Security comes from clearance and security checking of the PERSON, not the belongings. I would rather see multiple checks of persons, passports or second ID for citizen/resident aliens required even for domestic flying, along with some intelligence supplied to the information systems the airlines already have.

This is doable, there is so much data out there about each and every one of us, especially if we are a longtime passenger of the airline. This kind of analysis would also provide customer differentiation to the ones who need it most, the frequent traveller.

Wouldn't a "preferred security check" be the true perk (and ONLY for status fliers, not even for first-class!) if the airline do really control it, they should provide it! (Plus it would be waay cool to sail on in!)


[This message has been edited by unixguy (edited 09-15-2001).]

Weren't the US intelligence agencies supposed to do this? And they failed.

Its impossible to check the intent of someone. Double/triple/quadruple ids, affidavidts etc will not prevent this. One or two long haul flights could get one status.

[This message has been edited by PG (edited 09-12-2001).]

The new awareness of any laxity in the nes security measures by both the airline staff and passangers is leading to better security. Take the F/A's in Phoenix for example, they weren't checked sufficiently, and they bought it to security's attention, AND something was done about it. Many eyeballs keeping watch can only be better (false positives aside), Open-source airport security?

unixguy,
du to our past expereiences in France, I do not agree totaly.
You can have lugages that stay witout anybody aournd them, and these are protentials bombs.

Every body needs to be concerned about that; In these case, you could have peoople from inside (FA,...) helping for putting these things inside airports.

BTW, the new procedures seem to be more strict, but I took a transatlantic fligh yesterday, following a national US flight, and was suprised not to be requested more often to show my pass.

Unixguy--

I am not so sure this would be prudent. Yes the airlines have some information on pax from their flight patterns, etc. However, this does not really tell the airline what your intentions are. My understanding is that those responsible for 9/11 were quite well financed. I could imagine some of them may have flown quite often to keep in personal contact with other sympathizers to their cause.

It would be interesting to know if the hijackers had FF acct numbers. I would imagine that unless there were less security for elite passengers, they would have preferred the least amount of tracking.

Yes, at least two of them did have FF accounts opened only a few days before they used them to purcase their one way tickets on line.

See:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/15/national/15HIJA.html