Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

[whoshotjimmi]

Whether he was consuming his own alcohol or not, for the flight to be diverted at such an early stage suggests that he was already well inebriated prior to boarding the aircraft which means that he passed through the gate, got on the plane, went through all the pre flight checks and take off before they realised there was a problem. We have seen this before from Jet2.

With regards ID, I was not checked at any point during the journey, from entering LBA to exiting LHR. I think in an age where security is such a big thing, a policy where a person can walk through an airport and take a flight without having ANY kind of ID check is very poor form, regardless of whether it is domestic or not. If the boarding card is the important part, I could easily have put any name at all on it. This was also not checked when entering the aircraft though it was done pre security and at the gate. I've got to say, I am a pretty seasoned traveller and I am shocked that British Airways does not know the identity of passengers on their planes nor does LBA know the identity of people entering their departure lounge. I wouldn't mind but I have been pulled to one side after security by the border control officers and questioned on numerous occasions as to my intentions so security is obviously taken seriously. So why not check my ID? It would take 3 seconds, if that. I even used the check in desk in the airport. Even there, it was not checked. I just handed over my booking reference.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

This post has been edited upon request and the resulting double post may therefore seem odd.

I absolutely stand by my point that by evolving policy and procedure and providing ongoing training, incidents like this can be averted almost totally. However, I do take into consideration the work and dedication of airline crew and the difficulties that drunken passengers can cause.

 

[Bigman]

I had an incident a few years ago when a rather inebriated woman basically assaulted someone on our flight from Newcastle to Zante. Very unpleasant for the rest of us, especially when we arrived and had to wait for the local plods to cuff her and drag her off. Could the gate staff not realise that she was already well over the 8??

 

[Seasider]

I am surprised that "whoshotjimmi" wasn't asked to show ID. Every time I have flown to LHR (or anywhere else for that matter) I have had my ID checked at the Gate.

 

[KARFA]

With regards ID, I was not checked at any point during the journey, from entering LBA to exiting LHR. I think in an age where security is such a big thing, a policy where a person can walk through an airport and take a flight without having ANY kind of ID check is very poor form, regardless of whether it is domestic or not. If the boarding card is the important part, I could easily have put any name at all on it. This was also not checked when entering the aircraft though it was done pre security and at the gate. I've got to say, I am a pretty seasoned traveller and I am shocked that British Airways does not know the identity of passengers on their planes nor does LBA know the identity of people entering their departure lounge. I wouldn't mind but I have been pulled to one side after security by the border control officers and questioned on numerous occasions as to my intentions so security is obviously taken seriously. So why not check my ID? It would take 3 seconds, if that. I even used the check in desk in the airport. Even there, it was not checked. I just handed over my booking reference.

Sorry but I think you are under the impression that you need ID to travel in the UK - which you certainly do not. Some airlines on domestic routes impose their own policy of asking you to show ID but this is for revenue protection, not because they have to do so by law. Why does BA need to check your identity on a domestic flight?

BA's policy is that if you do not have bags to check in you do not have to provide ID to them at any stage of the process at the airport. Obviously there is a boarding pass check just before security and again at the gate, but that is it. If you do have to check a bag they require you to show ID but this can be anything from a credit card, driver licence, even your BAEC card.

When departing from LHR or LGW on a domestic BA flight the process is slightly different since you mix with transit passengers. At both those airports you get a photo taken at the boarding pass check just before security and this is reconciled with your boarding pass at the gate to ensure the person boarding is the one who entered the airport with that boarding pass. There is no check of ID though.

I have travelled on BA domestic routes (MAN, LBA, EDI, GLA) many times and I have not been asked for ID, and nor do I expect to be asked. I am perfectly happy with that policy and clearly the CAA, the airports, and other authorities are perfectly happy with BA's policy on its many domestic routes.

