Flying domestic leg of international itinerary without passport: possible?
Jan 2, 2020, 9:43 am
#46
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Pay no attention to the photo suggestion. It will not work in this situation.
AA requires the passport, not a picture of the passport. The data can, of course, be entered manually if need be, but that could also be read over the phone.
The purpose of presenting the passport is so that AA is assured, before the passenger originates his travel, that he has the necessary docs. to complete it.
This instance demonstrates the difference. If, for some reason, it turns out that the passport does not exist and that OP's GF is fibbing, no carrier is particularly inconvenienced or at risk. AA will have flown her on a domestic ticket to LAX and she will simply not be permitted to board her international ticket. If, on the other hand, she is ticketed with a connection D-I at LAX and it turns out that there is no passport, AA is stuck with a passenger mid-journey at LAX. To avoid this, carriers require proper documents for each destination. In this case, there are, of course, no docs required for LAX and a passport for the international segment.
I carry my Passport as well as a high-quality copy of the ID page of my Passport in a separate location. The former is with me in case I do wind up; having to head directly overseas and the latter because it may be helpful in replacing a lost/stolen Passport and because it may also be helpful for a return to the US where, as a citizen, one cannot be denied entry.
AA requires the passport, not a picture of the passport. The data can, of course, be entered manually if need be, but that could also be read over the phone.
The purpose of presenting the passport is so that AA is assured, before the passenger originates his travel, that he has the necessary docs. to complete it.
This instance demonstrates the difference. If, for some reason, it turns out that the passport does not exist and that OP's GF is fibbing, no carrier is particularly inconvenienced or at risk. AA will have flown her on a domestic ticket to LAX and she will simply not be permitted to board her international ticket. If, on the other hand, she is ticketed with a connection D-I at LAX and it turns out that there is no passport, AA is stuck with a passenger mid-journey at LAX. To avoid this, carriers require proper documents for each destination. In this case, there are, of course, no docs required for LAX and a passport for the international segment.
I carry my Passport as well as a high-quality copy of the ID page of my Passport in a separate location. The former is with me in case I do wind up; having to head directly overseas and the latter because it may be helpful in replacing a lost/stolen Passport and because it may also be helpful for a return to the US where, as a citizen, one cannot be denied entry.
Jan 2, 2020, 9:45 am
#47
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I'm glad that everything worked out for you!
That said, I once flew AA PHX-DFW-NRT (connecting to ICN on JL). Not once was I asked to show a passport until I arrived at Narita. I used a kiosk to check-in at PHX, and just used my credit card to match to the reservation. I was really surprised that they didn't check for passports before boarding at DFW. Thankfully I had it with me, so when I got to the transfers at NRT and they asked for it, I was ok.
In my experience, it is hit/miss on if they ask for passports for the first flight of an international trip. Certainly if there are visas involved, that seems to flag something and they check then (for a visa, which is generally in the passport) at the check-in counter. For non-visa required countries, I'd guess I get asked for a passport at the initial airport about half the time.
That said, I once flew AA PHX-DFW-NRT (connecting to ICN on JL). Not once was I asked to show a passport until I arrived at Narita. I used a kiosk to check-in at PHX, and just used my credit card to match to the reservation. I was really surprised that they didn't check for passports before boarding at DFW. Thankfully I had it with me, so when I got to the transfers at NRT and they asked for it, I was ok.
In my experience, it is hit/miss on if they ask for passports for the first flight of an international trip. Certainly if there are visas involved, that seems to flag something and they check then (for a visa, which is generally in the passport) at the check-in counter. For non-visa required countries, I'd guess I get asked for a passport at the initial airport about half the time.
Jan 2, 2020, 9:49 am
#48
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I'm glad that everything worked out for you!
That said, I once flew AA PHX-DFW-NRT (connecting to ICN on JL). Not once was I asked to show a passport until I arrived at Narita. I used a kiosk to check-in at PHX, and just used my credit card to match to the reservation. I was really surprised that they didn't check for passports before boarding at DFW. Thankfully I had it with me, so when I got to the transfers at NRT and they asked for it, I was ok.
In my experience, it is hit/miss on if they ask for passports for the first flight of an international trip. Certainly if there are visas involved, that seems to flag something and they check then (for a visa, which is generally in the passport) at the check-in counter. For non-visa required countries, I'd guess I get asked for a passport at the initial airport about half the time.
That said, I once flew AA PHX-DFW-NRT (connecting to ICN on JL). Not once was I asked to show a passport until I arrived at Narita. I used a kiosk to check-in at PHX, and just used my credit card to match to the reservation. I was really surprised that they didn't check for passports before boarding at DFW. Thankfully I had it with me, so when I got to the transfers at NRT and they asked for it, I was ok.
