Originally Posted by
abfab
If an airline can satisfy itself as to your identity, and that you will not be turned away by immigration at your destination, then they will sometimes let you on the plane without your passport after doing some checks with the destination immigration.
This is most likely to occur when someone is flying back to their own country after losing their passport abroad, as immigation can't automatically refuse you entry simply because you don't have your passport.
This happened to me in 2003. Sunday Morning (local) in MUC about an hour before my flight an LH agent started making phone calls to washington. Somehow in the middle of saturday night, he got permission. he personally escorted me through security and got my 29" rollerboard gate checked about 5 minutes before closing the door. Going through US Immigration took a whole 2 minutes using my drivers license since I knew I had to go to the special line.
I never go the LH agents name but to this day I owe the guy an ENORMOUS thank you. I feel bad for not writing ASAP. If anyone knows his name, he had shoulder length brown curley hair. I'm guessing around 5' 11" (180cm). He was the ONLY LH agent who wasn't mean and the guy was phenomenal.