tkc98110

Below I relate an experience a friend of mine had, flying on IcelandAir, BGO-KEF-SEA. She asked me if with all the flying I do, I had ever experienced anything like this, and I sure haven't! Has anyone else experienced this, and does anyone know if there's a legitimate reason for such seemingly strange treatment?

"I came back thru Reykjavik, where I was selected for special screening at security. The weird thing was, after the screening I was taken to a separate room and not allowed to go back into the departure lounge until my flight was boarding. I sat in this (comfortable) room for an hour with maybe 30 other States-bound passengers (waiting for different flights), until the Seattle flight was boarding. Then about 10 of us were escorted from the room to the front of the boarding line. I asked the Iceland security people why I was being held after passing the security search, and they said something about other flights going to the States/Canada that currently had passengers in the departure area. This didn't make any sense; how was I different from the other passengers? If anything, I was less of a risk. Then I was told that I was identified on their list for this extra screening by TSA. I had wanted to shop for a book in the airport, so was a bit unhappy with the restriction, but the more I thought about it, the more concerning it became. I don't know what sort of rights you have as a passenger, and I guess the ultimate incentive for going along with such a detention is that you want to get on your flight. Still, being detained with no explanation has the feel of a police state, and I wonder if this happens in US airports, or if it's even legal here. Have you ever been detained like this, either at home or abroad?"