Security updates

August 2008 update.
The latest security bulletin concerns the loosening of guidelines which were concerned with the number of bags allowed as hand luggage. The department of transport has relaxed it's guidelines however some airports may still operate under their own policies. This is a list of the UK airports that have adopted the DoT ruling to drop the one bag restriction:

Aberdeen, Belfast International, Benbecula, Biggin Hill, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Blackpool, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, City of Derry, Coventry, Dundee, Durham Tees Valley, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Farnborough, Filton, Gatwick, George Best Belfast City airport, Glasgow, Gloucestershire, Guernsey, Hawarden airport, Heathrow, Humberside, Inverness, Islay, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kent International, Kirkwall, Leeds Bradford, London City, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay Corwall , Norwich, Plymouth, Prestwick, Robin Hood, Southampton, Southend, Stansted, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree, Warton , Wick.

Airport Security

Security updates – with the stepping-up of airport security and changes to threat levels, travellers may not be entirely sure what security measures are now operating. For up-to-date information, the UK Department of Transport has a resource here…
In brief, the one bag hand-luggage restriction was lifted at many airports in January 2008. Since the revelation of a plot to use innocent looking liquids to create an explosion, there are still some recommendations in place namely:

1. Where possible, put all liquid items in your hold baggage. This includes water and other drinks, creams, sprays, pastes and gels.
2. Liquids, gels and aerosols are only allowed in individual containers of 100ml. All containers must fit comfortably in one, transparent, bag no larger than 20cm x 20cm.

Contact your airline for up to date information relevant to your travel plans.
Some interesting side-issues here are that if you take baby food onto a plane, you may be asked to taste it before you are allowed to take it with you (that's enough to put me off flying, or at least my in-flight meal!), similarly if you take nappy (daiper) cream with you, you can be asked to apply it to your own skin.
You can check alcohol into the hold baggage and any duty free you buy in the departure lounge can be taken with you on board. But do remember that the liquids restrictions apply at all EU airports and a growing number of other airports across the world, so you might need to pack duty free in the hold baggage for your return journey.
Happy traveling