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Singled out for document verification on an international flight?

Singled out for document verification on an international flight?

Old Sep 7, 2014, 12:30 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by bmwe92fan
do you honestly believe it's all about cost?
I hope so, because it's 100% true.

Originally Posted by Shareholder
Actually it is common practice on flights to Canada from the US that all passports are checked prior to boarding
I've found it's airport-dependent. I always see this at SFO, but rarely at other airports.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 12:37 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by nanyang
Your thoughts?
Clearly the OP is an experienced traveler. He/she made a complaint to UA and received 5K miles. I think that was generous of UA and the OP should move on in life. Happy travels.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 12:39 pm
  #33  
 
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Agree with most others, nothing was done wrongly and I'm surprised UA gave you some miles for your complaint. Doc checks are standard, and sometimes are re-checked again at the counter and/or at the jetbridge. No harm, no foul.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 12:52 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by 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?
As the other posters have noted - yes I do - because its 100% true.

It is all about the potential accountability if a person without proper documentation to enter the country at the desitnation. It costs the airline dearly, not only in returning the pax, but in fines.

You believe that the United gate agent is actually a layer of security?
With that reasoning, shouldnt IDs be checked at every jetway, not just when boarding intl E145s?

Isnt ID checking the responsibility of the smurf podium as a layer of security?

Originally Posted by mahasamatman
I hope so, because it's 100% true.

I've found it's airport-dependent. I always see this at SFO, but rarely at other airports.
Unfortunatelly, I've taken a few barbie jets from IAD or EWR, and passports have always been checked.
Passports are even checked at YYZ, even though one has already entered the US.
Them are the rules, even if they make no sense
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 1:13 pm
  #35  
 
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Don't know for sure the exact circumstances of the reason pulled aside but some things to keep in mind:

1. When traveling to Canada, Canadian law requires that all pax passports be rechecked before boarding. Specific to that country.

2. If we don't see DOCs ok on a boarding pass we have to make sure that you are clear to enter that country. Remember that the GA is your exit Immigration officer from the US.

3. We ask to see your passport or have it out so that we and you know that you have it with you. Easier to take a minute of your time when boarding vs sending you on a roundtrip to SYD and back because you misplaced your passport in the US.

4. Not all agents work international flights. We may send you back to get checked as we don't have all the world passports and visa requirements for all countries memorized.

5. If you have a paper boarding pass make sure someone on the boarding pass it states DOCs Ok.

Hope these help to answer some of the questions to why we do what we do at the gate.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 1:18 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by 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?
Difference between domestic, which is what you're talking about, and international. International carries the risk that if the documents aren't correct the airline can be fined and they are responsible for getting the passenger back to his original departure point. Yes, that's about cost.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 1:46 pm
  #37  
 
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I read some saying here that passport check at counter just before boarding is a Canada specific requirement. It is not Canada specific, at-least for the countries I have traveled to. For all my UA (or non UA) flights to Canada, India, Brazil and Germany from the US, all passengers were asked to step up to the counter at boarding area where their documents were re-examined and their boarding pass initialed by the GA. This is regardless of whether their documents were examined at the check-in counter.