 

[ls27]

I once flew to Gatwick from LBA and they accepted my bus pass for ID purposes

 

[Tarn Spotter]

I would have thought there must be some ID check to ensure the person who has checked in hold luggage travels with the flight. Luggage is not supposed to travel if the passenger does not. How does BA maintain this safety check.
They surely need to ensure those with hold bags are ID on to the plane.
I know at LBA last year traveling to Malaga we were pulled off the plane as the flaps not working. After 45 minutes in the terminal we were called to reload. Four passenger refused to travel as we had been told not a fault just an incorrect indiacation on the control panel. Once on board the Captain apologised for the first delay and also for the fact we would be held up whilst the cases for these four were located (the four passengers waited until they got off the bus at the aircraft before they refused to board) so most of us passengers were aware of the situation. The captain hope we realised the subsequent delay was for our own safety, which we did.

 

[cmj]

I think the implication was you didn't need ID if you were travelling 'hand luggage only'. However if you check a bag I guess that would be linked to the boarding pass (or issue it when you drop the bag) who is travelling, so if that boarding pass isn't used to board the plane, the bag need to come off.

 

[KARFA]

I would have thought there must be some ID check to ensure the person who has checked in hold luggage travels with the flight. Luggage is not supposed to travel if the passenger does not. How does BA maintain this safety check.

Because like every other airline there is a boarding pass check at the gate. If you have checked bags and you do not board then your boarding pass would not be scanned at the gate and your bags would be removed.

 

[Aviador]

I would have thought there must be some ID check to ensure the person who has checked in hold luggage travels with the flight. Luggage is not supposed to travel if the passenger does not. How does BA maintain this safety check.
They surely need to ensure those with hold bags are ID on to the plane.
I know at LBA last year traveling to Malaga we were pulled off the plane as the flaps not working. After 45 minutes in the terminal we were called to reload. Four passenger refused to travel as we had been told not a fault just an incorrect indiacation on the control panel. Once on board the Captain apologised for the first delay and also for the fact we would be held up whilst the cases for these four were located (the four passengers waited until they got off the bus at the aircraft before they refused to board) so most of us passengers were aware of the situation. The captain hope we realised the subsequent delay was for our own safety, which we did.

It's your boarding card that is used for checking you are on board with your luggage. Your boarding card is the most important document you need to get on board an aircraft. Your passport comes in handy from time to time to get into countries. Your driver's licence and bus pass can come in useful too, but they're not going to get you on board an aircraft. The amount of times I have seen people clinging onto their passports with dear life yet they carry their boarding card loosely hanging out of their pocket like as if it was an old receipt or something. Unbelievable.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Unless you check everyones ID on boarding how to you know the person with hold luggage on board. The boarding card of the hold luggage passenger could quite easily be handed to another passenger who has cabin luggage only and the boarding card will be in the pile, it does not mean the passenger is. It may be the cabin luggage passenger is known to authorities, the hold a clean passenger.
Obviously you will be one passenger down on the count, but this will be a cabin only luggage person. They only do a PA with the name of the passenger missing, if he does not identify himself, I have never known a full ID of the planes passengers.

 

[cmj]

I've not flown for a while, but I think I've always had my ID checked on boarding. I seem to recall part of the announcement to go to the gate tells you to have you boarding pass ready and passport open at the picture page, or words to that effect.

If you hand your boarding card to someone else then that bag will be 'yours' in the eyes of the system, it wouldn't be any different from you checking in someone else's bag.

 

[Seasider]

I've not flown for a while, but I think I've always had my ID checked on boarding. I seem to recall part of the announcement to go to the gate tells you to have you boarding pass ready and passport open at the picture page, or words to that effect.

