When I work the gate here in YYJ there is almost always one or two people that think they are on the 14:00 flight when they are actually on the 15:00 (for example). As we don't have scanners here, I just make sure I double check it is the correct flight number and do a double check that the names do match. That being said, we are still human and mistakes do happen (just like you sometimes give the agent the wrong boarding card).

Anyway, is cabin crew not counting passengers before closing the doors for all flights?? If yes, they would realize there are one or two more passengers...
I can't remember if they count people for every flight.

How could it possibly be a "security breach" when you've been through screening? Are Europeans that paranoid?

...so not that big a deal.

I'd venture the opposite - in that the more one flies, the less attentive (complacent) one becomes. I find that whenever I do lots of flights in a short time frame, I tend to 'forget' to board the aircraft in time while hanging at the lounge or in the bookstore or simply catching a few winks. I've never missed a flight, but have been startled to hear my name paged after time just got away from me.

It's also very easy to board the wrong regional flight if you're not paying attention. The regional Jazz C38 gates at YVR are well-marked, but many a person has lined up to board the Castlegar plane instead of Cranbrook; Kamloops instead of Kelowna. It's even worse in SEA at the Horizon C2 gates, as often the city is not labeled at the door in the 'tunnel' to the planes - generally, the baggage guys query you as you approach ("Kelowna?").

And perhaps that's all an FA needs to do in the doorway - simply ask "Winnipeg?" if there is any possibility of confusion. It may not solve a Rapidair scenario where flights leave every hour for the same destination, but it may minimize the disruptions real and perceived.

I consider it a security breach as I can have my suitcase with whatever in it on one plane, and me sitting on another plane (yes, they are screened etc). Let's not get started on a discussion about on which side of the pond you are more paranoid...

I don't understand the logic here. If a bag has passed screening, then it shouldn't be a security threat regardless of which airplane it's on. Airlines ship luggage without their owners every day, whether by unplanned event or as deliberate payload management. In fact, most of the stuff in the hold beneath your feet on any given flight is being transported without an accompanying passenger. CRJs notwithstanding of course.

So which one travelled as an "infant on parent's lap"?

Worst was that it was a fully loaded plane.. I think there was some rock-paper-scissors to decide who flew.

Think you're in the wrong forum Niksal. Maybe you should post in one of the American carriers forums instead.

i'm surprised not all stations have the scanners....

mind you it seems like 90% of gate agents are afraid of technology and don't use them anyways - that would fix this problem pretty quickly.

what I would like to see is the ID check being done at CATSA rather than at the gate - when I pass security it should be a decompression zone where no one asks me for anything but my boarding pass (and cert! ).

Can't believe they don't scan all BPs. Scanning catches this stuff instantly.

Simple, screening is not foolproof. This additional measure of "security" relies on the assumption that bad guys won't fly on the plane that they've put bad stuff on. Clearly also not a foolproof assumption. The rule, of course, is that you cannot voluntarily separate yourself from your baggage. But the airline can separate you if circumstances require it.

Yup. The gear racks in flight cases I ship all the time are often under your feet. I'm also allowed to lock them.

A friend who is a SE did it ended up in YOW instead of YUL rather funny really. He goes WOW how can this happen.

So does he get the extra points or do they charge him for the extra flight?