FlyerTalk Forums - AA flight diverted due to concern over a frequent-flyer passenger

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19724283/

Quote:

NEW YORK - A flight from Los Angeles to London was diverted to New York early Thursday because of what officials said may have been unfounded fears of a security breach.

A flight attendant on the American Airlines plane apparently became suspicious of a male passenger because there was “some confusion as to whether the man was properly security screened” before boarding the Heathrow Airport-bound flight at Los Angeles International Airport, a law enforcement official said.

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“The individual in question was, in fact, an employee who was traveling in a private capacity,” Chertoff told CNN, saying he had gotten information from airline representatives. “It may very well turn out that this is nothing more than a misunderstanding with an employee.”

When I saw the TV news during the day, it was reported that the passenger was actually an AAdvantage Executive Platinum. The FA thougt he/she saw this passenger on an employee bus going to the airplane, then saw him on the flight, and so was concerned about whether this passenger was properly screened.

Now it appears it's all just a big misunderstanding. My questions would be:
1. Are employees not screened in the same way as the passengers?
2. Why not talk to the passenger first, check out his credentials, before diverting a flight? Couldn't they have called the ground to verify his record?
3. Lots of airline employees also fly on personal trips. Why was this FA so alarmed by this particular passenger? Did he looked different?