UK & Ire Security Photo - goes wrong?
Jun 7, 2016, 3:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
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UK & Ire Security Photo - goes wrong?
Last night's BA838 LHR-DUB flight boarded on time - at 18:15hrs - for a scheduled 18:45hrs departure.
However, as departure time approached, dispatch informed the crew that two passengers would have to be offloaded as they had failed the security camera biometric conformance at the gate.
The resulting baggage off-loading led to a 45min delay in departure time. Is this a common event - and do gate staff have any leeway with regards to the computer system? If I were off-loaded from a flight just because of a computer glitch (and where Gate Staff could clearly see from the on-screen photo that it was me presenting at the gate) I'd be rightly miffed off. "Computer says no...?"
However, as departure time approached, dispatch informed the crew that two passengers would have to be offloaded as they had failed the security camera biometric conformance at the gate.
The resulting baggage off-loading led to a 45min delay in departure time. Is this a common event - and do gate staff have any leeway with regards to the computer system? If I were off-loaded from a flight just because of a computer glitch (and where Gate Staff could clearly see from the on-screen photo that it was me presenting at the gate) I'd be rightly miffed off. "Computer says no...?"
Jun 7, 2016, 4:01 am
#2
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It does occasionally happen, sometimes the photo gets detached or is too out of focus for either the biometric or manual identification to work. If the passenger does not have an EU passport on them then a Border Force officer may need to be summoned, at which point the passenger may well be offloaded. Not a good situation, but it happens on much less than 1 percent of flights.
The first thing they try is to get someone from HAL security over to recover the photo, they are usually quite quick to arrive, but a TRM may try to cut losses and offload people quickly. Doesn't always work!
The first thing they try is to get someone from HAL security over to recover the photo, they are usually quite quick to arrive, but a TRM may try to cut losses and offload people quickly. Doesn't always work!
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Jun 7, 2016 at 4:07 am
Jun 7, 2016, 5:14 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2016
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being offloaded from the flight for this wouldn't make me happy at all.
Last time I went to the US, I was told that my fingerprints didn't match the fingerprints that were scanned last time I went through (about 2 weeks previously). That was a slightly unpleasant moment (taken back into the "naughty room", waited slightly nervously, I have to admit, for about 20 minutes) - no response available to me as to what had happened, of course.
Last time I went to the US, I was told that my fingerprints didn't match the fingerprints that were scanned last time I went through (about 2 weeks previously). That was a slightly unpleasant moment (taken back into the "naughty room", waited slightly nervously, I have to admit, for about 20 minutes) - no response available to me as to what had happened, of course.
Jun 7, 2016, 5:23 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Could this be taken to be involuntary denied boarding...
You have presented yourself correctly with all your paperwork, and your are not allowed to fly through no fault of your own.
You have presented yourself correctly with all your paperwork, and your are not allowed to fly through no fault of your own.
Jun 7, 2016, 5:28 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2005
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It is not BA that is denying boarding.
It is Border Force that is denying you from flying. Its Heathrow cock up since they run the security process but Heathrow are accountable to no one.
It is Border Force that is denying you from flying. Its Heathrow cock up since they run the security process but Heathrow are accountable to no one.
Jun 7, 2016, 5:33 am
#6
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‘denied boarding’ means a refusal to carry passengers on a flight, although they have presented themselves for boarding under the conditions laid down in Article 3(2), except where there are reasonable grounds to deny them boarding, such as reasons of health, safety or security, or inadequate travel documentation
Jun 7, 2016, 6:04 am
#7
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Jun 7, 2016, 7:08 am
#9
Original Poster
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It does occasionally happen, sometimes the photo gets detached or is too out of focus for either the biometric or manual identification to work. If the passenger does not have an EU passport on them then a Border Force officer may need to be summoned, at which point the passenger may well be offloaded. Not a good situation, but it happens on much less than 1 percent of flights.
The first thing they try is to get someone from HAL security over to recover the photo, they are usually quite quick to arrive, but a TRM may try to cut losses and offload people quickly. Doesn't always work!
The first thing they try is to get someone from HAL security over to recover the photo, they are usually quite quick to arrive, but a TRM may try to cut losses and offload people quickly. Doesn't always work!
As we were all boarded whilst the 2-passengers in question were being dealt with (and unable to witness first hand the actual event) I had thought that, possibly, the computer had denied access, and that was that. However, if I missed my flight due to a TRM jumping the gun whilst I stood at the gate with my passport/valid photo ID I wouldn't be best pleased.
Jun 7, 2016, 7:14 am
#10
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Indeed - most of what I know comes from the conversation had between the TRM and the cabin-crew in the galley area. There was talk of the computer not recognising the passenger, but this may have been for a reason of a less than honest nature!
Jun 7, 2016, 8:06 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2013
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If you are a citizen of the UK or Republic of Ireland who was born in that country you do not need a passport to travel between the two countries but you do require some form of photographic identification, such as a driving licence.
Jun 7, 2016, 8:09 am
#13
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It is not BA that is denying boarding.
It is Border Force that is denying you from flying. Its Heathrow cock up since they run the security process but Heathrow are accountable to no one.
It is Border Force that is denying you from flying. Its Heathrow cock up since they run the security process but Heathrow are accountable to no one.
If the passengers had the right to enter (or remain if LHR was the starting point) in the UK from an immigration point of view, BA would owe them denied boarding compensation.
BA may try to get the money back from Heathrow Airport, but that's not the problem of the passengers affected.
Jun 7, 2016, 8:23 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2013
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BA is liable for the actions and cock-ups it's service provider (in this case Heathrow Airport) is producing.
If the passengers had the right to enter (or remain if LHR was the starting point) in the UK from an immigration point of view, BA would owe them denied boarding compensation.
BA may try to get the money back from Heathrow Airport, but that's not the problem of the passengers affected.
If the passengers had the right to enter (or remain if LHR was the starting point) in the UK from an immigration point of view, BA would owe them denied boarding compensation.
BA may try to get the money back from Heathrow Airport, but that's not the problem of the passengers affected.
People can genuinely fail conformance with the photo check - for example, they might be different people to the ones who passed security, or any other myriad of reasons.
Or, there's the possibility of a computer glitch.
This is not so much to do with the right to enter or remain (there is free movement domestically and to ROI) but with checking that the people who passed security are the people who are boarding the aircraft. Remember, no need for a passport for UK or ROI citizens.
Jun 7, 2016, 9:28 am
#15
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The joys of the CTA!