af022 From France, joined Dec 2003, 2031 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 1844 times:
I arrived last week on an international flight to IAD and was told that airlines cannot show maps on the IFE screen 1 hour before arrival to IAD, and no one can stand up and use the loo during this time either.
Is this true for all flights arriving the US, or just to IAD?
yeogeo From United States of America, joined Jul 2009, 741 posts, RR: 15 Reply 2, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1598 times:
I don't fly internationally into IAD, but I suspect it is a specific case to that area (I'm sure someone will be able to fill us in here soon). International flights into O'Hare for example, do not have that restriction.
sancho99504 From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 437 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1473 times:
All flights into and out of IAD and DCA have these restrictions, which have been in place since air travel in the USA resumed after 9/11. I don't know if BWI has these restrictions, but if they do, these are the only 3 airports in the USA that have these restrictions.
B747forever From Sweden, joined May 2007, 16086 posts, RR: 12 Reply 6, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1257 times:
Quoting sancho99504 (Reply 4): All flights into and out of IAD and DCA have these restrictions, which have been in place since air travel in the USA resumed after 9/11
According to Wikipedia this rule was lifted in July 2005 for DCA.
DocLightning From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 14021 posts, RR: 55 Reply 7, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1257 times:
It's so that a hijacker can't know where the plane is exactly, lest they decide to blow it up just as it overflies the Pentagon or something like that.
Except that's absolutely absurd because windows need to be open for landing, so for at least the last 30 min of the flight, a terrorist need only look outside to know where he is.
Checo77 From Peru, joined Oct 2004, 1335 posts, RR: 10 Reply 8, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1228 times:
Quoting DocLightning (Reply 7): It's so that a hijacker can't know where the plane is exactly, lest they decide to blow it up just as it overflies the Pentagon or something like that.
Except that's absolutely absurd because windows need to be open for landing, so for at least the last 30 min of the flight, a terrorist need only look outside to know where he is.
It´s a stupid rule, because around the Pentagon, White House, etc, there is a no fly zone. So even if a terrorist wants to blow the plane above the Pentagone, he can´t (with IFE, without IFE) because the plane just won´t fly over or near it.
Another TSA ilogical rule that looks "good" on paper, but when applied in the real world its just stupid!
tz757300 From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 2763 posts, RR: 8 Reply 9, posted (3 months 3 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1221 times:
That happened to me as well when I flew ICN-SFO on UA back in October. I questioned why, and all I recieved was, "Because that is the rule." Never made any sense to me.
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 19519 posts, RR: 18 Reply 10, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 1135 times:
Quoting Checo77 (Reply 8): So even if a terrorist wants to blow the plane above the Pentagone, he can´t (with IFE, without IFE) because the plane just won´t fly over or near it.
River visual?
But it's pointless going on to or out of IAD because it's almost unheard of to fly anywhere near the District on a flight to or from IAD.
WROORD From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 606 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (3 months 3 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 1115 times:
I fly several times a year between ORD and DCA and that rule was in place right after 9/11, but did not hear anything to that extend for the last several years. Right after 9/11 you could not leave your seat for the duration of your flight. The flights do not fly over the WH or Pentagon, but you get a nice view of them taking off at DCA.
Seems to me that either the crew on your flight needed a refresher on current regulations or they just wanted to have the last hour quiet to themselves.
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