Tchiowa

The first story and the BBC story differ in one major aspect. The first story said that they people handed over their passports to check in and the agent said one was missing. The BBC story said they got their boarding passes but didn't realize one was missing until after they had left the podium and tried to go through security.

And a second change in the story. First story said it was found on a baggage carousel. BBC said it was found in the arrivals hall and someone is guessing that it was on a baggage carousel.

Here is a completely plausible scenario. Group checks in. Passports and boarding passes handed back. One or two people are reviewing them all. One person puts their passport in their pocket and when asked to produce it later doesn't remember. Can't find it. Trip is cancelled. People file complaints. Then the person realizes the passport is in their pocket. So then they toss it on the floor in a non-secure area so they don't have to admit it was their screw up.

FlyingNone

My guess is the passport was accidentally dropped ON THE WAY INTO THE TERMINAL...ground floor (baggage) area ? Not likely it rode on top of the bag at check-in and then through the system and was then found in a baggage area.

People need to pay attention instead of being so quick to blame United. Wish I had a dollar for everyone that swears they handed me their passport and then they find it (after my urging to look in their pocket or purse or carryon). Never an apology, just a lot of giggling and "oh, here it is". You just walked up to me, how could you not know you didn't hand it to me ?

pmarrsouth

Im sure this would fly with U.S. CBP once they landed in the USA

sgfood

It does if US passport holder.

Landed at IAH from CUN, 2006 with passport missing. Agents asked me a few questions ( one of which I blew) and after checking my drivers license told me 'welcome home'.

No big deal at all if they have you in the database, though I would agree with you with an overseas passenger.

5khours

Americans don't require passports to travel in or out of the U.S. The CBP nearly needs to verify citizenship, which they can do with or without documentation. Foreigners are an entirely different matter.

As to the OP... stuff happens. I think most experienced travelers keep a pretty close eye on their passport at all times. Inexperienced travelers not so much. Too bad for the family. As to who's at fault... who knows.

WineCountryUA

And most likely we will never know but for PR reasons UA needs to accommodate the family.

allenkeys

I know there are some inconsistencies in this story, but I doubt this is the case. At MAN, there is a security/passport check at the United check-in area, immediately before the check-in counters. Whichever story you read, the loss appears to be after this, and during or after check-in. At MAN, the only place passports are required to be shown after check-in is immediately prior to boarding (boarding passes only are required to get through security screening, you don't even show ID). It is quite possible that they could have gone back down to the arrivals hall after check-in (there is a caf� serving cooked breakfast there for instance), so it could genuinely have been left there before they continued through security, and not known until boarding that they had lost it.

However, the baggage claim area at MAN is not accessible from the main terminal by the general public apart from arriving passengers, and therefore not possible for them to have 'dropped it' there. Even domestic flights are subject to customs screening as passengers may have connected from an international flight.

joshwex90

Which would indicate that the passenger didn't commit something out of malice (as disgustingly presumed by some).

Instead, it's entirely possible that it accidentally fell on the baggage belt at check-in or that a UA agent dropped it accidentally.

BBC article says that UA offered tickets for next year. Hopefully, they can accommodate the family well and maybe refund the non-refundables from the non-flown trip.

goalie

TOPIC DRIFT ALERT

I've deleted several off topic posts and with that, let's stay focused on the issue at hand

goalie
UA Forum Co-Moderator

FlyingNone

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Okay, being that I am unfamiliar with MAN airport, your explanation makes sense. Unfortunately we will never know exactly what happened. Still, I think passengers should be acutely alert when their documents/ valuables/ credit cards/ tickets/ passports etc. cross hands back and forth with anyone else. However, I'll cut them some slack because this can (and probably has) happened to most of us. Truthfully I've seen it happen so many times (people losing sight of things right in front of them so to speak), denying the error, refusing to look around for their stuff (that, I will never understand ??). In fairness, I've also seen airline employees getting distracted, talking to coworkers while the passport, credit card etc. are not handed back then necessitating finding the passenger (at security or the gate or worse, the food court). Scarey.

Mama

United was not responsible for anything other than what the laws require, and they certainly do not care what you lose or what problem you may have. People are just making fool of themselves if they expect more from United.

joshwex90

And if the law requires UA to offer stuff, then people are not making a "fool."
And UA has already offered them new tickets

flyingwish

A couple of years ago we were in Bangkok. We were running late so I went ahead to the Airline check-in counter and my wife was riding the moving escalator with her passport in hand. Suddenly the lady in front of her lost control of her cart and it started rolling back. My wife tried to avoid getting hit by the back moving cart but dropped her passport in the process to several floors below. She searched for it frantically and I helped her but we could not locate it. We sought help of the airport police who found it several hours later.
Needless to say we missed our flight, had to get a hotel for the night since that particular airline had only one flight a day. No other flights were leaving at that time to our destination (Mumbai). Our tickets were non-refundable and the airline refused to accommodate us on the next day as they claimed (rightly) that it was not their fault. So, we had to buy new tickets to continue our journey.
I just wanted to share my experience sine we do not know what happened in this case. Maybe we will find out.

kettle1

Good for UA! They made it right, by issuing new tickets.

Always have copies of your passport. Always.

joshwex90

Not sure a copy would have helped in this case though