Cross yr legs and take a ticket to be served.

BA defends rights to queue for the loo at 20,000ft
By Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent



FLYING across the Atlantic is already stressful enough in the current security climate without having to spend eight hours with your legs crossed.



However, that is what the flying public could face after the United States ordered airlines entering its airspace to ban passengers from queueing for the lavatories.

The directive from the Transport Security Administration (TSA) requires the crew to make announcements every two hours telling passengers that they must not "congregate outside the toilets" or any other location. British Airways, which yesterday was forced to delay Flight 223 to Washington for the fifth consecutive day while the US carried out security checks, dismissed the directive as unworkable.

A BA insider said: "Queueing is a great British tradition. How on earth are we supposed to organise trips to the loo? "Should we make people put their hands up or have a ticket system like at the deli counter at Tesco's? It would be unworkable to stop passengers forming queues outside toilets. There's big demand for the loo after meals have been cleared away."

BA is attempting to avoid a confrontation with the US authorities and its only official comment on the directive was: "We are happy that our current procedures adequately cover the requirements."

But in reality, the airline has no intention of ordering passengers back to their seats. BA has been unable to obtain an explanation from the TSA of the security benefit of the directive, which was issued on Christmas Eve.

The only lavatories located near the cockpit on transatlantic flights are reserved for first-class passengers, who do not have to queue because there are so few of them.

Simon Evans, chief executive of the Air Transport Users Council, said: "This directive is just absurd. It is a security measure too far, which would only make passengers feel more uncomfortable.

"People in aisle seats might spot an empty loo but, by the time they climb over the people sitting next to them, a queue could have formed."

The directive applies to all airlines which enter US airspace.

Qantas plans to respond by making pre-flight announcements and instructing cabin crew to monitor passengers during the flight. Warren Bennett, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia, said: "It gives the impression paranoia is taking over and is going to place enormous stress on flight crew to be toilet police."

The British Department for Transport refused to comment on the directive and the TSA failed to return calls.