Redneckslim From Congo (Brazzaville), joined Sep 2005, 97 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 5379 times:
After I checked in at the counter in LAX for a NWA flt to NRT, I put my passport away and took my boarding pass up to the gate, As I was walking to the gate I was paged by the gate agent and again asked for my passport, I followed the agent over to an unused terminal and she entered my data and all I could read was the bottom of the screen saying something about " this is the most up to date information... yada yada yada.." and a male NWA agent came over and asked me to step aside (not watch the read out on the screen) and was rude as hell, as was the woman who re entered my passport. I was handed my passport and a NEW boarding pass! different seat with no explanation ( I got an upper deck so that was fine with me) what's going on here? just feels creepy after flying 40 years with this A/L. Whats up here?
Nwajetset From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 139 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 5336 times:
Why do you think that you were being spied on? I mean what gave you that impression? The caption you read at the bottom of the agent's screen is always there, it's on the NWA passenger website, and the telephone system as well. As for the male agent, well, I'm sad to say he's probably just a jerk. We've got a couple of those. Don't take it personally.
I'm guessing what happened to you was simply a routine seat change. There was probably a couple or family traveling together, and by reseating you upstairs, they were able to seat the other people together. That happens all the time. I'm not an agent, I'm a flight attendant, but I would bet that was all it was.
I'm curious why your situation gave you that impression? Did they say something odd or ask you unusual questions?
Jetdeltamsy From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 2984 posts, RR: 8 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 5308 times:
It's entirely possible that someone with the same name as you is on the TSA No Fly List.
Your ID information has to be properly imputed into your PNR and then queued to Corporate Security for clearance. While imputing the data can take a few minutes to get it precisely correct, the clearance process, once queued to Corporate Security is usually automated and processed almost instantaneously.
That's my guess as to what was going on. As to why your actual seat number was reassigned, that's anybodies guess.
Worked for too many airlines to list. Banktupcy after bankruptcy after bankruptcy.
Nwajetset From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 139 posts, RR: 3 Reply 3, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 5282 times:
JetDelta, If this was the case, wouldn't you think they would have investigated it a bit? Asked him questions? Something? Just move him into a different seat? What would that accomplish? I have to believe that if he did have a name that raised a red flag, he would have been well aware of it. Again, I'm only speculating, your point of view is interesting.
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21029 posts, RR: 60 Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 5070 times:
Dude, you shouldn't try to read the screen. That isn't your right. By peaking over their shoulder during a check, you probably creeped them out, so before you get all excited, think about that next time. When people are doing screening and checks, they don't like the person being screened/checked looking over their shoulder trying to spy on them. That's what you were doing.
Glad you got a better seat.
You ever think that they paged you because they double assigned a seat or were looking to move you so they could put a group together? This does happen sometimes. But if they bring you back, they have to check your passport again before they can give you a new boarding pass.
They may have been rude because you were trying to watch what they were doing, or just because they were busy, or they were jerks, or who really knows? But I've found in life that when more than one person is rude to me at one time, it's usually something I did wrong, or something out of my control, not that both people just happened to be jerks.
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
YOWza From Canada, joined Jul 2005, 4781 posts, RR: 17 Reply 6, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 5010 times:
Quoting Bestpilot (Reply 4): how about Air France putting microphones in the business class of some of their longhaul aircraft to spy on business travelers?
huh? Is there somewhere I could find out more about this, or is this just a rumour?
Dc10s4ever From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 4687 times:
For International travel airlines are REQUIRED to collect your passport information, (APIS), and enter it into the computer. This information is typically transmitted to customs/immigration at the downline city so they have an idea of who is comming. The response you saw on the screen was likely the typical respons from NW's computer system. AA's respons with **UPDATE COMPLETE** after we enter passport data.
As far as the seat change??? cant answer that one for you.
StarGoldLHR From Heard and McDonald Islands, joined Feb 2004, 1529 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 4687 times:
Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 5): Dude, you shouldn't try to read the screen. That isn't your right.
