Mandatory Photo ID for Domestic Air Travel? [Not mandatory but can be requested]

[levelnine]

There’s not many other countries in the world you can still do this.

The world moves on I guess.

That should be a point of pride, not regret or resignation.

It's going to mean slower progression through airports, more queues, and longer waits.

 

[theblank]

That should be a point of pride, not regret or resignation.

It's going to mean slower progression through airports, more queues, and longer waits.

wont it mean faster progrssion through the airports becuase the riff raff are not permitted inside?

 

[OATEK]

Not many airports of similar status to the major Australian cities where they allow non-travellers air-side, and I have wondered whether the food/drink purveyors have had something to do with this here to keep the businesses propped up.

While I don't get the point of the photo ID check here any more than the final passport and liquids check in HKG, I am sure that it makes perfect sense to someone, somewhere. Just like I don't get the difference between some airports have formal passport checks by immigration when entering through security (SYD, HEL, HKG etc) and others there are often no checks at all when exiting the country (eg LHR).

 

[andyhui01]

I had the impression photo ID was always a requirement? I get asked about 30% of the time when checking in my luggage even after checking in online.I sometime get asked at the service desk when trying to change seats. Pretty sure if I said I don't have one, I won't be allowed to board.

 

[Hvr]

I had the impression photo ID was always a requirement?

They can ask if they want but rarely do unless you interact with staff. As someone who rarely travels with luggage it lessens the possibility of being asked for identification.

I hate showing my licence because it has way too much information on it including address. I reckon we need a passport card like the US for these circumstances.

We could use it when we travel to places such as New Zealand and Tasmania.

 

[OzEire]

I hate showing my licence because it has way too much information on it including address.

Your passport is valid ID for domestic travel.

 

[OzEire]

Every time I check in at the desk Im asked for my license so same old, same old for me.

Do you know why? Eg. Is your name difficult for some check-in staff to spell or ... how shall I say this diplomatically... would you say you might fit a profile?

FWIW, I get asked about 5% of the time. My name is fairly common in Australia, and my profile is prob the least interesting from any security perspective - except in the UK if the IRA have been active .

 

[Denali]

Do you know why? Eg. Is your name difficult for some check-in staff to spell or ... how shall I say this diplomatically... would you say you might fit a profile?
FWIW, I get asked about 5% of the time. My name is fairly common in Australia, and my profile is prob the least interesting from any security perspective - except in the UK if the IRA have been active .

We're both first gen aussie, european not middle eastern background and both in our 50s so dont imagine we fit the typical profiles. Both surnames easy to pronounce, hubbys surname was anglo'ised before he was born.

Will try next time with just our FF card.

 

[Himeno]

I had the impression photo ID was always a requirement? I get asked about 30% of the time when checking in my luggage even after checking in online.I sometime get asked at the service desk when trying to change seats. Pretty sure if I said I don't have one, I won't be allowed to board.

The only reason for checking ID by any transport provider is for revenue protection. For domestic travel, the transport provider is wanting to make sure that the person named on the ticket is the one traveling. This was more of an issue before the IATA went e-ticket only.
For international travel, the transport provider needs to make sure that the traveler has the needed documents that will allow them to enter the country they are being transported to, as if they don't and they are transported, the provider gets fined.

Any claimed security reason is quite simply, a lie. There is no way a person checking an ID is going to know if said person is on some sort of list or being searched for by law enforcement. Any such security checks are done behind the scenes electronically.

I hate showing my licence because it has way too much information on it including address.

I don't understand why a drivers license (or any ID in general) needs an address on it. Anyone who needs access to said address would have access to the database with that information in it when looking up the license.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Of relevance, there have been numerous articles in 2017 about facial recognition in air travel:-

KLM to Use Face-Scanning for Speedier Boarding Process - Point Me to the Plane

British Airways Starts Scanning Faces to Enable Faster Boarding - Bloomberg

US Government Working on Facial Recognition For Boarding International Flights — Or Enter Airline Lounge - View from the Wing

Delta's Adding Facial Recognition, Self-Service Bag Drop - TravelUpdate

JetBlue Will Soon Board Passengers Using Facial Recognition Software - One Mile at a Time

Facial recognition technology to replace passport scans at airports - The Canberra Times

Dubai Airport is Introducing New Security Screening Aquariums With Facial Recognition - View from the Wing

Will cosmetic surgery interfere with Australia’s border security - Cosmos Clinic

 

[Archipelago]

This has been a long time coming, and it is only because of one notorious incident.

Watch carefully

Why we need photo check for domestic flights

 

[GoldCanyon340]

This would be a very sad development. How would it increase the safety of air domestic air travel?

 

[Himeno]

This would be a very sad development. How would it increase the safety of air domestic air travel?

It won't.

 

[opusman]

If they do it like when boarding flights in the UK (quick ID check at the gate) then the impact could be minimal. If it means a TSA-style ID check before going air side it'll be a right PITA. And what about people with no photo ID (yes they exist) - effectively banned from air travel?

 

[Archipelago]

Expat based in Asia.

All domestic flights I take regularly in various countries in SE Asia require mandatory ID checks.
1. At check-in
2. At security
3. At gate

One of the countries I reside in requires valid ticket and passport to even get inside the airport for check in.

Big difference with Oz is that only travellers with valid ticket can proceed airside in the first place over here.

No delays here, no dramas, just how it goes.

Have always wondered when Australia would make Photo ID checks compulsory for domestic travel.

 

[OzEire]

This would be a very sad development. How would it increase the safety of air domestic air travel?

It won't.

Theory goes that the lack of ID checks (actually checking rather than the current ability to ask for ID but rarely do) will make it that much harder for somrone to travel anonymously, using a false name or someone else's identity. The underlying assumption is that criminals are most of that group and law enforcement want them to show themselves (by traveling in their own name) or not fly (which ought to be disruptive to criminal or terrorist planning and/or attacks).

It's not my idea, I'm just interpreting what i understand to be the reasons behind it.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Theory goes that the lack of ID checks (actually checking rather than the current ability to ask for ID but rarely do) will make it that much harder for somrone to travel anonymously, using a false name or someone else's identity. The underlying assumption is that criminals are most of that group and law enforcement want them to show themselves (by traveling in their own name) or not fly (which ought to be disruptive to criminal or terrorist planning and/or attacks).

It's not my idea, I'm just interpreting what i understand to be the reasons behind it.

Oh I agree they are the reasons behind this; these reasons just won't stop anything. A nefarious person is hardly likely to care much about travelling under their own name and explosives (should) be caught at the security checks. So what's it achieving apart from very minor revenue protection for the airlines? It will not increase the security of flying, if someone wants to perpetrate an act of terrorism they can just walk into the departure hall with a backpack full of explosives and detonate it. Ok, so to stop that let's move the ID and itinerary checks to the doors of the terminal a la India and other countries. Then all you do is detonate a car bomb outside.

 

[Spongbob]

I vaguely remember this issue being topical a few years ago, and one of the airlines (QF?) mentioned their staff are not trained in this procedure.
So unless photo ID check is done by proper security staff, what happen if there is some doubt the ID matches the person?

 

[JohnK]

I get asked for my ID every so often. Not a problem for me but I know some people don't always carry their ID with them.

An national identity card could be a good idea. From what I recall with the Australia card they wanted to collect too much information?

Greece had ID cards with lots of information and your fingerprints. Thailand has identity cards which have to be provided when doing certain transactions including online.

 

[Hvr]

You know, most of us have our passport details recorded by the international airline we give our loyalty. In my case Qantas,

So why not issue my Qantas card of appropriate status with my photo?

It already has my name and membership number on it.