post reports on some strict new security rules being imposed on international flights bound for the U.S. and on domestic flights. The stricter rules are being imposed because of the recent bombing attempt on a flight bound for Detroit. They include not allowing passengers to leave their seat at all during the final hour of the flight. Passengers can also not have any personal belongings for the final hour of the flight - no book, magazine or electronic device.

Commercial airline passengers may not rise from their seats during the final hour of their flights, according to new government rules announced by some airlines yesterday.

Airline passengers are also barred from having any personal belongings on their laps -- not even a paperback novel -- during the hour before landing. In that time, all personal belongings must be stowed in carry-on bags and stay off-limits to passengers.

Passengers landing at JFK yesterday after long international flights said attendants locked the bathrooms and wouldn't even let children use the facilities during the hour before landing.

It sounds like there is a security concern that someone will set off a bomb in the bathroom. However, not letting people use the bathroom an entire hour before landing is obviously going to result in problems. Denying people the ability to hold anything in their laps - even a book or magazine - for the final hour of flying is going to result in some very bored and ansy passengeres. There are reports these new rules are being enforced on domestic flights as well as international U.S. bound flights.

These rules are bad enough that they will keep people from wanting to fly. Hopefully, they are just temporary. We were on a domestic flight today and we were not told we could not leave our seat for the final hour. We also were not denied the use of personal belongings during the final hour of the flight.


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