Actually in the UK (for any airline) or any British airline, you could be wrong including any flights to/from/via the UK. We have laws protecting our rights to know electronic information being held about us by other companies...
it's called the Data Protection Act... if they electronically store it.. you have the right to see it.
So far in 2008 45 flights and Gold already. JFK, IAD, LGA, SIN, HKG, NRT, AKL, PPT, LAX still to book ! Home Airport LCY
StarGoldLHR From Heard and McDonald Islands, joined Feb 2004, 1529 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 4670 times:
Quoting YOWza (Reply 6): how about Air France putting microphones in the business class of some of their longhaul aircraft to spy on business travelers?
And US airlines fitting secret cameras to their planes in the 1980's to watch places of interest below.
So far in 2008 45 flights and Gold already. JFK, IAD, LGA, SIN, HKG, NRT, AKL, PPT, LAX still to book ! Home Airport LCY
3201 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 4630 times:
Quoting Nwajetset (Reply 3): Just move him into a different seat? What would that accomplish?
Upper deck -- get him closer to the flight deck door, so it's more likely he could succeed in doing something sinister -- not likely!
Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 5): They may have been rude because you were trying to watch what they were doing, or just because they were busy, or they were jerks, or who really knows?
Maybe because they live in LA.
Seriously, I remember agents being condescending as if whatever they were doing was top secret and a matter of great national importance 15 years before 911 when they barely considered security, this is probably just one of those.
Smokescreen From Canada, joined Jul 2005, 230 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 4476 times:
Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 5): Dude, you shouldn't try to read the screen. That isn't your right.
Are you sure about that? I'm not a lawyer, but I thought customers had a right to view any and all information collected about them by a company and/or government agency (provided the latter isn't classified of course). If they don't, they certainly should.
ManchesterMAN From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 1192 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (7 years 1 month 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 4175 times:
If you were travelling on a Congo passport they may have just wanted to give it an extra check as they seem to be very thorough with passports not issued by a select few countries on GWB's buddy list.
B707Stu From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 918 posts, RR: 4 Reply 17, posted (7 years 1 month 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 2282 times:
Quoting Redneckslim (Thread starter): I was handed my passport and a NEW boarding pass! different seat with no explanation ( I got an upper deck so that was fine with me) what's going on here? just feels creepy after flying 40 years with this A/L. Whats up here?
Similar to an experience I wrote about from a 12/31/05 trip on CO MAN-EWR. Turns out my name was erroneously on the list. After being stopped I was upgraded. I'm not sure if you were upgraded but I was told by an airline employee who I trust (not CO) that upgrading someone they wish to watch is the Standard Operating Procedure. It was confirmed to me by an Air Marshall I met at JFK while waiting for a trip to LAX a few weeks ago. Your name triggered something so they wanted to know where you were at all times. You're not paranoid.
Jetdeltamsy From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 2984 posts, RR: 8 Reply 18, posted (7 years 1 month 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1919 times:
Quoting Redneckslim (Thread starter): she entered my data and all I could read was the bottom of the screen saying something about " this is the most up to date information...
Quoting Nwajetset (Reply 3): JetDelta, If this was the case, wouldn't you think they would have investigated it a bit? Asked him questions? Something?
No. Once the data is matched against the name list maintained by the carrier, and it's found to NOT be the person the feds are watching, nothing else is done. No questions. No nothing.
Generally the customer doesn't even know what has happened. The customer is asked for his/her driver's license or passport, the info is put in in a simple entry (i.e. passport or driver's license#/country or state of issue/date of birth/gender of peron/name of person) and the record queued to the Security Department. The clearing process is also automated, taking less than one second.....as long as the info demonstrates the person is not the person being watched.
Like I said, if the agent knows what he/she is doing, the cusotmer never even knows the check has taken place.
Worked for too many airlines to list. Banktupcy after bankruptcy after bankruptcy.
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