Non-NEXUS/Trusted travellers in the CATSA Trusted Travellers lanes
Feb 20, 2020, 4:18 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
Non-NEXUS/Trusted travellers in the CATSA Trusted Travellers lanes
Hello,
Spent some time searching and could find nothing on this subject, so please excuse me if this is a duplicate and point me in the right direction.
My wife and I are both becoming increasingly frustrated by the offloading of non-NEXUS passengers to the NEXUS lineups at Canadian airports. We both travel frequently for work and appreciate when we hit the NEXUS line and experience a minimal wait. Unfortunately, what we often observe is CATSA staff routinely offloading passengers from the general lineup to the NEXUS lineup, which is almost guaranteed to slow the NEXUS line down due to inappropriate items often being in their carry-on. Perhaps a bigger issue is the security issue. How is a person who has not paid to have a background check run by the US and Canadian governments as safe as a person who has? I chose to go that route to obtain a NEXUS card, and for that I don't have to take my shoes off when I go through screening. How is it just as safe to let someone who does not have a NEXUS card proceed through the NEXUS line with their shoes on?
The worst CATSA crew for offloading in our experience is WG, with OW coming in at second place.
Comments? Are we just being too fussy about waiting in queue?
Safe travels, everyone.
Spent some time searching and could find nothing on this subject, so please excuse me if this is a duplicate and point me in the right direction.
My wife and I are both becoming increasingly frustrated by the offloading of non-NEXUS passengers to the NEXUS lineups at Canadian airports. We both travel frequently for work and appreciate when we hit the NEXUS line and experience a minimal wait. Unfortunately, what we often observe is CATSA staff routinely offloading passengers from the general lineup to the NEXUS lineup, which is almost guaranteed to slow the NEXUS line down due to inappropriate items often being in their carry-on. Perhaps a bigger issue is the security issue. How is a person who has not paid to have a background check run by the US and Canadian governments as safe as a person who has? I chose to go that route to obtain a NEXUS card, and for that I don't have to take my shoes off when I go through screening. How is it just as safe to let someone who does not have a NEXUS card proceed through the NEXUS line with their shoes on?
The worst CATSA crew for offloading in our experience is WG, with OW coming in at second place.
Comments? Are we just being too fussy about waiting in queue?
Safe travels, everyone.
Feb 21, 2020, 3:17 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,513
No. Waiting in line sucks. Always.
But you are making a conclusion (which some airports make and some don't make) that taking off shoes makes a contribution to airline security in a given circumstance. Most posters around here would disagree with your conclusion. My personal opinion is that taking off shoes should be limited to selectees as it is in many airports in Europe, the Middle East and Asia or to shoes that are unusually bulky or alarm the primary screening device. Keeping shoes on shouldn't only be a privilege for trusted travelers like it is in North America.
But you are making a conclusion (which some airports make and some don't make) that taking off shoes makes a contribution to airline security in a given circumstance. Most posters around here would disagree with your conclusion. My personal opinion is that taking off shoes should be limited to selectees as it is in many airports in Europe, the Middle East and Asia or to shoes that are unusually bulky or alarm the primary screening device. Keeping shoes on shouldn't only be a privilege for trusted travelers like it is in North America.
Feb 23, 2020, 5:01 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
I should have embedded <s> tags around the shoe removal mention. I am very cynical about airport security and the measures in place to protect us from "them", whomever they are.
In my opinion I was sold access to the trusted traveller line for 50 Freedom Dollars and a wealth of personal information, yet far too often those who have not are being put in to those lines. I filed a complaint on the CATSA website last year and received a call back from a customer relations manager, during which I refused to accept the canned response being offered to me that CATSA "tactically manages lineups" and will send passengers from the general line to the NEXUS line to keep things moving. Perhaps if enough people go to the feedback page on the CATSA website (can't embed links yet as I am a noob, but its the at the CATSA url under /en/form/questions-comments-complaints) and do the same, something will change.
From the AC Cafe, of which I am a fan for its peace and quiet,
S
In my opinion I was sold access to the trusted traveller line for 50 Freedom Dollars and a wealth of personal information, yet far too often those who have not are being put in to those lines. I filed a complaint on the CATSA website last year and received a call back from a customer relations manager, during which I refused to accept the canned response being offered to me that CATSA "tactically manages lineups" and will send passengers from the general line to the NEXUS line to keep things moving. Perhaps if enough people go to the feedback page on the CATSA website (can't embed links yet as I am a noob, but its the at the CATSA url under /en/form/questions-comments-complaints) and do the same, something will change.
From the AC Cafe, of which I am a fan for its peace and quiet,
S