Originally Posted by
mpiotrow
- Was the security that I went through (twice, because I had to go through it again after coming back from the lounge) just additional security for traveling back to the US (GUM)?
- What was the passport check that they did? Was that again just part of the check to get back to the US? Or was that somehow logging me into the system so that they would have a record of me coming into the country at that time?
- What was to stop me from just leaving the airport at that time after leaving the lounge rather than just going to my gate? I had not gone through any sort of official customs/immigration check, so I'm just confused by this stage. I had no interest in leaving the airport and abandoning my return flight, but what's to stop someone else from booking the same flights I did, going through the process I did, and then just heading out into the city?
1. Yes, the GUM flights at MNL have extra security set up at the gate, which is quite intrusive.
2. Probably to check you in manually? Assuming you weren't checked in previously. Or just to verify your travel documents as you were on an Int'l flight and they needed to make sure you had the right to travel to the USA
3. At airports that have both entry and exit immigration, you simply cannot do this easily. Once you're in the departure area, it's very very difficult to just walk out, unlike the USA, where Int'l departures are mixed with domestic. You technically could exit the airport, but you'd have to find someone to escort you to the arrivals level and then go through immigration like any other passenger.