I'm going to be flying to Bonaire tomorrow, and returning next Saturday, the 19th. Can anyone tell me what restrictions the Bonaire authorities are placing on carry-on luggage when leaving the island? I don't want to bring my camera, for example (which US authorities will allow me to carry on going to the island), only to not be able to carry it back on in a week when I'm leaving.

Are you sure that you can carry it on a US outbound flight? I received the following yesterday:
"August 10, 2006: Today the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States announced new security procedures and also upgraded the threat level.

InfoBonaire has been informed that Bonaire's Flamingo Airport will institute equal security procedures. Effective immediately, passengers will be asked to put any gels, liquids, beverages, etc. in their checked bags. Once the secure areas (gift shops behind security) are cleared, passengers will be able to purchase beverages and the such there, but they must be consumed before boarding. Duty free liquor and perfume sales will be affected.

Exceptions for infants/toddlers will be made (breast milk, formula, fruit juice) as well as for liquid prescription medicine in the name of the passenger.

For additional information, visit:

www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2006/press_release_08102006.shtm

or

www.tsa.gov/press/where_we_stand/security_measures.shtm

or

www.aa.com."

Good (but sad) point. In one stroke of the pen, the duty-free liquor industry is obliterated.

I'd usually drag back 3 or 4 btls of rum or tequila on my various caribbean saunters, but this will put an end to that!

Don't give up hope Tom! When you buy duty free from the Sky Mall they hold it until you get off the plane. Maybe that won't be affected????

It's not going to be a pretty scene in Caribbean airports anymore, with prospective passengers slugging down whole liters of liquor to get rid of it before going through security to board their flights....

Damn terrorists!

Michael,
Where in any of this do you see a prohibition against carrying-on a camera from a US airport? I see:

"Media have also reported that laptops, cell phones and electronic items are no longer allowed. Is that true?
No. TSA continues to allow laptop computers, cell phones and other electronic items."

I don't see cameras addressed specifically (although digital cameras could presumably be considered in the 'other electronic items' category). Am I missing something?

The list in our newspaper (The San Jose Mercury News) did list disposable cameras specifically.

This follows the events in the UK when muslim extremists had planned to bomb 12 planes mid Atlantic on route from the UK to the US. We have the same emergency rules in place until the crisis is over. I hope this a temporary measure.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4778615.stm

and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4783141.stm

Brian..They did not plan to blow up the planes "mid Atlantic" but they wanted to blow them up OVER AMERICAN CITIES..This way the Islamic fascists could have watched with glee as our press showed coverage of 1000's of bodies falling to earth as well as the debris from the planes crashing into buildings.
That's how sick this situation is.
They always strive to top their last deed! This is not called the war on terror for nothing. Rant over....

Until our technology is able to screen for liquid chemicals which could cause explosions, don't expect the ban to be lifted. I do however suspect that something will be worked out between the vendors in the airports & having liquor or whatever delivered straight to the holding cargo of the plane.

I flew this morning. I had Michael bring my checked bag yesterday as he drove. I was only going from Orange County to Phoenix. As I had a 1 way ticket, I got the "special screening." They took my clinique foundation. The folks in the regular screening line were having to throw away their lipsticks, lip balms, lip gels, everything that is pretty much liquid regardless of how big it was. Once on the other side I got a bottle of water, but everyone had to throw any liquid they had bought away before boarding. Then they had 2 TSA agents at the gate, and rechecked all bags and purses before you were allowed to board. There were EMPTY places in the overhead bins. I guess everyone is checking all things. I would not take anything liquid, regardless how big. They even took my little tube of neosporen! I had my cosmetics in a plastic bag, my meds in a plastic bag, so it was easy for them to see...Travel has changed even more dramatically now...Lines were REALLY long, all the way outside the airport this am, and I got there 3 hours early!

Grasshopper:
Welcome to Phoenix!
Sandy

Vince

The news given here is still that mid atlantic was the target, we are also being told that anything you buy after the security check is ok to take on board; so duty free will be ok. For example - your ipod will be taken away but you can buy another in duty free.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0976.xml

Brian,
Perhaps the rules are a bit stricter in the UK? We haven't been told we can't carry on small electronics or cameras (yet).

I must say, there's no way I would "give" my ipod, cellphone, or laptop to anyone. Check it - yes - if I had to, I'd buy another piece of luggage just in case. Buy another ipod in duty-free - no way. I have better things to do with my money.

I had both my ipod and cell phone with me, and they didn't even look at it. They were mostly obsessed with make-up, tubes of jell, etc. Since I got to go through "special screening" they did have a wand that they went over every item I had (flip flops and dive watch included) and then they put the wand under a special "light." Laptops were being allowed on the planes as well. I wonder if for International flights this is different, or flights out of the UK?

Sandy, thanks for the welcome It has been so HOT in Orange County, that the 102 temp yesterday wasn't that bad. I even got on the trampoline with the kids around 5PM last night and didn't die from heat exhaustion!

Rules are definitely more strict on UK inbound and outbound flights. Clear plastic bag is your only carryon.

US domestic flights have liquids restricted, but not electronics. My son flew yesterday, he was checked in and through security in the 20 minutes it took for me to drive home after dropping him off. If travelers prepare properly, the security lines will not expand greatly.

HTH!
cheryl

Cheryl, where was he flying from? The lines to check baggage yesterday morning were 2 hours long, and security was at least an hour.

Hey Cynde! He was flying DFW-IND. He had an early flight, that may have something to do with it.

The only thing I can imagine that would cause the checkin lines to suddenly be that long is travelers trying to move restricted articles from carryon to checked luggage, and agents double checking that people are aware of the new restrictions. I suspect that once the word gets out, and travelers arrive prepared, the lines will be shortened.

Cheryl, I certainly hope so. My flight was at 9:30AM, and I got to the airport at 6:30 AM...lots of business travlers go through Orange County during the week, so maybe it was the morning rush hour!

I know a LOT of people missed their flights. As I was waiting in the terminal, every flight that departed made announcements, calling passengers names, telling them that the plane was leaving and they were shutting the doors, and that they had to get to the gate immediately. All I kept thinking was, "those folks are on the other side trying to check luggage or are in the security line." It was certainly "interesting." I imagine the flight attendents like the fact that there is overhead bin space. No longer folks trying to carry 3 overstuffed bags on and cramming them in the overhead bins! Faster getting on and faster getting off!

Kathi and I just flew this weekend from Phila to North Carolina. On Thursday night, we were at a party. Kathi loved the deviled eggs. This hostess asked her if she wanted to take some for the trip on the plane. In the packing of them on the travel on bag, they got a little crushed and liquified. TSA had a real quandry as to what the hell this mysterious substance was. We spent about 5 minutes past the x-ray station trying to explain to two supervisors what this yellowish orange subatance really was. It was pretty funny when all was said and done. The TSA guys had a laugh as well, and in Phila, they are usually not too friendly.