canadiancow

Huh? Why would you even bring your passport for SEA-EWR?

Nitehawk

If had the TSA ask for my passport and give my drivers license back at the security checkpoint (just recently too) flying domestically in the US.

canadiancow

I've only had that when I was in SFO international, and my DL was more easily accessible than anything else.

But a passport is not required to fly SEA-EWR, so I'm curious what they'd do when you say "I don't have it. It's a domestic flight."

Nitehawk

It was probably because I was in the southern US where they'd never heard of British Columbia.

Sopwith

It has been at least a decade since I abandoned any expectation of logic or common sense from CATSA, CBSA, TSA or CBP.

Example (1): your boarding pass will be checked at least twice and up to four times in less than five minutes while going through security. Do they really believe that something on it changed in the last 4 yards/5 seconds? Or that I'm not the same person I was 4 yards/5 seconds ago?

Example (2): why am I allowed to bring 99 ml of toothpaste in a 100 ml tube, but if it have 10 ml of toothpaste in a 130 ml tube I am deemed a threat to aviation safety?

SensFan

TSA in SEA sucks. I've had them refuse my Nexus card saying that I needed a passport for a domestic flight.

montrealer

+1 on the risk management/airline responsibility.

In addition, while it feels like you've "entered the US" once you clear preclearance, you haven't quite really. You're not on US soil. In particular, preclearance of people on a flight is (always? sometimes?) limited to the scheduled destination*, which creates havoc if the flight has a diversion. And US immigration can change its mind -- I did have one flight a couple of years ago where the pilot came on after we landed in IAD and said that in spite of us all going through preclearance, the US authorities had decided during our flight that we needed to all pass through immigration. And there was INS at the plane gate also checking our passports as we deplaned (and then we needed to queue at the normal entry point). No explanations given why.

* I've always wondered about that. Why is diverting a plane of folks to a different US airport a problem, but an individual who has passed through preclearance can go and change themselves to a different flight and/or destination with no problem?

lcohen999

Same people who take off their shoes at security for a domestic flight, I imagine

Stranger

That's not really how it works. More likely, they would think BC is some obscure US state.

ffsim

You're both right... you definitely don't need a passport when flying SEA-EWR until you try to produce a foreign DL.

Me @ TSA dude: "but this is a domestic flight, just use my DL to verify my identity"
TSA dude: "you're a foreigner and should have a passport, let me see it."

No idea what would've happened had I driven across with an enhanced DL

canadiancow

I remember giving my passport to TSA in Puerto Rico for a domestic flight (although I can't recall if they asked for it), but the guy spent a few minutes looking at my stamps and US visas before letting me through.

Anyway, I guess this just goes to show I should keep carrying my passport

tlvancouver

I appreciate when people with metal in their shoes do this instead of holding up the line while security scans their feet.

ffsim

You've gone through enough US airports to know that the TSA pretty much makes up rules along the way. Despite their rules on identification documents clearly stating that Canadian provincial driver's licenses are acceptable, they've always asked to see my passport.

In any case, and going back to the OP, it's incredible that a country that established an organization so intent on positively identifying passengers at the security checkpoint doesn't care about the identity of the passenger actually boarding the aircraft.

Wpgjetse

You should not rolleyes. Tube size plays a big roll in Aviation Security.

laidback71

I agree. If you are going to check ID, the boarding point would be the most logical spot. All other checks do not ensure the passenger and the name on the boarding pass match when boarding.