"Special screening" in Reykjavik, being held in a separate room
 

Below I relate an experience a friend of mine had, flying on IcelandAir, BGO-KEF-SEA. She asked me if with all the flying I do, I had ever experienced anything like this, and I sure haven't! Has anyone else experienced this, and does anyone know if there's a legitimate reason for such seemingly strange treatment?

"I came back thru Reykjavik, where I was selected for special screening at security. The weird thing was, after the screening I was taken to a separate room and not allowed to go back into the departure lounge until my flight was boarding. I sat in this (comfortable) room for an hour with maybe 30 other States-bound passengers (waiting for different flights), until the Seattle flight was boarding. Then about 10 of us were escorted from the room to the front of the boarding line. I asked the Iceland security people why I was being held after passing the security search, and they said something about other flights going to the States/Canada that currently had passengers in the departure area. This didn't make any sense; how was I different from the other passengers? If anything, I was less of a risk. Then I was told that I was identified on their list for this extra screening by TSA. I had wanted to shop for a book in the airport, so was a bit unhappy with the restriction, but the more I thought about it, the more concerning it became. I don't know what sort of rights you have as a passenger, and I guess the ultimate incentive for going along with such a detention is that you want to get on your flight. Still, being detained with no explanation has the feel of a police state, and I wonder if this happens in US airports, or if it's even legal here. Have you ever been detained like this, either at home or abroad?"

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Nobody else has experienced this?

Never experienced anything like this at KEF but I would assume that this is a US-TSA mandated procedure. The people at KEF have little incentive to do such things unless the TSA mandate it. All very strange and a good reason not to transit through Iceland.

A certain number of passengers are mandated to have extra screening by TSA - this applies everywhere.I would actually think Iceland would be one of the nicest places in the world (along with Switzerland) to go through this. You certaintly dont want it in Paris !

This is TSA mandated procedure. KEF does not re-screen passengers who transit from European (to US) flights; most airports (LHR, FRA, MUC, ZRH, to name a few), do. The alternative is for KEF to re-screen all US-bound passengers just as they do for all US-originating passengers transiting through KEF. I prefer the random screening method to the alternative.

What puzzles me is why passengers are detained (until boarding) after screening--apparently so they don't mix with other passengers in the waiting area but can mix with them on the plane.

Yes, that's the crux of the question--what is the possible rationale for sending randomly selected passengers through a secondary screening, and then holding them in another room, before letting them on the plane? They present a security risk in the airport but not on the plane? That seems like a major over-reach of authority, a forced several hour long incarceration of passengers for no reason other than "TSA".

Iceland´s attitude towards security can be bit strange at times.
* On my first trip to US back in 97 I was heavily questioned by Icelandair staff at KEF about my trip (much more than by US immigration).
* About a year ago I was flying on a non-scheduled flight from Canada to EU and when we stopped at KEF for fuel, they refused to permit anyone to leave the airplane even for a moment in order to stretch legs/get some fresh air (albeit the stairs were but on place and few Icelandic bureaucrats boarded the aircraft for paperwork).
* At the same time Iceland is only place on earth where I have taken domestic flight without ANY security or ID-check (2008)

That seems a bit strange. I've been randomly (I guess!) selected for re-screening while waiting for my flight to JFK to board in HEL, but after this I was let loose again. Mind you, all the people bound for JFK were in a separate area then.

I'd normally just be a little upset if something like this happened to me, but if I had planned to try a new lounge post-security, I'd be livid. :mad: :)

A "comfortable room" with less than 3 dozen fellow passengers? Sounds like a lounge to me! :p

My understanding is that the US requires random screening at the boarding gate, on departures from overseas, which is paid for by the carriers. They normally use 2 or 3 screeners, and I'm told their instructions are to "keep busy". The norm is to grab the first few people who board, meaning they ensnare a lot of Elites and Premium cabin types, which is pretty silly, since they are more likely to be known to the airline (and more likely to get grumpy, as they watch casual customers pass by, unmolested). I just wait until all of them are busy, and then board. One would assume a reasonably intelligent "bad guy" could come to the same conclusion.;)

This happened to me in Barcelona last year. I felt like a criminal. Everything was removed from my caryon and my purse. I was not allowed to touch any of my belongings until the screening agent gave me the go ahead. There were about 10 of us pulled aside for extra screening. We were told that we were picked randomly by the computer.

About three years ago I flew ANC-ENA without any security or id check. I think that the TSA has different rules for some rural Alaskan airports.

Segregating Prisoners
 

From my military training, I recall very well that you must keep prisoners from communicating, especially with the higher ranks. In a police state, we are all prisoners.

Seems they were following SOP to the letter.

And that is why I don't fly any more. I was in the US Army in order to fight for freedom.