Qantas extra security checks....check-in online denied.

gort

gort

gort

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Today my partner has tried to check in online with Qantas and an error comes up sayings she is unable to do so.
Upon enquiring on the telephone she has been told that Qantas now randomly select passengers so they have to check-in in person at the airport for extra security checks. She was told that between 15 and 50 passengers per flight are selected.

My partner has had issues before at airports. When I say issues I mean she is usually patted down and on one occasion was searched again past the boarding desk literally 10ft from the gangway about to step on to the plane. I was with her when she was in the queue about to step on to the gangway and was pulled to one side and they said "you've been randomly selected etc"
No attention has ever been paid to myself taking numerous flights with her.
She hasn't got a police record etc before anyone asks!

Anyone else been denied online check in for such a reason? New one to me.
 
gort said:
Today my partner has tried to check in online with Qantas and an error comes up sayings she is unable to do so.
Upon enquiring on the telephone she has been told that Qantas now randomly select passengers so they have to check-in in person at the airport for extra security checks. She was told that between 15 and 50 passengers per flight are selected.

My partner has had issues before at airports. When I say issues I mean she is usually patted down and on one occasion was searched again past the boarding desk literally 10ft from the gangway about to step on to the plane. I was with her when she was in the queue about to step on to the gangway and was pulled to one side and they said "you've been randomly selected etc"
No attention has ever been paid to myself taking numerous flights with her.
She hasn't got a police record etc before anyone asks!

Anyone else been denied online check in for such a reason? New one to me.
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Not denied online check, however.

The random search thing is certainly a thing. I have been stopped a number of times where the metal detector has not gone off but I have been selected for a further scan.

sorry, not much help and it sounds like your situation sucks somewhat.
 
I'm going to guess she either doesn't have a "Western" name or she really does just look that shifty in airports and this random check is a coincidence.
 
My best mate has similar issues, every time he flies he gets pulled for a full bag check and pat down. Considering he flies out to the US every other week for work its quite an inconvenience.

He does have a record for possession of a controlled substance though.
 
In the IRA days I was regularly stopped, taken aside & questioned/searched in airports when I traveled between here & the R of Ireland (also between here & the continental mainland). I got used to it, annoying but they had a job to do. So I always just cooperated. I must look shifty or something. :D
No criminal record, no cautions, nothing & I'm not Irish
 
TBH I'm brown and have a non english name so I expect I'll be in the same sort of predicament!

"Excuse me sir, you've been selected for a random security search, please step this way. Now spread your cheeks and lift up your sack" -DC :D

I'll be sure to not let my headphone cable hang out of my backpack or anything.
 
moogle said:
TBH I'm brown and have a non english name so I expect I'll be in the same sort of predicament!

"Excuse me sir, you've been selected for a random security search, please step this way. Now spread your cheeks and lift up your sack" -DC :D

I'll be sure to not let my headphone cable hang out of my backpack or anything.
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Wear a Jesus Lives t shirt when you go to airports:D
Or something with Professor Dawkins on it
 
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gort said:
Anyone else been denied online check in for such a reason? New one to me.
Click to expand...

Yep - couldn't do online check-in for a (United) flight to Washington DC a few weeks ago, and it was for exactly the same reason. I was asked a few questions and had my passport checked at the check-in desk, and was pulled aside whilst boarding and had extra checks on my hand luggage.

White british male, mid-40's, very regular traveller.

Only possible (non-random) reason could be my previous trips to/visas for Saudi Arabia and Russia :D
 
My wife gets flagged for online check in all the time but shes a non-EU citizen from a country that's classed by some places as high risk, (Indonesia). Stopped us booking a holiday to Egypt a few years ago cause they wanted to interview her at the embassy before they would give her a visa.

I on the other hand with my British passport get stopped all the time now because of some of my work visas and stamps in both of my passports.
Hell i need a full visa now to go back to the US as i'm excluded from ESATA due to countries i've visited, and that was under Obama not Trump. Trump would probably have me shot.
 
Heh, not in an airport, but this (profiling) seems to go both ways sometimes - my wife and I were on a train from Italy to Austria last year, at the border an officer came to our compartment (6 people) and asked for passports. Opened and checked them all, except my wife's Taiwanese one, which he just handed back without even opening.

Apparently not known troublemakers, it seems. Unless the guy had been Chinese.

Having said that, we're off to Vietnam in a fortnight, last time I flew out of there I was taken to an interview room with a guy holding a rifle in the corner, so I've probably just cursed myself for this trip too :p
 
Feef said:
Heh, not in an airport, but this (profiling) seems to go both ways sometimes - my wife and I were on a train from Italy to Austria last year, at the border an officer came to our compartment (6 people) and asked for passports. Opened and checked them all, except my wife's Taiwanese one, which he just handed back without even opening.

Apparently not known troublemakers, it seems. Unless the guy had been Chinese.

Having said that, we're off to Vietnam in a fortnight, last time I flew out of there I was taken to an interview room with a guy holding a rifle in the corner, so I've probably just cursed myself for this trip too :p
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I had a similar thing in Hanoi once, some idiot had screwed up my visa for work there and I was asked by a man with a rifle in a small room to pay for the phone calls to sort it out.
Needless to say my work compliance training telling me not to pay bribes to customs offials went out of the window pretty quick and i got relieved of $100 he then stamped my passport there and then and allowed me to enter the country. (I expensesd it as a gratuity i seem to remember).

I will admit to twitching a little, these days I have just told them to send me home.
 
All Australian airports now have increased security checks due to a terrorist alert a couple of weeks back. Seems that they were going to set off some gas on a plane smuggled in a meat grinder in their hand luggage. Last week, everyone was having to get swabbed for explosives.
I seriously think that airports need to look closer at the technology that they are using to screen people. It wont be too far off before luggage is not allowed and you can only board with certified clothing. Terrorists are always looking at new ways to cause mayhem. So many things still allowed that could be used if they put their mind to it.
 
moogle said:
Not got a monobrow by anychance? :D
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If she did I wouldn't be with her! :p

Update:
At the check-in desk she was told that she couldn't book in online as there were "3 different levels of economy seat" and the one she had didn't allow her to do an online check in.
I believe this is utter pap unless someone could correct me.
She's been told three different reasons by three different staff members. All completely contradicting each other.
1) "Random" security check
2) Online check-in system glitch
3) Due to economy seat type can't do it online.

2 and 3 denied the reason was number 1.

Is really something out of nothing but it's all the crap they come out with and are either hiding their reasons or genuinely don't have a clue.

She got on the plane so that's the main thing...

Cowboys of the sky!
 
Been denied online check in loads of times, no big deal normally have to drop bag off at the airport anyway. Always happened with flights to/from USA, maybe because I travel on a visa.
 
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