Zaynab

Mods, feel free to move to "least substantive subject to complain about" ...

Last week in DUS, I had to go to the check in desk to get my J boarding pass, as it was not available in the app. Lady at desk asked for proof of residence. When I asked why, she said I do not live in Germany (correct, but there are two countries less than an hour from DUS, so the airport is local to people from Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, and many others connect there via AB), she stated this question is always asked (incorrect as I fly this route several times a year, first time asked), and after I handed over a document with my address on it she wanted to know how I had travelled to the airport. I said "by taxi", she then asked how long it had taken, "10 minutes" I said, that puzzled her and I explained I had spent the night at a nearby hotel.
She then required proof of my stay in the hotel ...

By that time I almost did a DYKWIA (apologies, I was tired ...) but showed the hotel business card which she brought to a supervisor with my ID and proof of home address for evaluation.

I was relieved to find out the questioning was over, "proof" accepted, received my boarding pass. After a quick breakfast in the lounge, I went to the gate and was picked for secondary screening ... carry on luggage unpacked and a visit to the body scanner ...

So much for EXP, Known Traveller ID, TSA PreCheck eligibility ... Shouldn't these (plus my travel history: monthly TATL trips) give me trusted traveller status with AA; or is that a DYKWIA assumption; or does the check in agent in DUS not have access to this information (including home address, which must be correct as that is where I received my EXP card)? IIRC the DUS BP says "oneworld emerald", not EXP (but I may be wrong).

Bad luck; truly random secondary screening; wrong profile; heightened security?

Small leak in the security protocol: GA apparently noticed on my boarding pass that I was selected for random screening and wanted to send me to secondary screening again. When I said, "they have done that already", he said "okay" without checking with them and let me through

seawolf

EXP, Known Traveller ID, TSA PreCheck does not get you out of secondary screening.

FriendlySkies

Was this an AAgent (contracted or real), or the "security" agents who hang around the check-in area of most EU airports, interrogating US-bound pax on US airlines before allowing them to check-in?

Time traveller

I thought these were routine questions asked by "security personnel" at international airports when you are boarding a flight bound for the US. I experience it routinely, so I just get used to it. It doesn't matter if I am AA EXP, Known Traveller, etc. It's always the same line of questions. Some ask for the name of the hotel and how I got to the airport and since I openly share it. I think they are trained to look for signs of hesitation in answering the question to see if you may be hiding something.

Interestingly when flying on UA on TATL flights, I don't get asked these questions, only on AA.

skunker

Had this on two recent MRs to BCN on US metal. It is much more involved than anything you get at a US airport.

nrr

I fly AA from Zurich to JFK often. 10 or 15 Pax are randomly selected (per DHS) and get SSSS on their bps--extra screening at the gate. I got SSSS about 6 months ago; I'm GE, TSA-PRECHECK. Everyone is asked "the four questions": (1)who packed your luggage, (2)do you have electrical devices, (3)did anyone give you something to bring on board, (4)where has your luggage been since you left for the airport?
Once (this was IMHO, the most "delving" quest. I've been asked): "I see you are EXP, can I see your card?"--far less bothersome than what OP got leaving DUS.

JonNYC

Exactly.

Answered your own question.

QueenOfCoach

I've flown out of Düsseldorf many times and am pretty much used to these kinds of questions. The questions vary. I just answer truthfully, then am on my way.

SFO voyageur

Same thing has happened to me flying home from Istanbul on an award ticket with Delta. Best just to go along with the program.....

AATrout

My batting average with the full-scope departure screen at FRA went from maybe 10% to over 50% in the last year and I was in J for all those departures.

Part of the deal - I guess it’s payback for sailing through for many years in Y and sometimes J. Never added more than 8-10 minutes, so now i just roll out of the JAL lounge a little earlier, that’s all. No sweat.

I’ve recently had more random full screens at LHR Fast Track also. But the clubs and gates are after that experience unlike FRA, so easier to plan the club exit time.

phil_flyer

Just as an aside, lack of DUS – JFK options my number one reason why I might defect from AA.

The AB flight just doesn't cut it.

SanDiegoDallas

Same experience in BRU when they still had that flight...

Note the SSSS on your boarding pass and thank the AAgent. In DUS, they are contracted, not AA personnel.

carlosdca

A couple of things to clarify...

Do you fly AB or AA???
The questioning you experienced is TYPICAL for American Airlines flights at international airports. USUALLY, the agent that does the questioning is different from the TA that hands out your boarding pass.
In any case, even if you had had your AA Boarding Pass, you still would have needed to go through that security questioning; after which the questioning agent puts a sticker on your passport that the gate agents look at before letting you board the plane.
The depth and intrusiveness of the security questioning varies by airport/agent. But there are tons of horror stories in FT about the security questioning at LHR for example.

Anyway, I assume you fly this route most of the times on AB. AB is subject to different procedures and there is no security questioning. Otherwise I don't see how the questioning took you by surprise.

Now to the question of why American Airlines does this questioning and why Air Berlin, British Airways, etc don't do it on flights to US and how does the questioning helps or not to the security and safety of the PAX has been discussed ad-nausea here on flyertalk. It seems most agree that it is unnecessary but most also contend that it is what it is and one just has to answer the damn questions and move on...

Known Traveler ID and TSA precheck are good ONLY in the United States and mean nothing in other countries. TSA, the Transportation Security Administration, is an entity of the government of the UNITED STATES, it is not an international organization and so far, there are no agreements that I know of with equivalent entities in other countries.

So yes, so much for KT ID and TSA, because they mean "nill" in Germany, as of now.

sba110

Yes, but it is important to note that in this case, this does have nothing to do with international agreements or the lack thereof. I don't know if US airlines choose to have those useless questions asked or if the TSA requires it of them, but it's only US airlines on flights to the US that participate in this procedure. No airline that is not a US airline does it.

Sadly, another reason not to fly AA/UA to the US.

Markie

I had a similar experience at CDG last week.

- Can you tell me what reason you are going to San Francisco, business or pleasure. - pleasure
- Can you tell me where you normally live? - London
- How did you get to Paris? - British Airways yesterday
- Do you have you boarding pass from that flight? much scrabbling to find boarding pass - Yes, here it is. (She retains it).
- Where did you stay last night? - At the Hyatt at the Airport here
- Why did you stay there? Do you have the receipt? more scrabbling - So I would not be late for the flight, and here is the receipt. she retains the receipt.
- Where are you going after you come back from San Francisco? - back to London, where I live
-Do you have your ticket? - Yes, here it is. She retains it.
- Can you tell me about anything electrical or batter operated? We ask this as, in the past, people have been given things to take on the plane which later turned out to be bombs. - I don’t have anything which has been away for repair.
- Can you tell me about anything you have been given by other people to take on board by other people? - Nothing
- I need to check all of this with my supervisor and I will be back shortly. She them walks off with all of my documents, passport, ticket, boarding pass and hotel bill. 5 minutes later she returns.
- You can read about the whole check-in experience at http://boardingarea.com/milesfrombli....ZBrr1cqj.dpuf