In my experience, it is hit/miss on if they ask for passports for the first flight of an international trip. Certainly if there are visas involved, that seems to flag something and they check then (for a visa, which is generally in the passport) at the check-in counter. For non-visa required countries, I'd guess I get asked for a passport at the initial airport about half the time.
Jan 2, 2020, 9:58 am
#49
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Interestingly enough, since I am still on the original reservation, I will get an opportunity to see how AA handles the document checking.
When I did OLCI with AA, it asked me to use my NFC chip to verify my passport. Kind of relevant.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/americ...your-passport/
I suppose, if all went perfectly, that a 3rd party could have used the AA app to validate the passport for her.
When I did OLCI with AA, it asked me to use my NFC chip to verify my passport. Kind of relevant.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/americ...your-passport/
I suppose, if all went perfectly, that a 3rd party could have used the AA app to validate the passport for her.
Jan 2, 2020, 1:13 pm
#50
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I dealt with a very similar situation about 10 years ago and had a friend use AA Cargo to put passport on a specific AA routing DCA-DFW-LAX for the passport to arrive the night before my brother's flight LAX-Europe. Back then it was a straight-forward process; the friend put passport in an envelope and went to DCA airport to AA Cargo desk. She paid (around $80 if I recall) and the envelope was tagged just like a bag with bag tags that could be tracked. Upon arrival in LAX, we had to go to AA baggage service desk and show and ID to retrieve the item. From poking around it appears that maybe you need to setup an account now before sending something but I didn't spend a ton of time looking into it (https://www.aacargo.com/learn/start.html)... just a data point that it did work for me in the past.
I once had this same type of nightmare. I was supposed to fly LHR-BOS and accidentally sent my passport home with my wife, who flew home a day earlier. We had the passport sent overnight Cargo, which was the only way that I could get it overnight (FedEx etc...wouldn't guarantee it). i had to go into the cargo section of LHR,where I'm pretty sure I got fleeced for some other import fee, but was excited that I was able to get my passport and make my flight...
Jan 2, 2020, 2:22 pm
#51
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I once had this same type of nightmare. I was supposed to fly LHR-BOS and accidentally sent my passport home with my wife, who flew home a day earlier. We had the passport sent overnight Cargo, which was the only way that I could get it overnight (FedEx etc...wouldn't guarantee it). i had to go into the cargo section of LHR,where I'm pretty sure I got fleeced for some other import fee, but was excited that I was able to get my passport and make my flight...
Jan 2, 2020, 4:01 pm
#52
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It may have been an agent handling fee. I know I had to have meds sent via UPS to NZ once. There was no issue with customs and no import fees as meds were for personal use and limited to one month supply. However I did have to pay a fee before picking up package. UPS doesn't do there own customs processing. Thus I had to pay the company that did that. (UPS told my parents when dropping off the package that there would be a fee due)
Jan 2, 2020, 4:03 pm
#53
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If you had an intervening non-holiday weekday, the US Consulate in London would have issued a "passport replacing document" good to get you back to the US and nowhere else.
As a USN, you can't lawfully be denied entry to the US and the document serves the purpose of assuring your air carrier that it will not be penalized.
The import fee was likely a cargo fee assessed by AA for the paperwork of processing the package through Customs, e.g. "importing" the contents into the UK.
As a USN, you can't lawfully be denied entry to the US and the document serves the purpose of assuring your air carrier that it will not be penalized.
The import fee was likely a cargo fee assessed by AA for the paperwork of processing the package through Customs, e.g. "importing" the contents into the UK.
Jan 2, 2020, 4:22 pm
#54
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Another option: Using the AA app, have someone in LA login to her account and check-in for her. Then, use the new passport scanning functionality in the app when that someone is checking her in. The agent in BNA should not be prompted to ask for the passport if it's been scanned using the app.
I used this feature last Friday on my way to Mexico, and no agent at DCA or PHX asked to see my passport since I had scanned it already using the AA app. Others traveling with me had the same experience. Even in PHX, where we were boarding the international leg, the agent looked at his screen after we scanned our mobile boarding passes and, after seeing a message, waved us through without looking at our passports. We had them in our hands, but he never took them to look at them. Regardless ... definitely no one in DCA asked for the passports while boarding DCA-PHX, paged us to the desk, etc. like an agent would have done had the boarding passes been manually entered.
See http://news.aa.com/news/news-details...H/default.aspx.
Or https://thepointsguy.com/news/americ...your-passport/.
I used this feature last Friday on my way to Mexico, and no agent at DCA or PHX asked to see my passport since I had scanned it already using the AA app. Others traveling with me had the same experience. Even in PHX, where we were boarding the international leg, the agent looked at his screen after we scanned our mobile boarding passes and, after seeing a message, waved us through without looking at our passports. We had them in our hands, but he never took them to look at them. Regardless ... definitely no one in DCA asked for the passports while boarding DCA-PHX, paged us to the desk, etc. like an agent would have done had the boarding passes been manually entered.
