Airline Disruption Digest

Heading out of town for the weekend? God, I hope not. Following the massive travel disruption from yesterday's new carry-on rules here and overseas, reports have been flooding in about how bad it really is. In some cases, waits haven't been too terrible. In others, travelers have been stuck overnight in places like Cleveland. (Sorry, Cleveland.)

Here's a digest of interesting reports from around the net about how bad it's been so far, and what to expect going forward.

• Headed to Britain? Expect double screening and long delays for the next three or four days.
• Heathrow Airport is a complete mess, with "hardly any room to move or sit." Still, this is expected to improve within a few days and in some UK airports it already is.
• Travelers are expected to dump any liquids into big trashcans located at security checkpoints. Some have questioned the wisdom of pouring vast quantities of "potentially explosive" materials into a large vat in the middle of a crowded airport.
• Wondering what might happen if you try to "test" security? Three guesses.
• The electronics ban could still potentially spread to the US. Stay tuned.
• Remember, just because you got through security, doesn't mean you can buy lotion and duty-free liquor inside the checkpoint. That stuff won't be allowed on the plane, and you might be frisked again at the gate.

So... will it get better, and when? Rumor has it that the original bans in both the UK and the US would expire after three days, but who knows if that's really the case. I'm still taking off my shoes at the x-ray machine and there's always a pile of Bic lighters there, too.

Got a travel story? Email me using the link on the left or post a comment below!