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I just returned from Europe, and my last flight was from Vienna to O'Hare.
At the Vienna airport we had our passports checked three times before we even made it to the gate check in.
While waiting in line for the gate check in, a young woman was also in line. She had no passport or other ID, only a letter with US Embassy of Republic of Serbia letterhead.
The gate agent looked over the letter and pointed out that her name was not on the letter. It was a short, generic statement stating something to the effect of "Please allow this passenger to fly to The United States." The gate agent read it out loud to the prospective passenger, pointing out that her name did not appear on the letter. She had no ID of any type.
Two of the gate agents huddled and discussed this with the first gate agent. Then one of the agents called someone on the phone and explained the situation. He received the word that she was not allowed to fly since her name wasn't mentioned on the letter and she didn't have a passport.
The other passengers in the immediate area, who had seen this unfold, were relieved that she wasn't allowed to board the plane
But I would like to know how in the world she was permitted to make it past the three passport checks without ID?
Where did you have your passport checked three times? And by whom? Airline employee for example are often checking it at check-in and before check-in and ask some questions but that has nothing to do with official passport control. For within- schengen flights there is often no check at all, just automated gates where you put your mobile boarding pass. But when leaving the schengen zone, there is one official passport control, so she had to be checked at least once. Maybe she just used a passport or id from her home country and then pretended she had lost it because she wasnt eligible for us immigration anyways. But austrian border control does not care if she is eligible to enter the US. She may thought she cannot trick official border control but some stupid airline staff checking the visa.
There was a security guard who was checking ID before we were allowed to get into the TSA security check line. Then we had to show passport and boarding pass to the TSA agency at the line. Then after the TSA check a border agent checked it.
TSA in Austria?? or just Austria Airport Security?
The airline is the one who need to double, triple check everything. If they transport someone who is not allowed in the US, they have to bring them back to Austria on their dime plus Fines.
Also "Emergency Doc" are made out to a specific person with you can travel to from X to Y on this date etc...
Most countries Emergency Doc also include a Scanned Picture of the person its issued to.
TSA in Austria?? or just Austria Airport Security?
The airline is the one who need to double, triple check everything. If they transport someone who is not allowed in the US, they have to bring them back to Austria on their dime plus Fines.
Also "Emergency Doc" are made out to a specific person with you can travel to from X to Y on this date etc...
Most countries Emergency Doc also include a Scanned Picture of the person its issued to.
1) Country of Citizenship of that woman. Is it possible that she was US citizen who has lost her Passport? Still she would need some emergency Travel Documentation from the US Embassy where she lost her Passport.
2) Sometimes some people are deported also due to some offences. In that case some paperwork is issued by Police and Embassy.
3) She had a ticket already bought from Vienna to Chicago or she was a transit passenger from say Serbia to Vienna and onwards to Chicago? Did she possess any Boarding Card? Some passengers might have two flight tickets - Belgrade to Vienna purchased from her passport or even ID . Separate ticket from Vienna to Chicago.
4) For every flight to USA or say Schengen area or well before issuing Boarding pass to any destination, passport is always verified. Passport is also checked before boarding the flight.
The problem is if customs rejects this person in the US she will have to flown back to where she came from at the airlines expense. This is why the airline checks your Passport this happened to a foreign exchange student some friends of mine had hosted because something wasn't correct with his visa didn't match something he was flown back to his country can't remember where he was from it was 15 years ago. He eventually fly back with the correct paperwork later.
Quote:
Originally Posted by missik999
The other passengers in the immediate area, who had seen this unfold, were relieved that she wasn't allowed to board the plane
But I would like to know how in the world she was permitted to make it past the three passport checks without ID?
Why would other passengers be upset? Were they worried she might have a bomb with her because she didn't have the proper paperwork? Were they upset about immigration politics I'm sure the woman's bags were searched by airport security if she was already at the terminal. I think people on planes need to mind their own business and not worry about other people's documentation. If someone wanted to do harm to the plane the last thing they would do is show up at the airport without a passport.
1) Country of Citizenship of that woman. Is it possible that she was US citizen who has lost her Passport? Still she would need some emergency Travel Documentation from the US Embassy where she lost her Passport.
2) Sometimes some people are deported also due to some offences. In that case some paperwork is issued by Police and Embassy.
3) She had a ticket already bought from Vienna to Chicago or she was a transit passenger from say Serbia to Vienna and onwards to Chicago? Did she possess any Boarding Card? Some passengers might have two flight tickets - Belgrade to Vienna purchased from her passport or even ID . Separate ticket from Vienna to Chicago.
4) For every flight to USA or say Schengen area or well before issuing Boarding pass to any destination, passport is always verified. Passport is also checked before boarding the flight.
If the paperwork was issued by the Embassy wouldn't it have her name on it? The agent read it out loud to her several times, and kept telling her that he couldn't accept it because her name wasn't on it. It just said, "Please allow this passenger to fly to the United States."
My first thought was that she was being deported, although she was of middle eastern descent. But in that case it seems that her name would have been on the letter.
My "Guess" is she bought the "Emergency Travel Document" from someone, not knowing what should be on it, to attempt to get to the US/Chicago.
Once there she asks for asylum.
But the airline/gate staff is trained on Emergency Documents, and know what they look like, what they should have on them. Most consulates and embassies image a picture of the person on to the document.
But the The document is VERY specific on who it is, dates of travel, travel information. I'd be willing to guess there is a link from US/State to the airlines computer that would put a reference to the Emergency Travel Doc in the Passengers PNR record.
It's not the job of airport security to verify that the passenger in front of them can legally fly to their destination, nor do you really want it to be since having them run each ticket and passport against Timatic only slows the security line down even more.
And common in many countries to allow someone on a plane without official government id if the passenger indicates it was lost or stolen provided that the passenger agrees to secondary enhanced screening. (A Costco card with your name on it in lieu of DL or passport will get you to secondary screening in many American airports)
So split responsibilities- the airport security workers verify safety, the airline verifies eligbility to go to the destination.
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