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US Citizens asked to fill out ID form before flying?

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Old Dec 14, 2017, 9:27 pm
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US Citizens asked to fill out ID form before flying?

Traveled MCO to YYZ for the first time. At the gate they asked all US citizens to fill out a short form with name and other biographical details. I found this very bizarre as we had provided all our details when we checked in online, nexus card info or passport info. I had scanned my nexus card when paying for a box at the kiosk too. They weren't concerned with green card holders or third country citizens for whatever reason. Any idea what was going on? I've flown Porter many times without any issues, even on times when I just walked up to the gate with my electronic boarding pass.
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Old Dec 14, 2017, 9:59 pm
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Exclamation

As this is more a Canada entry matter than Air Canada specific topic it's been moved to the Canada forum for further discussion.

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Old Dec 15, 2017, 2:30 am
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Originally Posted by tcook052
As this is more a Canada entry matter than Air Canada specific topic it's been moved to the Canada forum for further discussion.

tcook052
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I believe it is more of a US exit question than a Canadian entry question.

OP -- did the form ask for next of kin or an emergency contact person? If so, that may be the primary purpose of the form. UA previously had this on the back of boarding passes.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 6:12 am
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Who did the asking? Airline, CBP, TSA, Men in Black?
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 7:11 am
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I doubt that this is just a Canada matter. It sounds more like a US matter.

Originally Posted by xobile
Traveled MCO to YYZ for the first time. At the gate they asked all US citizens to fill out a short form with name and other biographical details. I found this very bizarre as we had provided all our details when we checked in online, nexus card info or passport info. I had scanned my nexus card when paying for a box at the kiosk too. They weren't concerned with green card holders or third country citizens for whatever reason. Any idea what was going on? I've flown Porter many times without any issues, even on times when I just walked up to the gate with my electronic boarding pass.
It sounds like the emergency contact form that some airlines still use sometimes for flights to/from the US, as part of a US Government requirement so that in the event of an international flight disaster the USG can make contact with the representative assigned by the US citizen passengers to be the emergency contact. For example, when some US-EU citizens fly from CPH to the US on say SK, SK asks the US citizens (based on passport presented) to supply the contact info in writing while passengers using non-US passports are not subjected to submitting such form. This sounds like it's the same kind of thing.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 7:37 am
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It was the airline asking at the gate, and yes I believe it asked for emergency contact info, but only from us citizens.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 8:16 am
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Originally Posted by xobile
It was the airline asking at the gate, and yes I believe it asked for emergency contact info, but only from us citizens.
The emergency contact form that the airlines still use sometimes for flights to/from the US is part of a US Government requirement and applicable to airlines' US citizens in a way in which it is not applicable to non-US persons. The form itself is produced by and for the airline. That explains it.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 9:36 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
The emergency contact form that the airlines still use sometimes for flights to/from the US is part of a US Government requirement and applicable to airlines' US citizens in a way in which it is not applicable to non-US persons. The form itself is produced by and for the airline. That explains it.
In the good ol' days this 'form' used to be on the back of the paper (cardstock) boarding passes - At least it was with United and others. They asked Americans to fill it out prior to boarding.

Now that boarding passes are printed at home, printed on thermal paper or not printed at all there is this new form.

Would make more sense to collect it at check-in, but there you go.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 9:46 am
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Originally Posted by gglave
In the good ol' days this 'form' used to be on the back of the paper (cardstock) boarding passes - At least it was with United and others. They asked Americans to fill it out prior to boarding.

Now that boarding passes are printed at home, printed on thermal paper or not printed at all there is this new form.

Would make more sense to collect it at check-in, but there you go.
It's collected sometimes during online check-in or at check-in; but doing it at the gate area means that US citizen passengers who are flying on separately ticketed itineraries or interline tickets and doing airside transits of sort are less likely to miss the registration.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 12:08 pm
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Air Canada is the only airline who does this silly nonsense - they claim it's a US govt regulation, that every airline does it, etc etc. It's a relic from the past, no one does it anymore, but Air Canada just insists on continuing this stupidity on transborder flights. If you use a Nexus card, they don't know if you're a US or Canadian citizen at the gate and won't bother you with it. When flying to/from the US I check-in with my US passport, but show my Nexus card or Canadian passport at boarding so I can ignore the form.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 1:20 pm
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Air Canada is the only airline who does this silly nonsense
Last month, as I was waiting at the gate for an AA PHL-YUL flight, there was announcement made requesting all passengers travelling on a US passport to fill in an emergency contact form prior to boarding.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 2:12 pm
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Air Canada is the only airline who does this silly nonsense - they claim it's a US govt regulation, that every airline does it, etc etc. It's a relic from the past, no one does it anymore, but Air Canada just insists on continuing this stupidity on transborder flights. If you use a Nexus card, they don't know if you're a US or Canadian citizen at the gate and won't bother you with it. When flying to/from the US I check-in with my US passport, but show my Nexus card or Canadian passport at boarding so I can ignore the form.
AC isn’t the only carrier with US service doing this. I see other carriers doing this too.

I wrote down Mickey Rodent and 1-555-Privacy on forns for one carrier that wasn’t AC.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 7:40 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder

AC isn’t the only carrier with US service doing this. I see other carriers doing this too.

I wrote down Mickey Rodent and 1-555-Privacy on forns for one carrier that wasn’t AC.
Just curious, which other airlines do this? I was never asked by SQ, NH, MU, OZ, LH, any US carrier,
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 8:56 pm
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I fly AC on MCO-YYZ quite frequently and have never experienced or witnessed this before.
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Old Dec 15, 2017, 11:21 pm
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
Just curious, which other airlines do this? I was never asked by SQ, NH, MU, OZ, LH, any US carrier,
i have seen this in recent years on a lot of my SK CPH-US flights,
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