East Midlands airport

[newbiee]

I've never travelled through this airport before ... can anybody tell me if the one hand luggage only rule is enforced here?

Thanks

[Hoddy]

It was last time I came through which was in June. I saved a place in the queue for a woman who was desperately trying to get everything into one bag, having been told by a man in uniforum who walked down the queue checking, that her bags were unacceptable. I don't know what happened in the end. She hadn't managed it before I got to the bit where you can no longer join from the side.

Hoddy

[Clarkkent]

I've carried a bulky cabin bag containing a laptop and a seperate camera bag containing my SLR through EMA with no problem. I had to take the laptop out of the bag.

[Stefan]

Official reply here -  it would appear one bag is the rule though the page appears to be dated 2007 so things may have changed.

http://www.east-midlands-airport-guide.co.uk/security.html

[Gail Smith]

I flew through EMA in May and took my handbag out of my small handluggage case to go through security.  I was getting my passport out of the handbag and then intended to put it back in the case.  The bloke at the security conveyor told me that as I had 2 pieces of handluggage I had to go back and check in!  I told him that I had just got the handbag out to get my passport but he wouldnt listen.  I slipped the handbag back into the case within about 7 seconds and lo and behold one piece of hand luggage.  He let me through but uttering dire warnings about the power he had to stop me flying etc, etc...... I cant tell you what I was muttering about him under my breath. 

In the muddle of people leaving the security area near me were two women who each had a case and their handbags.  They were commenting to each other 'You see there was no need to worry about the one piece of hand luggage rule, they never bothered at all about us having 2'.

I flew again in August through EMA and didnt bother taking a handbag this time.  There were people who had 2 bits of luggage and others who were madly trying to convert 2 into 1.

At the end of the day it is the luck of the draw on who is manning the entry to the security area.

Gail

[Jo]

I fly frequently through East Midlands and have had the same experience as Gail on many occaisions, now I don't bother with a handbag at all, just use the side pocket of my cabin bag. If they do stop you to enforce it, which is the rule rather than the exception, there's no way they will let you on if you can't get it all in one bag.