More Security Stupidity

[PTRAVEL]

I tried to use web check-in for my Northwest flight tomorrow (dog leg, full
fare, advance ticket in F), but Northwest's website wouldn't let me, telling
me that there was no record of my ticket.

I called my TA's weekend number, and they confirmed that I was ticketed for
my outbound flights, and even gave me the e-ticket number.

I called Northwest's reservations number, but after descending through the
phone tree, received a recording that said, "Sorry, due to heavy call
volume, we can't take your call now. Please call back." ???!!!

I finally called Northwest's web support number. I got through fairly
quickly, and spoke with a helpful person who told me, "Oh, you've been
selected for random inspection. You'll have to check in with an agent."

What kind of idiocy is this? Obviously, if someone knows, the day before
the flight, that they've been selected for "random" inspection, what's the
point?

More rank stupidity.

[Fly Guy]

PTRAVEL wrote:

> I tried to use web check-in for my Northwest flight tomorrow but
> Northwest's website wouldn't let me
>
> there was no record of my ticket.
> they confirmed that I was ticketed for my outbound flights
>
> I finally called Northwest's web support number. a helpful
> person who told me, "Oh, you've been selected for random
> inspection. You'll have to check in with an agent."
>
> What kind of idiocy is this?

This must be something like CAPS or itinerary profiling in action.

> Obviously, if someone knows, the day before the flight,
> that they've been selected for "random" inspection, what's
> the point?
>
> More rank stupidity.

Don't look at it that way. You were not supposed to be told that
you've been selected for inspection. However, the people that run the
web site support for most airlines don't actually work for the
airlines - but they do have access to records and "inside" info like
that. They probably aren't instructed as to what info to divulge to
passengers.

So be glad that you found out why the regular channels at the airline
was giving you the run-around. This can serve as useful info for
other flyers that attempt to perform a web-checkin but aren't allowed
to do so.

What was it about your itinerary that flagged you for inspection?

[PTRAVEL]

"Fly Guy" > wrote in message ...
> PTRAVEL wrote:
>
> > I tried to use web check-in for my Northwest flight tomorrow but
> > Northwest's website wouldn't let me
> >
> > there was no record of my ticket.
> > they confirmed that I was ticketed for my outbound flights
> >
> > I finally called Northwest's web support number. a helpful
> > person who told me, "Oh, you've been selected for random
> > inspection. You'll have to check in with an agent."
> >
> > What kind of idiocy is this?
>
> This must be something like CAPS or itinerary profiling in action.
>
> > Obviously, if someone knows, the day before the flight,
> > that they've been selected for "random" inspection, what's
> > the point?
> >
> > More rank stupidity.
>
> Don't look at it that way. You were not supposed to be told that
> you've been selected for inspection.

It's hard to miss. When I checked in today, my boarding pass has "SSSS" all
over it. The punchline, though, is that there was no one to perform the
inspection. I just preboarded, along with everyone else.

> However, the people that run the
> web site support for most airlines don't actually work for the
> airlines - but they do have access to records and "inside" info like
> that. They probably aren't instructed as to what info to divulge to
> passengers.
>
> So be glad that you found out why the regular channels at the airline
> was giving you the run-around. This can serve as useful info for
> other flyers that attempt to perform a web-checkin but aren't allowed
> to do so.
>
> What was it about your itinerary that flagged you for inspection?