Online check in

Hi,

Trying to check in just now - system accepted check in for my husband, but not for me. Got a message advising to check in at the airport instead. Why would this be? Passport has 7 months left to run and ESTA doesn’t expire until July this year. Has this happened to anyone else here, is it a glitch of some kind in their software?

Claire

Hi Claire,

This has happened me a few times, it's generally been because I was listed for SSS security check, It's just an extra check they have to do on a number of passengers and it's totally random.

Steve

Ah ok, that’s reassuring. Not happened before….

You’ll have an additional security search at the gate just before boarding the plane.

We had this at Xmas, we thought initially that it was more a case of how VS had done the bookings, because I and my husband were on one booking and were fine, but the kids (16&14) were on a different PNR and we couldn’t check them in properly.

We went to the check in area the night before just in case there were massive problems as we had booked a local hotel to avoid a stupid o’clock start from home. The check-in staff had a look and said it was my son’s passport that was likely the issue. It had 5 months left on it, but was perfectly acceptable for entry to the US, and he had a brand new ESTA.

We didn’t get the SSSS check at the gate so we assumed passport validity was the issue and OLCI doesn’t like passports with short validity dates.

Guess I’ll find out tomorrow!

Was indeed an extra check at gate!

Well at least it gives you a pre-warning for the latex glove treatment

Well at least it gives you a pre-warning for the latex glove treatment

You aren’t the only one to have said that!!!

It still amazes me that they pre-warn you - either by failed online check-in [no boarding pass] - or by SSSS being printed on your boarding pass that you have been selected for the frisking at the boarding gate. If you were up to no good, you would just walk away. Encode it hidden in the boarding pass barcode.

You could then add that this additional security required for flights to the USA is carried out by G4S [or similar] staff who will doubtless be on not much more than the minimum wage. Talk about security theatre. It almost makes the TSA look good.

[mitchja]

It still amazes me that they pre-warn you - either by failed online check-in [no boarding pass] - or by SSSS being printed on your boarding pass that you have been selected for the frisking at the boarding gate. If you were up to no good, you would just walk away. Encode it hidden in the boarding pass barcode.

You could then add that this additional security required for flights to the USA is carried out by G4S [or similar] staff who will doubtless be on not much more than the minimum wage. Talk about security theatre. It almost makes the TSA look good.

The security at the airport is only one layer of the whole system though. I know that all the boarder agencies in each country you fly to are always given your flight booking reference for starters so they know who is arriving before you even check-in.

I’ve done a SAR request from U.K. boarder force (as I was fed up of those useless e-gates chucking me out every time) and what came back was a whole list of the VS booking references I arrived back in the U.K. on so when they ask where you are arriving from; they do actually already know. I would fully expect the US agencies to have the same information as well.

I would fully expect the US agencies to have the same information as well.

Absolutely they do.

On my last visit having already identified me using facial recognition only (the CBP officer did not even look at my passport).

I was asked what flight I had arrived on, before I had time to respond, the officer said "It's all right I have found it" .

He then asked how many checked bags we had and nodded when I told him (he had that info too) before sending us on our way.