Ridiculous security procedures travelling to Australia

[danmancs]

G'day...

I know this has been the case for a fair while now, but I hadn't flown in quite a while, due to a change in jobs, until I had a trip to China over the weekend just gone. I flew back to Brisbane on Tuesday night from HKG, and couldn't help but be a little miffed at the absurdity and paranoia that is the boarding procedure for flights to Australia. They had pretty much closed off one arm of the terminal (the gate 60-71 end) and dedicated it to Australian flights. There were bag searches and passport checks, and no-one else was allowed into the area. Not to mention that I wasn't allowed to purchase any duty free for the flight either, so forced to pay Brisbane duty free prices.

What's going on? Why the paranoia from the Australian government? There wasn't the same arrangement for flights to the US or Europe, just the standard boarding gate, so why are we special?

Dan.

 

[Timtammi]

The Australian Govt in its infinite wisdom has decided that certain airports don't have enough security around their airside areas and that therefore duty free liquids bought airside could be tampered with or something like that. What I really think is that they just don't want you to buy duty free elsewhere and prefer you to spend your money on DF on arrival. I think SIN is still ok, but HKG has been that way now for several years and I'm pretty sure BKK is the same now.

Cheers

Timmi

 

[dajop]

I think SIN is still ok

SIN has gate based security. DF liquids need to purchased at least 1 hr in advance of departure and will be delivered to gate for collection during boarding.

 

[juddles]

G'day...

.... There were bag searches and passport checks, and no-one else was allowed into the area. ....

Oh my God! The horror!

The Australian Govt in its infinite wisdom .... What I really think is that they just don't want you to buy duty free elsewhere and prefer you to spend your money on DF on arrival. ....

I really suspect the ¨AustralianGovt¨ doesnt give a flying sh_t where you spend your dollars.

 

[Austman]

. What I really think is that they just don't want you to buy duty free elsewhere and prefer you to spend your money on DF on arrival.

Sorry but this wrong. The rule is that DF must be delivered to the gate. Some airports/airlines won't do this. There are some countries exempted from the rule such as USA and NZ.

 

[Timtammi]

Ok I stand corrected. But whose "rule" is it that DF has to delivered to the gate? And if its the Australian Govts why are they stricter about this than the LOTFAP who clearly don't have this rule? I still maintain its financially motivated.

 

[juddles]

.... I still maintain its financially motivated.....

Are you serious?

 

[MelUser]

This also annoys me about HK.

If I knew the transport minister personally I would tell him. I don't think they realise the difficulty this causes when travelling with infants and children.

CX for example will not even sell you a bottle of water.

I suspect that the government does not care how Australians travelling overseas feel.

 

[Timtammi]

Actually yes, I'm serious. Seems I'm not alone in that thought either..


http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/new-duty-free-liquid-allowance-12565-2.html

 

[juddles]

Clearly you are serious, but I would love to hear the logic behind that reasoning. How does it work? Is there some secret government council that plots to increase local revenue, and then they give direction to the authorities that produce security protocols? How does this financial motivation get implemented, and where does it come from? Sorry, but I just feel disdain for comments that ¨The Government¨ did this, ¨The Government¨ wants that, etc. That ¨Government¨is made up of individual people and positions. It is not some mythical entity that tries to randomly bend over the people. So if you truly beliieve that it is a wicked ¨Government¨ plot, please explain how this actually works.

 

[Austman]

This also annoys me about HK.

If I knew the transport minister personally I would tell him. I don't think they realise the difficulty this causes when travelling with infants and children.

CX for example will not even sell you a bottle of water.

I suspect that the government does not care how Australians travelling overseas feel.

Blame HK not Australia.

HK: Airport Security - Hong Kong International Airport

Australia: Liquid, aerosol and gel exemptions (sterilised water allowed)

 

[munitalP]

Clearly you are serious, but I would love to hear the logic behind that reasoning. How does it work? Is there some secret government council that plots to increase local revenue, and then they give direction to the authorities that produce security protocols? How does this financial motivation get implemented, and where does it come from? Sorry, but I just feel disdain for comments that ¨The Government¨ did this, ¨The Government¨ wants that, etc. That ¨Government¨is made up of individual people and positions. It is not some mythical entity that tries to randomly bend over the people. So if you truly beliieve that it is a wicked ¨Government¨ plot, please explain how this actually works.

