AKL secondary screening
Oct 12, 2019, 9:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,118
AKL secondary screening
I flew out to SFO on Friday night and secondary screening wasn't in place. A fairly well connected source says this has now ended. Anybody heard anything about this?
The whole thing has been very secretive from the start so I wouldn't expect anything official to be announced.
The whole thing has been very secretive from the start so I wouldn't expect anything official to be announced.
Oct 12, 2019, 12:18 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: AKL
Programs: NZ*E, QR Plat
Posts: 366
I think the OP is talking about the screening that used to take place for flights departing for the USA - this is now no longer occurring. Glad but unsure why/what changed.
Oct 12, 2019, 12:39 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,118
I was just told it stopped earlier in the week but my source couldn't say any more. As I mentioned earlier was always of the understanding the US was requiring this as part of some sort of deal so it is interesting that it would just suddenly stop.
Oct 12, 2019, 12:43 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ Elite, QF Platinum (LTS), VA Platinum
Posts: 1,672
Normal check-in process as for any destination.
At departure gates passengers may be randomly selected for further questioning. I didn’t count how many agents were questioning but saw at least 2. So there is still screening but it’s no longer mandatory and now occurs at departure gates.
Oct 12, 2019, 5:41 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 27
same change in europe, starting about one year ago, "random" selection of persons to be interviewed (agents with a list)
Oct 12, 2019, 8:18 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,645
Great to see them go.
Also they get really confused when you go off their expected script.
E.g.
Them: Where are you going
Me: LA then straight to Vegas
Them: Have you been there before
Me: Yes
Them: So you enjoy Vegas?
Me: No I hate the place
Them: Confused looked, pause, then "Why are you going?"
Me: Its a good conference in a crap place
Also they get really confused when you go off their expected script.
E.g.
Them: Where are you going
Me: LA then straight to Vegas
Them: Have you been there before
Me: Yes
Them: So you enjoy Vegas?
Me: No I hate the place
Them: Confused looked, pause, then "Why are you going?"
Me: Its a good conference in a crap place
Oct 12, 2019, 8:29 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,118
Great to see them go.
Also they get really confused when you go off their expected script.
E.g.
Them: Where are you going
Me: LA then straight to Vegas
Them: Have you been there before
Me: Yes
Them: So you enjoy Vegas?
Me: No I hate the place
Them: Confused looked, pause, then "Why are you going?"
Me: Its a good conference in a crap place
Also they get really confused when you go off their expected script.
E.g.
Them: Where are you going
Me: LA then straight to Vegas
Them: Have you been there before
Me: Yes
Them: So you enjoy Vegas?
Me: No I hate the place
Them: Confused looked, pause, then "Why are you going?"
Me: Its a good conference in a crap place
I also struggled with the "has anybody had access to your bags" question. Yes lots of people could have accessed my bag since I dropped it off at WLG..
Oct 15, 2019, 10:16 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NZ
Programs: NZ Gold, BA Gold, QF Silver, IHG Platinum Elite Ambassador, Accor Diamond
Posts: 1,048
Oct 16, 2019, 4:12 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ Elite Partner/Silver (in own right), PR Classic, QF Bronze, UA Member, VA Red
Posts: 1,551
LOL. I had exactly the same duscussion last year. Glad they weren't there on Friday or I would have had the exact same discussion again!
I also struggled with the "has anybody had access to your bags" question. Yes lots of people could have accessed my bag since I dropped it off at WLG..
I also struggled with the "has anybody had access to your bags" question. Yes lots of people could have accessed my bag since I dropped it off at WLG..
only recent time to US - I got SSSS (extra check/swab at Auckland, extra check/swab/xray and disappeared with my passport for 15 minutes at first US domestic flight)
Oct 17, 2019, 11:34 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Auckland NZ
Programs: NZ Gold Elite, AS, AC, QF
Posts: 748
As annoying as this could sometimes be, I've seen worse. The LH FRA YVR flight has a gauntlet of security--to preclude asylum seekers or overstayers rather than violent extremists--and has for many years. Being white and travelling on a Canadian passport is somewhat mitigated by my swarthy, bearish look. But it makes the whole boarding experience feel like a bus station.
Oct 18, 2019, 3:52 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: NZ Elite
Posts: 196
Yesterday there were 2 agents checking passports and BPs before entering the gate area where the US flights where scheduled to depart from. The line moved pretty quick and no questions were asked.
They were sending people randomly to a separate area for additional security screening though.
They were sending people randomly to a separate area for additional security screening though.