tev9999

Maybe for the last try you could go for the grope refusal too. When you get DY...T?, just say no and walk out. If you have no luggage, there is nothing to wait for them to release - except maybe your shoes. They can't physically restrain you, and doubtful there will be a LEO within arms length.

Billiken

Cancel the ticket after printing the boarding pass.

IIRC on UA you need to go to the airport to get a refund, once a bp is printed.

Print multiple copies of the boarding pass you you always present a "clean" one to the TDC.

The rules are that once you go past the TDC you must be screened.
Prevents prospective tewwowists from "probing" for security weak points/procedures.

studentff

Unless something has changed, you can get an e-ticket refund through the united website. However, before you can do that, you have to "un-check-in." Doing it at a gate, CS counter, or checkin counter is pretty easy. Doing that over the phone has been possible but unpleasant for me, particularly for online-checkin-tickets where I had to call web-support (outsourced, India, script-readers who can't do much) .

Hedwigkin

If you have an airline club membership, you can get the airline to give you a gate pass.

If you don't have membership, the other option is to attend a meeting in an Airline Club to get through security. There is a nominal rental fee, but if a few FTers go in together, the cost would be negligble. If there's enough interest, you may be able to get the FSD or an airline representative to show.

At IAH, I am willing to sponser a meeting in one of the many President's Clubs. I already have invites out to one senator and two members of congress to join me. I have a call with one scheduler today, and am awaiting word on the other two. PM me if you would like to attend so I can put your name on the list for the Gate Pass. There is a limit of 10 spaces, though if I can get 2 of the 3 to attend (highly unlikely), I'm sure I can get a bigger room.

L-1011

It's called a smoke break. Not allowed to smoke in the terminal so you have to go outside. Nothing wrong with that.

divemistressofthedark

Just as another point of preference: If you book an award flight on WN, you don't even have to call in for the refund - or you can wait until after the scheduled departure. Your RR points are redeposited automagically.

BarbiJKM

I often go in and out of security several times, to have a smoke, particularly on a long layover. I've never been hassled about it, even with multiple "squigglies" on my boarding pass. When asked about it occasionally, I simply comment that there are no designated smoking areas gateside and so I am reluctantly forced to exit and then re-enter when a layover is long or a departure delay occurs.

It's a good excuse, if you need one, to exit and re-enter. I was able to opt-out of the WBI in BWI twice in one trip last month!

FliesWay2Much

My advice (posted elsewhere in the last few days) is, if you are going to do the refundable ticket tactic, that you carry no other identification than the one you will use to present to Blacklight Bob. I would use a passport because there isn't a home address on it. Take a briefcase or something to make it look like you're planning to fly. Have nothing of a personal nature in there. That way, if you get harassed when refusing to provide your name & address, (if it comes to that), you have nothing on you from which they could copy the information anyway. It would also be good if you didn't drive to the airport so you wouldn't have car keys with you.

Good luck -- I'm driving on NOOD.

wuds

my wife smokes and when we have a long layover she goes back and forth thru security until she's practically on a first name basis with the screeners and there are scribbles all over her boarding pass so i don't think there is an issue with this. and she always goes back and forth with her id, boarding pass, a pack of cigs, and a lighter, no problem-o.

morcheeba

My wife just screamed, "Don't do it!"

She pointed me to this text:

"Aguilar said Tyner's refusal to undergo the screening may have been pre-planned. If so, the penalty could reach $11,000."

at this link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40193344

polonius

This is ridiculous. "Could" reach $11000? Yes, it "could", IF they actually file suit (which they won't) and IF they win (which they wouldn't). The best possible outcome here is to have them sue and lose; unfortunately, they know that and so they won't sue, because then the imaginary threat that your wife sees is gone. It's the same with administrative penalties for violating the travel ban to Cuba -- they have never once taken anyone to court who challenged their legality and refused to pay; because they know if they do, it's highly likely that the whole policy will be ruled unconstitutional, and then they can't go around scaring people into staying away from Cuba with the threat of penalty.