How to avoid "document check" at the gate when flying trans border?
 

Sometimes the gate agent will page some people for document check, but not all, I am wondering how to avoid this?

The reason is I had 2 bad experiences out of the last few times when I have to interact with AC's ground gate agents for passport checks. (I will caveat by saying both times were at US airports). The less I see an airline employee the better.

The last time (18? months ago) was at DCA when an agent insisted that my I94 showing my TN must be collected. I ended up in secondary again for an hour because of this the next time I went to the US.

This time was at SFO when I presented myself for document check, a luggage tag was promptly printed for my carry on and tagged to my boarding pass, without a word passing. When I inquired if they have the right person, they did (Id'ed by seat number). When I said it fits the regulation size (which I checked using metal grid thing within their sight range, though not sure if they were looking, as they are printing the tag) I was asked to check again. When it fit again, there is not a word of apology for the mistake, not even an acknowledgment. I was accused of attitude when I said they should've talked to me before printing the tag. And some of the people who didn't get the document check (ie didn't have to talk to agent) took aboard some bags that are patently too large.

The other funny thing is that once they checked passport, they still want to see it again at boarding 15 min later.

What I conclude from the experiences is that the less I have to interact with the people, the better off I am. (A truly sad state of affairs for a service industry. But I trust that no one here would object that NA airlines have the worst service by far?) So I am wondering what triggers this document check? And if there is anything I can do myself to lower my chances.

For the SFO flight, I checked in online about 12 hours ahead, had no checked luggage, printed own boarding pass at home, and I had nexus card number entered. I don't remember the DCA experience as much, but I believe it was the second leg of a connecting flight, where I checked in at the counter at origination airport (CMH I think).

You can't avoid the document check. You can go to the check in counter at the airport, when you get there, and have them check the documents. That will prevent you from having to get called to the gate agent. Those that are getting the document check at the gate have checked in online. Because they have not produced their documents, they are asked for them at the gate, prior to boarding call.

* Or connecting from a partner airline.


Airlines will always do a doc check before transporting you across a boarder, otherwise if you get there and don't have the correct docs to enter the country the cost is on them to return you back to the country you came from.

There are two types of document checks. One is to ensure you have the right document eg a valid passport. You can check in at a machine and once the passport is electronically read and you get your boarding pass, you do not need to see a GA or check in agent and will not be paged to the desk.
The document check while boarding is for all international flights and the purpose here seems to be cursory check - that you have a passport and it matches the name on the ticket. Does not seem to be a in depth check.
You cannot completely avoid a document check cross border.

Except the OP stated that s/he is once again has to show their passport upon boarding which defeats the purpose of the document check. This is really annoying especially when the BP Remarks show DOK.

I too have had this at US outstations where the exact same agent who checked my passport wanted to see it again 5 minutes later during boarding! Her excuse? You might have changed/altered it!

That's a fair response. Let me amend me question to how to minimize chance of having to verify documents "with an actual person"?

It's not the doc check itself I object to (well, the double take at boarding is annoying but I get that is hard to avoid) it's the fact once the agent has you at the podium, and has your passport hostage, then go do some thing unrelated and crazy. (tearing off my TN, forcing me to check carry on.)

The SFO flight called about 10 ppl to podium on a plane of maybe 100 ppl. Based on what you suggest, these are the ppl who checked in online, and have no checked bag. So the airline hasn't seen the passport. But I could swear I have gone through the border with the identical situation before, where the only check was at boarding.

If this is true, would reprinting the boarding pass at a kiosk cure this? Joining the checked baggage line just to do a doc check is not an inviting use of time...

It's annoying, yes.

Sometimes, it's just better to submit. Put on a smile, wish the agent a good day and then forget about it. If one is hanging around the gate, it's not a huge effort to show the passport.

...it won't be long before all we'll need to board an airplane is an iris scan. :)

My memory may be off but I seem to avoid the document check flying internationally by reprinting my boarding pass at the machine. Before I can reprint, it has me insert my passport. If it is the same for transborder I don't know - I don't fly it enough to notice a pattern without trying.

It is the same. But only if it works. AC IT problem with NEXUS # for some of us, thus prompting the dreaded doc check at check-in where agent has to override info. Whatever.

Based on last week's experiment of YYZ-YVR-HNL and back, GA's definitely check docs and since my ticket had NEXUS on it, that became the ID for check-in and gate check prior to boarding. The reader will handle either passports or NEXUS, and given my regular travel to the U.S., it seems the NEXUS card is now the only document I use at all stages, and it works.

I do this too, but it doesn't stop the Agents demanding to see your passport again during boarding.

I would say it still is considering a significant amount of people put away their passport in a secured fashion whether on their person or in their carry on after having it verified by the system during check in.

My passport isn't put away in a secured fashion until I am seated on the plane. Until then it's kept close at hand. For an international flight I expect my passport to at least be checked twice with the final check at the gate before going down the jet way. I can recall having my passport checked 5 times in Eastern Europe before an international flight.

I have always assumed that this is to make sure it really is you that is getting on the aircraft. Just because your docs were checked earlier doesn't prevent you from giving your boarding pass to someone else afterwards so they can fly in your stead.

FWIW at many European airports flying between European countries (both in Schengen area and across the Schengen border) I have not been asked for any ID when boarding the aircraft and have felt a bit of a fool offering up my passport only to have it ignored :o

Reprinting at kiosk will cure the first passport check for transborder flights with US or Canadian passports (not sure of other nationalities). Passport check before boarding cannot be avoided but as I said earlier that's more cursory and involves matching the name on passport to the ticket. This is based on my experience of 30 roundtrip transborder flights this year.

If you have MLL access perhaps they could do doc check there