Extra screening in US for RTW tkt?
 

My mum was in the U.S. on a RTW ticket that was ticketed in BKK. On each of her U.S. domestic segments, her checked luggage had to go through x-ray machines so she had to wait for that to happen before getting her boarding passes. Then at the gate, she was checked again (probably did not have *CLR* on her BP).

She was told by one agent that because she has an international ticket, she has to get checked. I wonder how they determine that? Anyone else with the same experience?

Used a lot of segments from an "international" ticket, and was never put under a secondary search. Did a lot of segments on a "domestic" ticket, and was searched on every one. Go figure. Smacks of "I don't know, so I will tell them something that sounds like it could be feasible so that they don't yell at me personally." Or in shorter terms, "Blame the other guy."

I've just travelled 2 US domestic segments on my RTW (ex-BKK). Both time I didn't have the *CLR* printed on my boarding pass.

Prior to this, I have travelled a lot on AA but with tickets issued on aa.com and never had any problems.

My mum was here again last month and also had a RTW ticket ex-BKK and got did NOT have the *CLR* 75% of the time.

So far all segments of my RTW have had *CLR*;
I think your past travel patterns are part of the algorithm, and there is no difference for a RTW. I suspect passengers who have done little travel on certain routes in the past and now have a lot of travel catch the attention of the screening software.

I think it is non-US citizens that don't normally get the *CLR* on the BP. I don't get it on my BP's in the US and the flights are always on an international ticket (mostly RTW).

Even before 9/11 my bags were often flagged for x-ray at check-in. Post 9/11 they have always been x-rayed at check-in (not a lot of flights to compare with though). Has never been a problem and only takes a few minutes, and the staff have always been polite en efficient about it.

I'm on a RTW ex-AKL and received a *CLR* for all six North American AA segments even though I had only flown one of them on AA before. Perhaps another factor has to do with who issued the ticket and where it was issued. Mine was issued by AA in the US and paid for with a credit card.

I was flagged for a gate check recently when traveling on a ticket issued by DL as the result of a misconnect on a DFW-LAX segment. There were about 6 of us that DL placed on that AA flight and all of us were checked. My guess is it was caused by a last minute ticket issue from a "foreign" (non-AA) source with a non-standard payment method.

Mum and I are both U.S. Citizens.

Number_6, where was your RTW issued from? I have a feeling that what ExMo said was probably true. My mum's was issued in HKG to start in BKK. My was issued in the US to start in BKK.

Issued in DFW by AA. Maybe Texas gets special treatment these days in view of the political connections. I think non-US origin tickets with exotic routings are automatically flagged for special attention; rather glad that US-origin is not flagged. I've been told (but don't believe it) that FF status also plays a role.
I hate to say it, but I've noticed that security at non-US airports is generally much more effective and much more conscientious that at US airports. Particularly for US-bound flights, but even for general traffic. And the checking is faster and smoother, maybe the US should hire some consultants to get the processes better organized.

If you'd seen the line for transit passengers at HKG E2 at 0530 this morning you might reassess your effectiveness comment.

Actually, I have found that most of the security outside the U.S. is comparable to what it was in the U.S. before 9/11. The nicest part of flying outside the U.S. is no random gate check security. The biggest complaint I have on flights to the U.S. is that through passengers must disembark and be rescreened at the last stop before entering the U.S. A real PITA!

I don't think the *CLR* is related to the ticket, but to your citizenship and what the US Government Computer (FBI?) knows about you.

I am not a US citizen, so their computers will not know who am I, so believe I will be more likely to be flagged for special attention, which is probably an appropriate procedure.

Basically if your miles are not credited to AAdvantage, you won't have the *CLR* on your BP. That's probably why.

That's interesting. I'm flying tonight on a flight booked via AA here in the US (non-RTW tkt). I'm using my BA FF# so I will see.

It also depends on the length of the PNR and when it was made. Last minute 30 segment international stuff is going to attract attention, no matter how you look at it.

I used my BA FF# on a couple of AA flights last week. It was a AA tkt issued via AA.com. They both had CLR on the ticket.

Then this past weekend I was using the same RTW ticket again for two segments and both did not have CLR. Definitely something to do with the ticket!