Originally Posted by
Boraxo
Last month I flew SFO-AMS with an expired 2nd passport. Yes, this is 100% my fault, but also a failure by UA gate agents to ensure I boarded with a valid passport.
At first, this surprised me. I would have expected that the UA computer would be programmed to catch an expired passport when it was scanned at check-in. Then, I realized the error in my logic: when I travel internationally on UA, they don't scan my passport at the airport, as I already have it in my profile. The visual checking at the gate is to make sure that the passport matches the ticket, and that my face matches the passport. I'd be surprised if they ever check the expiration date at this point, although they have an obligation to the destination country (but not the passenger) to ensure that the traveler has a valid document. This must be a very rare situation, or they'd have better controls to guard against it.