I went to check in online for a domestic flight last week, for it to come up with an error message. I tried again a few hours later, same response. Drove to the airport and tried to do curbside check in, which uses a kiosk. Another error message. I went inside, and the desk agent just said, ah, we need some more information from you. Handed my driving license over and a few mins later was handed my boarding pass.
The other day I went to check in online again for my return flight. Same error message. Same again at the kiosk at the airport. I spoke with a desk agent again, and she said ah, your name is on the list. What list, I asked. The TSA list, she replied. I handed my drivers license over, she called her supervisor over who studied me, my license, and scrolled through a few pages on her computer. "He's ok" said the supervisor, and walked off. There was an old lady next to me also dealing with a check in agent "Oh, same thing with you then it looks like, I have to do this every time I fly now, I guess our names are too common" she said to me.
I asked the check in agent what this was all about, and she told me that my name was flagged, and I would have to provide additional info every time I flew. She said I would never be able to use online check in again, or a kiosk, and would always have to see a check in agent to get a boarding pass. Apparently I can apply to the TSA for a redress number, but she said that more often than not doesn't make a difference.
I left with my boarding pass, flabbergasted. My name isn't overly uncommon. When you book flights here you now have to provide your middle name, AND your date of birth. My middle name is very uncommon. Shouldn't this info be enough for them to figure out that I'm not the guy they are looking for?? Shouldn't there be something you can do to avoid never being able to check in online again, and always having to queue up to see a desk agent when you want to fly?! To see that the same thing was happening at the same time with a dear old lady who must have been in her 80s makes me think the whole system is just broken.
Anybody else had this happen to them, and does anyone know if this will also stop me checking in online for Virgin flights when leaving the UK to come here to the US?
Andrew (not the bad one)
The other day I went to check in online again for my return flight. Same error message. Same again at the kiosk at the airport. I spoke with a desk agent again, and she said ah, your name is on the list. What list, I asked. The TSA list, she replied. I handed my drivers license over, she called her supervisor over who studied me, my license, and scrolled through a few pages on her computer. "He's ok" said the supervisor, and walked off. There was an old lady next to me also dealing with a check in agent "Oh, same thing with you then it looks like, I have to do this every time I fly now, I guess our names are too common" she said to me.
I asked the check in agent what this was all about, and she told me that my name was flagged, and I would have to provide additional info every time I flew. She said I would never be able to use online check in again, or a kiosk, and would always have to see a check in agent to get a boarding pass. Apparently I can apply to the TSA for a redress number, but she said that more often than not doesn't make a difference.
I left with my boarding pass, flabbergasted. My name isn't overly uncommon. When you book flights here you now have to provide your middle name, AND your date of birth. My middle name is very uncommon. Shouldn't this info be enough for them to figure out that I'm not the guy they are looking for?? Shouldn't there be something you can do to avoid never being able to check in online again, and always having to queue up to see a desk agent when you want to fly?! To see that the same thing was happening at the same time with a dear old lady who must have been in her 80s makes me think the whole system is just broken.
Anybody else had this happen to them, and does anyone know if this will also stop me checking in online for Virgin flights when leaving the UK to come here to the US?
Andrew (not the bad one)