100% agreement with you. From my experience it has been boarding pass to get through security, Boarding pass and passport (Photo ID) at the gate and boarding pass on board if there is a problem with seat allocation.
I the past 6 months I have been through DSA/WAW/CRL/OTP/LPL/IOM/AMS and that has been the procedure at each one.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

CMJ: If the bags full of explosives and goes off and the passenger on board known to the authorities, but not the one booking in the hold case, are we going to be so laid back and say a full ID check not required. When the plane blown out the sky were going to wonder how the bag got there. I am not interested in whos bag it is, just that the person who booked it in on the plane with it.
I am only interested in a terrorists bags, not drugs mules etc.
Surely we have to monitor people through the whole system, terrorists spend there whole time trying to beat the system.

 

[Aviador]

In which case the bag will have processed through security screening.

Tarn Spotter, having spent more than 15 years working at LBA working for the security team I think I am qualified enough to say this. I'll repeat it. Your boarding card is the only document that is important. It is the only document you need to pass through security and board an aircraft. Only a boarding card or airport pass can allow a person to access the Critical Part of the airport or airside as most people refer to it as.

Only on completion of online checks can you print off your boarding cards. Alternatively you will provide the necessary documents to check in staff at the airport prior to getting your boarding passes given to you. As previously mentioned, these requirements are different for each airline.

You then proceed through security and have all of your belongings screened including all the bags you are carrying.

In the meantime the baggage handlers are arriving at work and are being screened in exactly the same way that you are screened along with any belongings they bring with them.

Any checked in luggage is added to the flight manifest and then matched up and counted onto the hold of the aircraft. I've done that job too so again, I think I know what I'm talking about.

The UK currently follows EU directives such as EC300 an EC175, a standard implemented throughout the EU. Unless something changes, when the UK leaves the EU it is highly likely the rules will stay exactly the same. The EU could insist aircraft travelling from outside the EU arriving within the EU must meet the requirements or any subsequent requirements implemented after Brexit.

There will always be grey areas. The safest way to travel by air would be to ban hand and checked in luggage. This just wouldn't be acceptable to either the travelling public or the airline industry. It's about striking a balance and that is what we have right now.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

I may being thick, but I cant see how you can check that a person who books in hold luggage using a passport and printed boarding card, is the same person who boards the aircraft, if only the boarding card used.
If the boarding card passed to someone else, unless you check their photo ID again as they board, you cant be sure the same person, or am I missing something.
Until a recent sale I had a number of warehouses with intensive security systems. Twent years ago enterence to security areas were controlled by bar coded photo ID card and pin number. We found employees in areas they should not be as they had swapped cards with someone for a card with access to this area and passed on their pin. We installed eye definition readers at every control point, which also had a reader to ensure just one person walked through, we found it impossible to control without a unique individual form of ID. Paper and card systems dont work, you have to track the person by some unique characteristic, eyes, finger prints etc.

 

[Aviador]

Like I said, there will always be grey areas but no system is impenetrable. There are more stringent measures available if the relevant authorities think they are necessary and usually only implemented when the threat level rises to Critical. These measures can vary depending on the threat. That is probably as much as I am able to divulge and in anycase such measures will probably have already altered since I left the airport a couple of years ago.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I am absolutely not under the impression that you must have ID to travel within the UK however considering the security threat level in the UK, considering world events and considering the changing strategy of active terrorism, I find it deeply concerning that a person can get on a plane without anyone having the blindest idea as to who you are, particularly as the flight was to the one of the most terrorist sensitive locations on the planet. More so, a fellow passenger I befriended on the flight also voiced her concerns (of her own accord, I might add) about the lack of a check, suggesting that this is something that concerns people in general. I can only repeat, I could have put any name I wished on my booking and my boarding pass and nobody would have been any the wiser. But hey ho. I don't think it is really worth arguing about and I'm not suggesting that the security process was anything other than highly professional.

 

[Aviador]

The last time used Jet2 the booking process included entering my passport number to legitimise the booking and subsequent printing of my boarding card. I'm not sure what process is undertaken for a domestic flight but like "cmj" I have always had an ID checked at the point of boarding where I have been asked to present my boarding card along with my Passport open at the photograph page.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Think you will find BA are about the only airline that do not insist on any form of ID for domestics.