I flew EDI-STN and back last weekend. On the outbound at EDI, the person checking Boarding Passes at Security didn't ask for my passport, but just scanned the barcode on my Boarding Pass in her computer and let me go. Same thing on the inbound - I actually handed my passport to the security checker at Stansted out of habit, but he just handed it right back before scanning the Boarding Pass and letting me through to the metal detectors without looking at the picture.
The airline did check my ID at the gate (multiple times at Stansted actually), and I suppose it doesn't really matter who I am so long as I clear security in the normal way. Still, it seems odd that they'd suddenly stop checking ID - the last time I flew a domestic UK flight, from LHR-EDI, security definitely checked my passport against my ticket. Is there a new policy against checking ID on domestic UK flights except by airlines? Or indeed anyone's ID? It didn't look like anybody's ID was being checked ahead of me, and I doubt they were all on Domestic Flights. Or was BAA just being lazy this weekend?

Are you sure you've been asked for ID at security in the UK? This is certainly NOT the norm at any of the UK airports that I regularly I fly from. You show ID at check-in and on boarding, but Security will generally only check boarding passes.

As Aviatrix says.

I regularly see folks (usually Americans) at Security at UK airports offer their passports which are not checked. This check is only for BPs.

Airlines do check ID at the gate, so the end result is that both ID and BPs are checked in the end.

Do they always check ID at the gate? I flew LHR-IAD on UA Sunday, and the only time when my passport was checked was at the 1K/Business Class check-in counter... However, I was asked for my ID at the *Alliance lounge in T1..

There's no requirement for ID checking for UK domestic flights. If it does happen it's because it's the requirement of the airline - but that normally happens at check-in

They are supposed to.BA and Ryanair need ID. Flybe list a wide range of acceptable documents for UK domestic and Irish routes:http://www.flybe.com/flightInfo/id_requirements.htm

I wouldn't dream of flying without ID.

NZ domestic was one of the most pleasant experiences I've ever had. I did not have to show ID at all. Not checking in, not at security, not at the lounge, not boarding the plane.

Every flight should be that way.

You'd have exactly the same experience when you swing by Australia. Probably the only time I have been asked for my ID is when checking in at the counter (or while checking in for an International flight).

To me (and other avid planespotters) the best part is the ability to get airside at australian airport (domestic terminals) even if you are not flying. Also makes seeing people off/meeting them at the gate much much more easier. And no pesky liquids rule to deal with either! ^

Are you absolutely sure about this one? Is that allowance without ID or boarding pass can go through at security in New Zealand or Australia only in domestic terminals? I know Australia do still allowance go through at security without ticket only in domestic flight, am I correct? So it won't be necessary any problems with the suspicious behaviors in the domestic terminals. So you know follow the specific rules only in Australia or New Zealand. I dont' see anything more restrictions to says Only Ticketed Passengers allowed beyond in the another international terminals.

Security does not check ID in the UK for any flight, only that you have a boarding pass. ID checking is down to the airline, and their policies differ (Ryanair = passport or national ID card only, easyJet accept photo driving licences on domestic, BA don't I think require photo ID at all - I think all you need is the credit card you booked with, though this might have changed recently).

Neil

To clear up a few things on this thread:
CAA require that the passport and the BP be reconciled at the gate for all international departures of UK registered aircraft. Hence why all British carriers do this everywhere. However, there is no similar requirement for domestic departures, so that is left to the discretion of the carriers.

The BP check at security is not required to check passports for domestic flights, but simply checks you have a valid BP. Since it is not mandatory in the UK to own an idenity document, there is no way a security identity check could be enforced. As someone who flew domestically out of EDI every fortnight for a year, I never once presented a passport or any other form of ID at the security BP check, nor was I required to.

Some airlines require you to provide photographic ID at the gate on domestic flights. This is invariably for revenue protection, rather than security. For example, before EasyJet brought in this measure, they discovered they had created a market for their tickets. 'Travel agents' were buying up all the cheaper tickets and then selling them on at a mark-up to people who then travelled in the name on the ticket. To prevent this, the LCC's introduced photographic ID checks, to make sure the person who had bought the ticket was the person travelling.

BA and BD do not require any ID at the gate, but on occasion may require ID at check-in (but not always - it's perfectly possible to go through with baggage only on BA and not have to provide any form of ID). BA accept a BAEC card as ID, which is neither photographic nor contains any information not already on the system, so it's obviously a very worthwhile identity check

Thanks for your clarification, Jenbel.

Amplifying your comments, ba.com says: without specifying where.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel...t/public/en_gb

Great post, Jenbel! Appreciate it for your comments about BAA ID restrictions in U.K. I believe the security will not able to checking ID to enter into the sterile areas. If you are bring the e-ticket or boarding pass from ticket counter or if you already check it in online at home or office. You will go straight to the gates to have skip the lines at ticket counter. It will have save the time where you are already have issue the boarding pass at home. You don't have need to checked the bags at ticket counter. Just go straight to the gate wait for your gate agent to be called.

How come there aren't scads of counterfeit boarding passes? I've taken to checking in online and printing the pass on my home computer. Seems like it would be child's play to counterfeit something like that. If that's all that's necessary in a sterile area, it would seem like a weak link. I'm kind of surprised there isn't work being done on some common form of international ID that is hard or impossible to forge (though "imipossible to forge"is probably one of those falsely comforting phrases). Now that British passports are a hot subject, having been used in an assassination, I am really wondering when global ID will start to be pushed. The fact is that there were two copies of all those passports and only after the killing did they discover it was so.

Anybody against the idea?

BAA is too busy doing other wasteful things, so no need to start with another stupid dog and pony "security" show.

Instead of wasting time trying to detect fake ID, BAA would be better secure the airplanes by spending some quality time trying to stop the failures to detect real WEI.

I couldn't care less about fake boarding passes. They work to get airside in the manner that refundable tickets' boarding passes work to get airside.