Mike Jacoubowsky

When I hear anything about security or procedures and SIN in the same paragraph, there is a simple phrase that comes to mind from someone I know who lived there for for a few years.

"It's Singapore."

Everything weird is explained that way. It just is, if Singapore has anything to do with it. True, this didn't happen in Singapore, but it was in the mix.

Beyond that, I don't get the big gripe here. You travel internationally, and once in a while security and procedures get unexplainably-weird. The "why me?" sometimes, others you wonder "why them?" But in the end nearly-always you arrive at your destination when you had planned to, despite the odd thing here & there.

If flying needs to be so boring and routine that you can sleep-walk through check-in, security and boarding, then maybe take some sedatives ahead of time. The alternative is to look for things out of the ordinary and think, that's interesting, what's the rationale for that? Guess the main reason things like this don't bother me is because I enjoy watching people and figuring out how things work.

flyingnosh

My guess: (1) OP was pulled aside not because of his citizenship but because he was traveling to an international destination, and (2) OP's boarding pass did not indicate that a doc check was already performed, therefore it needed to be done at the gate.

With regard to bin space on an ERJ-145, if you want bin space, stay away from rows 1, 2, 3 regardless of your boarding group.

If there were separate lines for group 1/2 and group 3/4/5, then OP could have just walked up the group 1/2 line after the doc check, bypassing whoever was boarding at the time.

rankourabu

The OP was flying EWR-YYZ - Like it or not, its mandatory to present a passport at the gate for cross-border flights, its not a UA-only rule
It doesnt matter if you are from a 'decent' country or not.

oh the humanity... bin space on a E145 (which there isnt any for seat 2A anyway)

fastair

To make sure you have it when boarding the plane and it's your passport. Lose it from that point onward, it's still gonna be obtainable at your destination with a quick search, lose it before that point (after checkin) you won't have it when u need it. A person at a terminal w/both domestic and intl departures without a boarding check could also switch boarding passes with someone who has nefarious intent and person b could board on person a's ticket to a place that perhaps, the government doesn't want person b. A check at boarding eliminates both of these issues. In addition, redundant checks, while far from efficient, do reduce failures.

sinoflyer

In every other country that I've been to, not only are international passengers segregated from domestic passengers (usually in a separate terminal), clearly telling me that I am not one of them, but I still have to show my passport at the gate even though I have had already shown my passport at check-in and then again at immigration. But I guess because it's a country not called USA, they must be doing things the right way.

SEA1K4EVR

When I read the thread title I thought the OP was going to say the GA announced "citizens from xxx or xxx are welcome to board at this time". Now that would have been an interesting thread. But this one...not so much.

bmwe92fan

After 911 - Status and booked cabin are basically irrelevant when flying from the US (YMMV). And when you are transiting a THIRD country to get to your destination I've found that this is normal these days when the originating country is the US - I have taken this exact routing many times and now ALWAYS go to the gate in advance and ask if they are doing a doc check if I don't get the stamp at the lounge....

You need to understand that the US - Like Israel and a few other countries - now operate under a very different set of security protocols than the rest of the world - and when Japan or HKG or SIN has its buidlings destroyed by terrorists and thousands of citizens die perhaps they will "tighten" their security protocols as well - until then I keep my mouth shut and understand that this is the price I have to pay for travelling interntionally from the US and for having the priveledge of being able to live here.

jetaway96

If I get a dollar for every passenger who cried out that they loose their passport after boarding, I will be rich. At least I know that they had their passport when they board so it either in the jet way if they dropped it or on the plane. I don't see anything wrong with the CS part. However, the culture different could trigger the misunderstanding.

adambrau

First of all, what strikes me the most, is that Americans are generally known as being geographically challenged - that is a stereotype and I am American (proudly).

Not sure what your passport was, but you would think the gate Agent would know of the top of their head that your passport was valid for entry into Canada. After that it is BR's responsibility about where they take you next.

Just thinking a little deeper (looking at it from the gate agent's perspective) if he/she makes a mistake it will definitely cost UA and I'm sure be written up in their file. Remember UA is trying to cut 2 billion off operating costs so you're not exactly going to be popular with your boss if you let something slip which incurs a fine. Not all agent's go home and read the Timatic every night (joke), but if it was a more junior agent their training probably didn't count for much. I see the stress the front line employees are under, and I really blame management for taking a 3 year nap.

For those of us who still choose to fly with UA, there is anecdotal evidence that we're on a very gradual uptick.

I'm a NY'er and not what you would term shy. But I will say without a doubt, IMHO, of all UA hubs I find EWR has the most hostile checkin/ ticketing / club/gate agents of any. It is common to be yelled at when I turn up at the wrong checkin counter, where you would most likely be doing all the work yourself on a Kiosk. How many levels does EWR have (like 5 with all those weird half levels and elevators, escalators, stairs), and checkin scattered all over the place. And constantly changed. It still confuses me, and I'm a reasonably seasoned traveler (but perhaps multitasking a bit to much so fault could lie at my feet too!).

Terminal C, while not exactly a Zurich Hong Kong or Singapore, has a few components which are actually quite nice. Global Entry and Pre-Check are awesome (obviously not unique to EWR). There are a few half-decent eateries which are convenient if you want to eat before you get on the plane and the terminal has a somewhat airy feel to it once you get past security.

Anyway, hope you had a good trip on BR. I hear they are a fantastic airline

rankourabu

Let me guess, you also believe the TSA works

Except that checking passports at the gate has NOTHING to do with security, but with airline responsibility (and cost) of having someone denied entry at the destination because documents were not checked.

And the procedures are exactly the same in Japan or HKG or SIN - where documents are checked before you are allowed to fly for the very reason.

bmwe92fan

LOL Like any US airline has been able to use TSA incompetence as defense?

The airlines - not the TSA - are fined if they allow boarding and deliver a passenger that is "against" current rules - so yes I'm ok if they play it cautious - which is why I understand this fact and always ask at the desk before boarding to prevent situations just as this....

Have you ever flown to Israel - have you ever seen the secondary security they go through? Does this have nothing to do with security or do you honestly believe it's all a cost avoidance strategy?

bmwe92fan

Oh come on man do you honestly believe what you typed? Forget the fact that anyone can show a US drivers license and get through US security - do you honestly believe it's all about cost?

AirborneCattleCar

Because in many situations, the carrier is liable for return carriage of a visitor denied entry, and avoiding that situation as much as possible is good business?

Shareholder

Actually, as Rankourabu noted, it is standard practice on flights to Canada from the US that all passports are checked prior to boarding, agents generally make an announcement to go to the counter to have them checked. This is irrespective of the country that issued your passport. Since I do such flights on UA, AC and AA just about every month, I always ensure I get to the gate from the lounge prior to the boarding time and go to the counter to show my passport (Canadian...and proud to let anyone know that rather important fact the OP seems overly reluctant to reveal). OP may have been using the UC and missed the gate announcement about having their passport checked at the counter, thus incurring the check as he boarded.

So this is actually a normal procedure for such transborder flights and had nothing to do with the nationality of the OP or his passport. Much ado about nothing!

Shareholder

Yes, I believe this is the issue. TSA receives manifests from all airline flights leaving or entering the USA 24-hours prior to flight and again prior to boarding to review names on the list. The passport ID check is required both by the airline to ensure they are not transporting someone who will be turned back and by foreign governments who still insist this form of ID be used to confirm the identity of boarding passengers. The US has done away with this stage of ID (with government photo ID), but most other countries still have not.