Security questions
 

The last time I flew back to the US from CDG, I was asked questions at check-in before getting my boarding passes by some security people. Do these people work for the airport or CBP or what?

No. Those agents work for ICTS, a contract security company, on behalf of the airline, not a government agency or airport authority. Many U.S.-based airlines that operate flights from Europe contract with ICTS to conduct screening of passengers, typically to ask baggage security questions.

(Note that these security procedures are separate from the normal security checkpoints with x-ray/metal detectors that usually are conducted by screeners working directly for, or sometimes on behalf of, the airport authority.)

Good to know. Those are also the same people who put those stickers on my passport.

Maybe I need to start flying with non-US airlines when flying abroad.

^ I always do that!

I hate having my passport being covered by those unnecessary stamps!

Plus, Air France gives me (one?) free wine with my meal in economy :)!

Many non-US carriers do this too, I'm afraid. But it is required by US law for US airlines flying from certain categories of airports on flights TO the United States. (The sticker isn't required; the questions are.)

My last trip out of Argentina had no sticker; it was a little piece of paper collected at boarding. But I suppose that passengers lose those.

ICTS and its subsidiaries (I-SEC, FIS) seem to control the market.

Although they have portable passport readers at the gate, it's quicker for them to fly through the questions and glance at your passport rather than wait for a machine to read the passport... hence the need for a sticker.

I wonder if the security questions are designed to catch drug smugglers or terrorists.

The whole thing is nothing more than security theater. I'm assuming that the questions are useless. They are more interested in your reaction to the question.

Could you refuse to answer their questions? It's not like they can refuse to send you back to the country you are a citizen of.

We were questioned in Athens last Saturday while waiting in check-in line by a gal dressed in what looked like a regular US Airways/American Airlines ticket agent uniform. Typical stuff about has anyone asked you to take something home for them and have you had control of your luggage, etc. Really nothing not to answer or too invasive in my mind. She put a sticker on the back of our passports and when we went through secondary screening at the gate they looked for the sticker and waved us through.

As said, in this day and age the questions asked are security theatre. As for the stickers, they come off my passport once I get home. Just go through the motions ...

poisson,

Drug smugglers, not so much. But the initial questions and document check are designed to identify those who may be refused entry into the United States. The airlines face large fines and logistical challenges with those situations. So the interview and document check verify that a passenger has appropriate visas, etc., isn't on a "no fly" list, and then the questions are in the interest of security.

I find the questions to be useless but generally unobtrusive. It's just so silly to go through it twice, but this practice long predates September 11.

They used to make a bigger fuss of appearing to work for the airline. They would say, "I work for American Airlines Security" and would wear the uniforms of the U.S. carrier. Now they tend to wear the uniforms if their real employers and don't pretend to be airline employees. But perhaps it's the old style in Athens.

It would make more sense to pool resources and have all of the U.S. carriers use the same contractor, but then money gets involved. And they would lose their branding. The podiums are "branded" with airline logos and sometimes their premium cabin brand names.

I haven't been through customs in about 5 years, but I remember the passport control in CDG being a piece of cake. I think the agent took one glance at my passport and let me go.

Coming back to the US was a lot worse. I can't remember if I was asked any questions. Do the CBP agents commonly ask questions to US citizens?

One thing I do hate is having to collect my bag, recheck it, and go back through security. I guess security in non-US airports isn't good enough for CBP/TSA standards.

I got into a shouting match with ICTS at LHR ~18 months ago. :D There were two drones at the entrance to the boarding area. Literally next to each other. After going through the pony show with the first one I took one step and they expected me to go through the same thing with the next one. ~15 feet further on it was repeated again. And then another 6 feet after that. After the second one I refused to play their silly game. They didn't really seem to know what to do with someone telling them to just sod right off.

Now that we have GE there haven't been any questions from CBP agents but then again I don't remember a lot of questions in recent years before. I think once or twice we were asked how long had we been out of the country but in thirty years of International travel I've never had any real issues or a search of my luggage. Had one agent get cute about a London Fog trench coat, as if I was smuggling one coat at a time into the US, and one question where I got my Japanese made watch but that been about it over the years. Oh yeah.....my favorite was the agent who asked me what state was I born in and I said Washington, DC. He launched into this geography/history lesson about DC not being a state. Whatever....... :rolleyes:

The airline can refuse you transport as per their contract of carriage. I am not sure if the security contractor personal can refuse boarding themselves. My guess the final decision is in the hands of the local airline management.

As echoed by others here just answer there pointless questions and move on. You are just an extra in their security theater show.

Sure, you may refuse. But just like TSA, if something comes up they will "refer" you to folks who are vested with discretionary decision making authority and who can easily ruin your entire day if not trip.

There's a good reason for this - you've had access to your checked bags, so you could, in theory, take out items that are allowed for checked luggage, but not for carry-on cabin baggage.