Security Lockdown

Whenever possible I like to fly direct - it is one less opportunity for the airline to misdirect your luggage, and on a direct flight you are not at risk of screwy things happening at an intervening airport.

Last trip I flew Ottawa-Toronto-Heathrow due to unavailability of seats on the direct YOW-LHR flight. The 320 we flew to YYZ had a problem with a sensor relating to the ground spoilers, and after some failed attempts to reset the gizmo, the flight deck got on the phone with maintenance to confirm (45 minutes later) that this was not a Minimum Equipment List items. Fortunately we had enough fuel to fly to Toronto without going back to the gate to tank up, so we could arrive 15 minutes after my connecting flight to LHR had left. AC put me on the next flight, I got to fly in the triple-7, and my suitcase arrived about 6 hours after I did.

On the current trip I flew Ottawa-Montreal-Heathrow, so my flight would depart at 20:30 instead of 18:00 (more time with family on the Saturday). When we arrived at Montreal the International departures area was in a lockdown.

We never get the full story on this at the time, of course, and Transport Canada isn't going to share their Standard Operating Procedures, but the airline was quick to point out that they were not the cause of all the delayed flights, and stated that there was a problem with the security checkpoints.

Apparently some Einstein took a knife through security into the international departures area. TC responded by removing all passengers from all aircraft, and all passengers from the area, and searched the area and all the aircraft. Total delay was 3 hours, though my flight was delayed "only" 1:40. Nothing to do except walk up and down the hallways, enjoy some kiwi gelato, and wait for the system to sort itself out.

At least my suitcase arrived at Heathrow at the same time I did.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/national/070818/n081863A.html