I've read many references to the first passenger to board being pulled aside at the gate for the "random" screening. I've observed this myself, too. As I approached the gate at PHL for a US mileage run on Saturday, I had successfully avoided this extra screening 13 times since 9/11.

The first two passengers in line were a couple, and they were not pulled aside. I was the third passenger, so I figured maybe they don't pull couples so as to speed things up. I momentarily feigned confusion while reading my boarding pass to allow enough time for the fourth guy in line to pass me, hoping he'd be pulled. But he wasn't, and the gate agent checked my ID, took my boarding pass, and gave me my stub.

I thought I had cleared my 14th boarding, but no such luck. I was very politely asked to step aside for a screening, which was performed by an extremely friendly and pleasant ITS agent. After a thorough body search, I was sent on my way.

I wonder whether:
1) The "pull the first pax" method is being replaced with actual random searches,
2) The gate agent noticed me pause and decided I might be trying to get out of the search (doubt it), or
3) The gate agent noticed that I was a neatly dressed man with no carry-on items, which I've noticed get searched a lot.

[This message has been edited by ManyMiles (edited 12-11-2001).]

Pull the first pax makes little sense, nor soes any method that we can figure out the reasoning for. The only way it will work is if you can not find a pattern, once one is established, then it wouldn't take much to avoid it.

I was on AA this weekend for four flights. On all of them they pulled the first person in line for screening.

I also noticed (on at least one flight) that as the boarding passes were read by the scanner it would randomly(?) select people to be screened. I noticed this because the man in front of me (whew!) was selected. The scanner flashed a message asking if the person had been screened. They told the man's wife who was just in front of him that she could wait for him or meet him on board.

I had read some posts a while back indicating that this pre-boarding screening was very thorough and time-consuming. But the screens I saw seemed to be pretty quick--a wanding and a look through whatever carry ons the person had.

based on my experience, i would like them to pull ALL the pax that crowd around the gate making it hard to tell where the line is. last week in DFW it was worse than ever.

the scene: a typical calm peaceful gate. cnn is unavoidably blaring from the tv sets, six high-powered executives with huge pot bellies are shouting into their cell-phones, unaware that the microphone technology could pick up a whisper, and 17 college-age girls, obviously traveling as part of a sports team, are sitting around hugging their pillows to their chests and giggling.

PA Announcement: Ladies and Gentleman, at this time we will momentarily begin boarding flight 666 which will go sit on the tarmac for two hours until you all pee your pants. At this time we would like to board our first class cabin ONLY. we will be boarding by group number, so at this time, look at your boarding pass for a really big number. at this time...."

the scene: a couple of pax in F begin their stroll to the door to board. behind them they hear a dull roar. it is a sinister mix of shuffling, thumping roll-a-boards, whining kids, and insipid cell-phone chatter. before they can do anything, the entire group of pax has engulfed the gate doorway, leaving a 15-foot radius clear of people around the ticket taking gate agent. anyone wishing to board must somehow cross this moat of humanity.

remaining F pax must somehow burrow through the scrum to reach the gate agent. later group 1 pax must do the same. eventually the group 3 and 4 folks board, and stand and spin in the aisle like pigs on a spit as they look for an overhead bin space. (hint, row 45)

the solution: anyone who tries to "budge" or sneak up to the gate early, gets yanked for a BCS, and i ain't talking about football baby!

On my last couple of flights, just before they announced the pre-board, they first pulled aside the people sitting closest to the 'security area'.

AA uses these scanners, and US does not. So AA knows exactly who is on the plane and who isn't, in real-time. Since US doesn't scan, does the gate agent run back and enter everyone in as soon as the line clears? Otherwise, how do they check boarded passengers vs. checked baggage, etc.?

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. My solution to this is to try to get the first row in a boarding section. For example, on most planes, row 10 is the beginning of of a boarding group. If you sit in row 10, you can board last when they call "rows 10 and higher" and be the furthest forward on the plane to as to ensure that you'll get overhead space.

Last week I was flying on United LAX-DEN, then connecting DEN-ATL. I got the dreaded "SSSS" on my first segment boarding pass, and went through secondary screening. No problems.

In Denver, I made the error of being first in line to board for first class. There was no "SSSS" on my boarding pass, BTW. The lazy secondary screener just grabbed the first live body in line. Me.

What an incredible idea you guys have. I can hear the announcement now - Now boarding from the rear of the plane, frequent flyers and first class first. Anybody else stangind around the boarding area please report to secondary screening. Next time stay in your seats until called.

I really like that.

I am usually the first or one of the first in line to board and had not been selected for the gate screening until last Saturday. The screener actually asked the guy ahead of me but he had already handed his ticket to the gate agent so the screener said, okay, either of you will do which of course meant me. I got the full wanding and nothing beeped, not my brass belt buckle that I always have top remove at security, not the two snaps that hold the buckle on the belt or the Flyertalk lapel pin I wear. Both the lapel pin and belt snaps have set off the wands at security when I have been wanded there. He searched my one carryon bag and all its various zippered pockets and totally ignored my jacket that I layed on the table and could have been covering a scimitar for all he knew. I don't put much stock in these gate searches. BTW, a couple of weeks ago in CVG we had to disembark from a loaded Delta plane (757) because the FAA wanted to perform a search. I was first in line to reboard and the gate agent was being forced to redo the required number of secondary searches. He started to ask me to do the search but then saw I had seat 5B and said, "Oh your first clas...never mind" and then selected someone else. Truthfully, last Saturday morning's flight was the first time I have seen them select first class passengers on a Delta flight. They nabbed three of the 12 of us on that one.

many of you have heard me grousing about the inconsistant procedures currently in place. the only consistancy that i've noticed so far is the "grab the first unsuspecting sucker who tries to board" trick. thankfully, because of the warnings here, i've been able to avoid a search. all but once so far, but i wasn't first then either.

and as for BCS not having anything to do with football, you might want to think again. my beloved university of oregon sure got the BCS from the BCS!

I had five flights last week. I was in the first group each time (in F on four, the fifth was a lightly loaded commuter flight with one boarding call) but, based on posts in this and other threads, made sure not to be first in line. Not one of the people who was first in line was called aside for a secondary screening, though one or two of the people in front of me were.

Maybe they saw that passengers have figured out that the first person in line is (was?) generally chosen, so they've switched to another strategy.

I flew four UA segments last Thurs/Fri and four more Mon/Tues this week. I saw the first passenger in line pulled once (ORD on Fri.), but was pulled twice while in the middle of the first class/Premier group. Also, passenger in front of me (4th or 5th in line) was chosen for a secondary on Monday at IAD.

OT: And listen up airlines: It's either "at this time" OR "momentarily." Not both. If we're going to board momentarily then say that. If we're going to board at this time (although "now" would also work) then say that.

re: picking the first to board out of the line for security screening...


On a recent trip, I was the first person to check in for a particular segment on my itinerary and I was "selected" right out of line when I tried to pre-board (had to throw that in for you grammar folk ) for a security check.


So I think it might also be "first to check-in" as well as "first to board".