No it's quite simple. Representing the Au duty free companies will be lobbyists who sell spin to the government to allow this wrought to happen. The government is corrupt and if you don't believe me, google Craig Thompson. ...

 

[juddles]

....google Craig Thompson. ...

The labor guy born in New Zealand?? ROFL

 

[browski]

Clearly you are serious, but I would love to hear the logic behind that reasoning. How does it work? Is there some secret government council that plots to increase local revenue, and then they give direction to the authorities that produce security protocols? How does this financial motivation get implemented, and where does it come from? Sorry, but I just feel disdain for comments that ¨The Government¨ did this, ¨The Government¨ wants that, etc. That ¨Government¨is made up of individual people and positions. It is not some mythical entity that tries to randomly bend over the people. So if you truly beliieve that it is a wicked ¨Government¨ plot, please explain how this actually works.

Juddles, this is how it works:
Have you never heard the phrase, "Never let a crisis go to waste"
Rahm Emanuel on the Opportunities of Crisis - YouTube

The Govt is in the business of making money. The govt could justify anything using the phrase "security" and the sheeple quickly submit.

 

[juddles]

Juddles, this is how it works:
Have you never heard the phrase, "Never let a crisis go to waste"
Rahm Emanuel on the Opportunities of Crisis - YouTube

The Govt is in the business of making money. The govt could justify anything using the phrase "security" and the sheeple quickly submit.

Please explain this concept of ¨The Govt¨ as an entity. I worked for the Australian government for years. And we worked hard in our specific role. The concept in this thread is that somehow security procedures in a foreign airport are based on a financial desire by ¨the government¨ to make pax spend their money at duty free stores upon arrival. Again, I ask, please explain how this works. I bet those that believe in such a conspiracy cannot even name the government bodies that could conceivably be involved.

 

[browski]

Please explain this concept of ¨The Govt¨ as an entity. I worked for the Australian government for years. And we worked hard in our specific role. The concept in this thread is that somehow security procedures in a foreign airport are based on a financial desire by ¨the government¨ to make pax spend their money at duty free stores upon arrival. Again, I ask, please explain how this works. I bet those that believe in such a conspiracy cannot even name the government bodies that could conceivably be involved.

In the case above, The ATO springs to minds.
It is not a conspiracy, it is just standard business. Happens everywhere, Jeez try to make a uninterupted Skype call from Dubai or Beijing, lots of Govt revenue lost there.

 

[juddles]

...The ATO springs to minds....try to make a uninterupted Skype call from Dubai or Beijing, .....

The ATO springs to mind?? Who in the ATO is driving the security procedures of foreign airports to ensure that a couple of half-bit Australian duty-free stores sell a few extra bottles of DUTY FREE alcohol. ? Skype calls?? WTF?? As usual, mountains will be constructed and moved to justify this conspiracy theory.

 

[coyote25]

Juddles, this is how it works:
Have you never heard the phrase, "Never let a crisis go to waste"
Rahm Emanuel on the Opportunities of Crisis - YouTube

The Govt is in the business of making money. The govt could justify anything using the phrase "security" and the sheeple quickly submit.

The government isn't a profit centre the money is returned in community programs and benefits. In fact right now the ALP is over spending.

In the case of GST revenue that all goes to the states and I don't think the Feds really worrying about the States much.

Now the security reasons need to be looked at. Conspiracy would be with private business and lobbyists maximizing their profits.

 

[The Rok]

The Australian Govt

Australia is Governed? I thought we just had a peanut gallery!

 

[Austman]

The old conspiracy theory, yet again. Someone call the media because they seem to have missed it (for years and years now). It complete rubbish, that's why.

Australian security is perhaps a bit much but it's not a conspiracy.

Try taking your DF as carry-on on the domestic leg of your LOTF flight.

Try taking your DF as carry-on on a connecting flight within the EU (unless it's from selected airports).

Similar conspiracys must exist there.

If there is any conspiracy (I mean any question), it's why there is not DF competition at Australian airports.