Call for frequent flyers to skip airport checks

[Dave Noble]

Call for frequent flyers to skip airport checks - National - smh.com.au

 

[simongr]

Hmm - interesting article - I am not sure I agree. For me personally because I fly a lot I know how to get through security relatively quickly. I dont mind teh security checkes but I would ratehr not be stuck behind people who dont remember to take laptops out of bags, are still wearing chunky metal belts etc. - so a separate line for QF SG and above might be good Everything for me goes in one pocket in my bag for ease of replacement.

What I would prefer to see is better segregation at immigration for frequent travellers who arent elligble for APEC cards

 

[Yada Yada]

Can't say I am a fan of Max-the-axe, but this does seem a sensible idea. I'd be happy to submit details about myself so that I could get easier security clearance at airports.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Obviously, a person who wants to cause harm, wouldn't think about flying regularly before hand...

This is silly. Just as they were providing metal knives in business class despite the knife bans - "because terrorists would never fly business class"

 

[Dave Noble]

Obviously, a person who wants to cause harm, wouldn't think about flying regularly before hand...

Exactly my thought. There is no reason to assume that someone who has flown a lot is less of a risk.

If proper checks are being performed on those requesting the access , then I can see it as reasonable

I don't see that there is a need for it; at domestic security points I don't tend to find much of an issue with queues and at international, if they want to assist frequent travellers, they could just reinstate the separate queues at immigration for premium class and high tier FF members who are not APEC cardholders . Once past the immigration point, I haven't tended to find much of a queue at the security point

Dave

 

[NM]

Exactly my thought. There is no reason to assume that someone who has flown a lot is less of a risk.

If proper checks are being performed on those requesting the access , then I can see it as reasonable

I don't see that there is a need for it; at domestic security points I don't tend to find much of an issue with queues and at international, if they want to assist frequent travellers, they could just reinstate the separate queues at immigration for premium class and high tier FF members who are not APEC cardholders . Once past the immigration point, I haven't tended to find much of a queue at the security point

Dave

And who says someone has to fly a lot to get themselves a shiny coloured FF membership card. I scored AA Plat in just one flight. And QF Platimum can be bought for around $10,000.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Look at the history of terrorism recently. The majority of terrorist acts have been committed by those who had totally clean records and weren't being pursued by the authorities.

Even doing a background check when you apply to faster security screening, still leaves the door open for someone with a clean record to then go on and commit the violence.

You can spend a lot of resources and a lot of time trying to pre-empt these guys, but at the end of the day the best deterrent is to not give them a reason to commit violence in the first place. And there is NO simple solution to that one.

 

[Dave Noble]

And QF Platimum can be bought for around $10,000.

Can get it for half of that if desired

Dave

 

[NM]

Can get it for half of that if desired

Dave

Yes, but not without some means or need to visit some place like TIP . But my point is that it can be bought for not a huge amount of money if someone really wants to use FF status to their advantage.

 

[Mal]

Yeah, I tend to think all pax should go through the same security screening (security, not immigration etc).

"status" pax can be given faster lines, but they should still go through the same security inspections.

 

[JohnK]

I think everyone should go through the same security screening.

The only people that should receive special treatment should be pilots and crew by continuing to be allowed to go the front of the queue yet going through the same security screening as everyone else.

 

[Ray Carty]

Exactly my thought. There is no reason to assume that someone who has flown a lot is less of a risk.

If proper checks are being performed on those requesting the access , then I can see it as reasonable

I don't see that there is a need for it; at domestic security points I don't tend to find much of an issue with queues and at international, if they want to assist frequent travellers, they could just reinstate the separate queues at immigration for premium class and high tier FF members who are not APEC cardholders . Once past the immigration point, I haven't tended to find much of a queue at the security point

Dave

Interesting point Dave.
The Islamic terrorist, Ramzi Yousef who planted the World Trade Centre bomb in 1993 escaped from the USA to Pakistan as a First Class passenger. He had discovered that First Class passengers received less scutiny than those on coach class.

Regards Ray

 

[Dave Noble]

Interesting point Dave.
The Islamic terrorist, Ramzi Yousef who planted the World Trade Centre bomb in 1993 escaped from the USA to Pakistan as a First Class passenger. He had discovered that First Class passengers received less scutiny than those on coach class.

Regards Ray

I wasn't suggesting that they have a lower standard of checks for premium passengers, just that they have a separate queue for them ( such as previously offered at some airports in Australia )

Dave

 

[pacblue]

I wasn't suggesting that they have a lower standard of checks for premium passengers, just that they have a separate queue for them ( such as previously offered at some airports in Australia )

Dave

Nice thought, but I think those days have gone. I lived in the US for ten years, they had a separate line for PP's - even for while after 9/11 - but no more. Everyone should go through the same checks. No separate lines, no special treatment. It's just the way things are today - the way they have to be. Sad but true.

Pacblue

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Nice thought, but I think those days have gone. I lived in the US for ten years, they had a separate line for PP's - even for while after 9/11 - but no more. Everyone should go through the same checks. No separate lines, no special treatment. It's just the way things are today - the way they have to be. Sad but true.

Pacblue

Some places in US (and elsewhere) still do have separate line for premium and elite pax.

Eg LAX (most terminals), SFO (all terminals), YVR, LGA, etc.

 

[simongr]

Nice thought, but I think those days have gone. I lived in the US for ten years, they had a separate line for PP's - even for while after 9/11 - but no more. Everyone should go through the same checks. No separate lines, no special treatment. It's just the way things are today - the way they have to be. Sad but true.

Pacblue

Even during the recent UK Airports debacle as a J class pax I was still fast tracked to/through security - still underwent the same level of checks. Just no queue to get there. I dont know what it is about outbound immigration in Oz that takes so long. I find its slower to get out of the country than to get in

 

[Mal]

I dont know what it is about outbound immigration in Oz that takes so long. I find its slower to get out of the country than to get in

In SYD, I believe the queue is designed wrongly. Brisbane seems to be better, but of course there are a lot less pax leaving Brisbane!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

There's nothing worse than a tight dom->int connection at SYD, rush to make the bus between terminals, arrive at int only to turn the corner and see huge immigration queues with the holding area totally full to the brim

 

[Dave Noble]

There's nothing worse than a tight dom->int connection at SYD, rush to make the bus between terminals, arrive at int only to turn the corner and see huge immigration queues with the holding area totally full to the brim

Oooh... I dunno. It's nice to see that when holding an APEC card and can see a nice empty APEC queue

Dave

 

[Yada Yada]

Oooh... I dunno. It's nice to see that when holding an APEC card and can see a nice empty APEC queue

But it's not always the case. I've seen the reverse - a queue at the APEC counter and virtually empty in the main section.