So a question to OP is if he/she had his passport rechecked at the boarding area or not? If no then UA did nothing wrong here, but if he had (and his BP was initialed) then this is something to be discussed about.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:02 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by Tchiowa
Difference between domestic, which is what you're talking about, and international. International carries the risk that if the documents aren't correct the airline can be fined and they are responsible for getting the passenger back to his original departure point. Yes, that's about cost.
Lol I show my us drivers license every time at check in and have never been denied access to my flight - what are you talking about? In order to get on a plane to a foreign country you have to show a passport - and OP apparently didn't do that plain and simple - it's not about cost it's about the rules plain and simple....
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:02 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
You believe that the United gate agent is actually a layer of security?
The FAA and the TSA (as well as the airlines) think so. Most of your post I agree with, but if you believe they aren't many regulators responsible for security would tell you you are wrong.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:07 pm
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by 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).
Yeah, they probably had never heard of Finland and were wondering why the passport was embossed with snowflakes and has a running moose when you flip the pages.
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:09 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by fastair
The FAA and the TSA (as well as the airlines) think so. Most of your post I agree with, but if you believe they aren't many regulators responsible for security would tell you you are wrong.
So settle it for us once and for all
a) passports are checked because its the rule to Canada
b) passports are checked because the airline doesnt want to pay fines/costs of return
c) passports are checked because "places like Japan and Hong Kong never had thousands of citizens die in a terrorist attack, so their security protocols are lax."
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:13 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
So settle it for us once and for all
a) passports are checked because its the rule to Canada
b) passports are checked because the airline doesnt want to pay fines/costs of return
c) passports are checked because "places like Japan and Hong Kong never had thousands of citizens die in a terrorist attack, so their security protocols are lax."
You know that last point is a cheap shot.... I was making a point that certain countries - bc of certain security issues - look at things differently than others - and yes the US has very different transit rules than most countries - that's a FACT - like it or not there's a good reason for it - even if as OP found out it's not so convenient....
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:17 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by bmwe92fan
and yes the US has very different transit rules than most countries - that's a FACT - like it or not there's a good reason for it - even if as OP found out it's not so convenient....
You still dont get it - the OP was not even transiting the USA.

The passport rule in fact, as proven by a person who actually works UA gates, actually a Canadian requirement (because we love beaurocracy and pointless rules) - and has nothing to do with the "good reasons" that you seem to think exist in the USA.

And at last, many have already told you, that it is all about the costs that may be associated, and nothing to do with "good reasons" or "certain security issues"

Think about it logically, the OP was LEAVING the US. If the OP was a "certain security issue" - should the OP not have been identified as such when ENTERING the USA, or when going thru security?
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:24 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
You still dont get it - the OP was not even transiting the USA.

The passport rule in fact, as proven by a person who actually works UA gates, actually a Canadian requirement (because we love beaurocracy and pointless rules) - and has nothing to do with the "good reasons" that you seem to think exist in the USA.

And at last, many have already told you, that it is all about the costs that may be associated, and nothing to do with "good reasons" or "certain security issues"

Think about it logically, the OP was LEAVING the US. If the OP was a "certain security issue" - should the OP not have been identified as such when ENTERING the USA, or when going thru security?
Come on - show me the rule where any person who is flying to a foreign country doesn't have to show a passport? Lol it's not Canada - it's just the way it is.... And OP is not a us citizen and is flying through a third country which may or may not be known on arrival by cbp - so what's your point - UA is protecting themselves by singling out someone who hasn't shown proper documentation to fly to a foreign destination? Or is it more likely they are enforcing proper us policy?
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Old Sep 7, 2014, 2:56 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by bmwe92fan
Lol it's not Canada - it's just the way it is....

And OP is not a us citizen and is flying through a third country which may or may not be known on arrival by cbp - so what's your point - UA is protecting themselves by singling out someone who hasn't shown proper documentation to fly to a foreign destination? Or is it more likely they are enforcing proper us policy?
Point 1 - from someone who actually knows what they are talking about

Originally Posted by Scott6067
Don't know for sure the exact circumstances of the reason pulled aside but some things to keep in mind:

1. When traveling to Canada, Canadian law requires that all pax passports be rechecked before boarding. Specific to that country.
Point 2 -
*What CBP? The OP was leaving the USA to Asia via Canada. What exactly does CPB have to do with this? You dont think the CBP would have asked on arrival, how long the OP is in the USA for, and where going afterwards? Clearly you havent entered the USA as a foreigner, and have no clue about the pleasantries exchanged with US CBP on arrival
*Singling out??? As explained by other posters, UA is obliged to check documentations, and if BP doesnt say DOCS OK - the GA is obliged to pull that person aside - whether it be one person or twenty people, whether they be american or from the moon
*Again, its not US policy
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