[WestCoastJustin]

Second that -- my gf and I were actually shocked, when on a recent trip to the States (took about 7 flights in total) where the person at the gate only checked the boarding passes and not photo ID! We have added security up here because of the States, it seems like a lapse to not do this themselves. For example, when you board a flight to/from Canada, you have to show the boarding pass and photo ID, the person at the gate scans the ticket to see if everything checks out.

[crb]

I have heard that if someone flies into a country on Your Airline Inc., and is denied entry, it's the financial responsibility of Your Airline Inc. to take them back to where they come from.

I've not only had my passport, but visas, checked at check-in, flying into Canada from the US.

Looking at the web for a citation, it seems this may just be a Canadian regulation: http://www.passengerprotect.gc.ca/home.html

[ajtaylor]

This was certainly the case for Etihad when I flew from Dublin => Sydney last year. Of course, the airline managed to not notice the problem with my passport/visa until I was Abu Dhabi and Sydney said "Do not let him on the plane". The airline security representative told me if I had managed to get to Australia, the Sydney visa office would have forced the airline to return me to Ireland on the next flight.

This triggered 3 days of dealing with the US embassy in Abu Dhabi, but that's another story. :)

[yardie]

Last time I flew to Australia I paid $45 and got one of their electronic visas; it was a 15 minute process. My departure was from Singapore and I assumed, wrongly, that Australia was a member of the VFW program.

Why would the US embassy be involved? This seemed like a matter between you, the airline and Australia.

[ajtaylor]

Sorry for the late reply, but yes it was a problem with my passport (it was wrongly reported as being stolen). When checking in in Dublin, the airline employee checking me in mentioned something about my passport but we were allowed on the plane anyway.

FYI, I was traveling on a 457 visa as part of my new job.

[underwater]

It could have been a problem with his Passport (e.g. within six months of expiring).

[xxpor]

>I have heard that if someone flies into a country on Your Airline Inc., and is denied entry, it's the financial responsibility of Your Airline Inc. to take them back to where they come from.

It's been this way for over 100 years. If someone was denied entry at say Ellis Island, it would be the steamship co.'s responsibility to get them back at no cost to the passenger.

[X-Istence]

Not just Canadian. Amsterdam airport has extra security theatre where they ask you a bunch of really dumb questions because the United States mandated such questions be asked, and then verify your boarding pass and ID against the flight manifest (good thing!)

[jarek]

Canada also requires photo ID at gate on domestic flights

[pyre]

  > when you board a flight to/from Canada, you have
  > to show the boarding pass and photo ID

They are looking to make sure that you have your passport more than looking for 'photo ID.' I flew into Canada over Xmas and they were specifically looking for your passport. Probably to make sure that there won't be any obvious gaffs once you land.

That said, on the domestic flight I took the TSA was at the boarding gate 'randomly' checking people as they were getting on the flight. So not everyone got checked for photo ID, but some people did.

[WestCoastJustin]

Makes sense about checking the passport flying international ;) I guess I should have said that flying domestic you also are required to show photo ID. I'm not saying it never happens down there, but on the flights we boarded, we never had ours checked and it just seemed out of the norm for what we're used to.

[mynegation]

No, it is not just that, it is a cultural thing. I recently did a long trip through South America, and only had one-way ticket to Ecuador. Canadian check-in agent refused to give us boarding pass citing an _Ecuadorian_ rule that you have to have a ticket out of Ecuador to be admitted. I had to buy two fully-refundable tickets from Ecuador to Mexico (based on cheapest price and the fact that Mexico does not ask such things).

And of course, neither Ecuador nor any of the other South American countries with the same formal rule ever asked us for the return ticket. Why would they?! Most people travel on buses between countries anyway. But Canada does not care, it sticks to the rule.

[joelhaasnoot]

<sarcasm>No one in the US would ever be a terrorist</sarcasm>