See http://news.aa.com/news/news-details...H/default.aspx.
Or https://thepointsguy.com/news/americ...your-passport/.
Last edited by USFlyerUS; Jan 2, 2020 at 4:41 pm
Jan 2, 2020, 4:41 pm
#55
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Another option: Using the AA app, have someone in LA login to her account and check-in for her. Then, use the new passport scanning functionality in the app when that someone is checking her in. The agent in BNA should not be prompted to ask for the passport if it's been scanned using the app.
I used this feature last Friday on my way to Mexico, and no agent at DCA or PHX asked to see my passport since I had scanned it already using the AA app. Others traveling with me had the same experience. Even in PHX, where we were boarding the international leg, the agent looked at his screen after we scanned our mobile boarding passes and, after seeing a message, waved us through without looking at our passports. We had them in our hands, but he never took them to look at them. Regardless ... definitely no one in DCA asked for the passports while boarding DCA-PHX, paged us to the desk, etc. like an agent would have done had the boarding passes been manually entered.
See Newsroom - American Airlines First to Launch Mobile App Passport Scanning - American Airlines Group, Inc..
Or https://thepointsguy.com/news/americ...your-passport/.
I used this feature last Friday on my way to Mexico, and no agent at DCA or PHX asked to see my passport since I had scanned it already using the AA app. Others traveling with me had the same experience. Even in PHX, where we were boarding the international leg, the agent looked at his screen after we scanned our mobile boarding passes and, after seeing a message, waved us through without looking at our passports. We had them in our hands, but he never took them to look at them. Regardless ... definitely no one in DCA asked for the passports while boarding DCA-PHX, paged us to the desk, etc. like an agent would have done had the boarding passes been manually entered.
See Newsroom - American Airlines First to Launch Mobile App Passport Scanning - American Airlines Group, Inc..
Or https://thepointsguy.com/news/americ...your-passport/.
Jan 2, 2020, 4:45 pm
#56
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Jan 2, 2020, 5:11 pm
#58
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I'm glad that everything worked out for you!
That said, I once flew AA PHX-DFW-NRT (connecting to ICN on JL). Not once was I asked to show a passport until I arrived at Narita. I used a kiosk to check-in at PHX, and just used my credit card to match to the reservation. I was really surprised that they didn't check for passports before boarding at DFW. Thankfully I had it with me, so when I got to the transfers at NRT and they asked for it, I was ok.
In my experience, it is hit/miss on if they ask for passports for the first flight of an international trip. Certainly if there are visas involved, that seems to flag something and they check then (for a visa, which is generally in the passport) at the check-in counter. For non-visa required countries, I'd guess I get asked for a passport at the initial airport about half the time.
That said, I once flew AA PHX-DFW-NRT (connecting to ICN on JL). Not once was I asked to show a passport until I arrived at Narita. I used a kiosk to check-in at PHX, and just used my credit card to match to the reservation. I was really surprised that they didn't check for passports before boarding at DFW. Thankfully I had it with me, so when I got to the transfers at NRT and they asked for it, I was ok.
In my experience, it is hit/miss on if they ask for passports for the first flight of an international trip. Certainly if there are visas involved, that seems to flag something and they check then (for a visa, which is generally in the passport) at the check-in counter. For non-visa required countries, I'd guess I get asked for a passport at the initial airport about half the time.
Jan 2, 2020, 5:45 pm
#59
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And yes, US Airways used to usually check at the counter and gate of the originating airport, then usually at the gateway (this could usually be done in the lounge at PHL or CLT).
But with AA it has been a mixed bag, as I described.
Jan 2, 2020, 6:01 pm
#60
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The most recent experience I have with AA on an international itinerary was 2 years ago flying MCO-JFK connecting on to Etihad. I can’t remember if I had to scan my passport again at the kiosk or not (after OLCI, I always like to have both a paper and mobile BP in case of seat swap shenanigans) but I know I had my mobile BP for the AA segment before ever getting to the airport and used the mobile BP to board the AA flight. When F was called I approached the gate passport in hand ready for them to ask for it but the GA maintained her expressionless face and waived me on.
Now of course checking in for Etihad at JFK they asked for it but I also was not able to obtain those BPs in advance.
Last summer flying to Iceland on DL MCO-JFK-KEF I wasn’t asked for my passport until boarding the flight to KEF at JFK. I had mobile boarding passes for this one already.
Now of course checking in for Etihad at JFK they asked for it but I also was not able to obtain those BPs in advance.
Last summer flying to Iceland on DL MCO-JFK-KEF I wasn’t asked for my passport until boarding the flight to KEF at JFK. I had mobile boarding passes for this one already.