Airports and ICDs

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

Well after heart attack/cardiac arrest and finally ICD fitted in August, I finally managed to squeeze in a week away in sunny Tenerife.

First of all it's a new experience going on holiday with enough medical supplies to keep a small village going, then there's the new experience of going through airport security.

On the way out at Manchester Airport, as I approached the security gate I held up my ICD card and announced that I had an ICD implanted, the lady acknowledged and asked me to go through the full body scanner, then directed me to a seat nearby (all the times I've got through before and never spotted these strategically placed seats!) , then a man came along, took my id card and wandered off (is there a central database that he checks?) , he came back, gave me my card back and gave me a hand pat down. Then asked me which was my hand luggage - another man checked through that, asked me to take everything out, once happy, me and my hand luggage were swabbed for drugs/explosives and was then on my way.

On the way back in Tenerife South Airport, I again showed my card and said I had an ICD fitted - they only have the old style metal detector scanners, so was walked around it and told to stand - a man came along, had a look at my card, gave me a hand pat down, and then asked me to identify my hand luggage. Again everything was taken out and I was asked to turn on anything electrical - phone, camera, tablet, to prove they worked. The me and my luggage were swabbed for drugs/explosives and off I went.

All in all, not too difficult, probably adds about 10 mins to the process, no problem providing you've turned up with a reasonable amount of time prior to your flight, it could be stressful if you're running late.

In all the years of flying I've never been pulled aside for a pat down and only once have I been swabbed (and on that occasion it was the day after a flight had gone through that airport and was brought down by a bomb on board, so airport twitchy), this time swabbed on both flights, I fairly sure that having a heart attack and an ICD implanted doesn't mean that I suddenly look like a drugs mule or a terrorist, and can only assume that having offered myself up for additional scrutiny means that I'm likely to encounter this in future! Whatever, quite happy with it, we need to be safe in the skies, in future I'll know what to expect, and it's a small price to pay to get some sun!

[Lezzers]

Maybe, the airports are on high alert or you look dodgy! 😂 When kevins gone through the new body scanners he's been patted down the other side but never had his hand luggage searched or been swabbed. The same with the old style metal detectors, he's had to take his shoes off and put them through the hand luggage scanner, then he's been taken to one side and had the wand waved over him, again they've never swabbed him or searched the hand luggage. Mind you we haven't flown now for bout a couple of years!

Hope you had a good holiday and that it was hot enough for you.

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to Lezzers]

Not aware of any security alerts so I think I must suddenly look dodgy!😎

Holiday lovely thank you, hotel as far up the hillside as possible, so very hilly but very nice walking, temperature a very nice 26 degrees

[Lezzers in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

Well tenerife is supposedly the hangout for some very high profile villains!! So......???

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to Lezzers]

True. I'll have to see how Preveza Airport in Greece compares next May, as far as I know no villains lying low over there!

[tibetan36]

In Australia the airlines don’t want you to go through the scanner nor be scanned with the hand scanner.

All they do is give you a pat down, run your luggage through the X-ray then off you go.

Oh sometimes you get selected for the explosives scan.

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to tibetan36]

That seems quite sensible

[AlaninSpain]

That all sounds a bit OTT. I always show my card (which is in Spanish) and then get taken to one side past the Arch and patted down. In Malpensa Airport (Milan) I was taken to line 1 as there was no way to pass the archs on the other lines and recieved a few 'looks'.

The best is getting on board the cruises as there is never room to pass to the side so they have to turn off all the equipment to let me through, all to the constanation of the other passengers.

In Gatwick they put me through the x-ray.

The worst was El Pratt Airport (Barcelona) they stand you on a podium so that everyone in the airport can see you being patted down.

I have now gotten used to it, but I detest airports anyway these days and it's just a chore that I have to put up with.

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to AlaninSpain]

El Pratt is up there in my list of the worst airports, yet to travel through it with an ICD, looking forward to it (not)!

[MissisF]

We’ve flown quite a few times since OH had the ICD. Last time from Manchester in October it was exactly as you described. My theory was they have a target for drug swabs so they’re doing the ICD folk as they are carrying lots of drugs & it’ll hit the target without aggro. I must say Manchester is up there as my least favourite & most stressful place to fly from. 🥺 So hectic. We usually try Doncaster or East Mids for a calmer experience. Happy Holidays 😎

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to MissisF]

Yes, I suspect that as you've taken yourself out of the line, they do all the checks on you, especially as we've got a load of medicines on us.

I agree with your vote for Manchester - worst airport I've ever flown through

[seasider18]

Did you find it difficult and expensive to get insurance ?

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to seasider18]

No, insured with Staysure, got a worldwide policy for 12 months (excluding US, Caribbean and a few other places) for £275, not the cheapest but very good cover, with our health issues the quality of the cover is by far the most important aspect

[seasider18 in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

That is very good.

[GrannyE in reply to SpiritoftheFloyd]

That is good. Will ask them for a quote next time I think of going anywhere.

[not2worry]

I think as the Holiday Season approaches all airports are increasing their security or James Bond got an ICD and and Miss Penny Money or Pussy Galore is looking for him.

Merry Christmas!

[FeetheBookworm]

I’ve had an ICD for a couple of yrs and always get patted down by a female security member of staff. They’ve never searched my hand luggage. My husband goes first so he can grab my hand luggage as he’s through quicker than me!

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to FeetheBookworm]

Yes that's the bit that concerns me. I'm travelling solo and my hand luggage - cash, wallet, passport, phone - everything is sitting there on it's lonesome for ages while I'm held up!

I did read about a case a few years ago where a bloke was going light through, Luton I think it was, and randomly picked up someone's hand luggage rifled through it in the nearest toilet, took anything of value and dumped the luggage - bit worrying!

[FeetheBookworm]

We saw someone running off with someone’s laptop - at either LGW or LHR. The owner was yelling but couldn’t get through fast enough to catch him. No one - let alone a security guard tried to stop the thief. Trouble is they hustle you through so fast to get your hand luggage on the conveyor belt by the time someone’s patted you down a bag could easily be pinched. Also so many people travel with iPads, kindles and phones as well as laptops - makes you easy pickings. One of the Americans we travelled with to our hotel in St Lucia in September had had his money (notes) stolen from his wallet at the security area. Had a load of cash and all his cards in.

[SpiritoftheFloyd in reply to FeetheBookworm]

I knew someone who worked for Virgin in LHR some years ago, and he said this happened quite often, but the airports refuse to admit it happens. If they did we'd all be asking what are they going t do about it, if according to the airports the problem doesn't exist then there's nothing to address!