The Ticket Collector

Traveling on FCC to Airports this weekend?

Advice from First Capital Connect with regards to traveling to Luton or Gatwick Airports in the next few days.

First Capital Connect is warning all customers using its services to and from Luton or Gatwick Airports, to be prepared for long delays today in light of new security measures.

Regrettably, significant delays at airports are inevitable. Customers are being asked to allow themselves plenty of extra time and to ensure that other than the few permitted items listed below, all their belongings are placed in their hold baggage and checked in.

These additional security measures will make travel more difficult for our customers, particularly at such a busy time of the year. But they are necessary and will continue to keep flights from UK airports properly secure.

With immediate effect, the following arrangements apply to all passengers starting their journey at a UK airport and to those transferring between flights at a UK airport.

All cabin baggage must be processed as hold baggage and carried in the hold of passenger aircraft departing UK airports.

Passengers may take through the airport security search point, in a single (ideally transparent) plastic carrier bag, only the following items. Nothing may be carried in pockets:

• Pocket size wallets and pocket size purses plus contents (for example money, credit cards, identity cards etc (not handbags));
• travel documents essential for the journey (for example passports and travel tickets);
• Prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight (eg diabetic kit), except in liquid form unless verified as authentic.
• Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases.
• Contact lens holders, without bottles of solution.
• For those travelling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger) and sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight (nappies, wipes, creams and nappy disposal bags).
• Female sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, if unboxed (eg tampons, pads, towels and wipes).
• Tissues (unboxed) and/or handkerchiefs
• Keys (but no electrical key fobs)

All passengers will be hand searched, and their footwear and all the items they are carrying will be x-ray screened.

Pushchairs and walking aids will be x-ray screened, and only airport-provided wheelchairs may pass through the screening point.

In addition to the above, all passengers boarding flights to the USA and all the items they are carrying, including those acquired after the central screening point, will be subjected to a secondary search at the boarding gate. Any liquids discovered must be removed from the passenger.

There are no changes to current hold baggage security measures.

If any First Capital Connect customers have any questions on their travel arrangements or security in place at airports they should contact their airline or carrier.