The one carryon/no personal item luggage rule that has plagued travelers transiting through the United Kingdom may be on the way out, according to The Times of London:
British Airways’ chief executive Willie Walsh believes the one-bag restriction on hand luggage is to be lifted within weeks.
In a speech yesterday morning to BritishAmerican Business Inc, an organisation that encourages trade across the Atlantic, Walsh said that the current limits on baggage are ineffective. “To be effective, security has to be credible. The truth is that the UK’s current one-bag rule is not credible. If it were felt to be a worthwhile security measure, it would be in force here in the US – and in the rest of Europe. It is not.”
“We recognise how irritating it is for people flying from the US, having carried on two items of security-cleared luggage at their home airport, to be told at Heathrow that they must check one item into the hold if they want to catch a connecting flight.”
Wow, a rare outbreak of common sense and reason! This is the biggest news for the carry-on/one-bag traveler since the liquid ban. My fear was that the “no personal item” rule would spread to other countries. Thankfully, this won’t be the case - for now.