>
> > There are mechanisms in place that would detect this type of
> > behavior. (Prebooking multiple flights for the same individual.)
> Does a domestic flight require a passport or other form of positive ID?
> if not, they could book as many tickets as needed with a different name per
> ticket.
>
>
Yes. Photo identification to get your tickets, period, the end.
Not necessarily. I've boarded planes several times without showing a piece
of ID. With the new automated check-in kiosks in several airports, if you
have no luggage to check-in, you don't see a person at all.. (You still do
need a credit card in your name though) Both times I left Houston-Bush
International, I had my tickets printed and checked in by only telling the
attendant my name. (I thought it was very strange, but didn't question it)
Many really small regional airports allow you to board without going through
metal detectors/bag x-rays. Once you get off the plane at the
destination(larger airport) you're behind the "secure" zone, and can also
board another flight without going through one.
I'm not saying that these kinds of things are what caused yesterday's
events, or that whoever did this didn't use fake ID's, so I'm not sure that
strictly enforcing this sort of thing would have mattered anyway.
-- Kevin
Many really small regional airports allow you to board without
going through metal detectors/bag x-rays. Once you get off the
plane at the destination(larger airport) you're behind the
"secure" zone, and can also board another flight without going
through one.
In 1996, NBC's Dateline ran a story on the lack of security at major
airports (Boston and Newark). During yesterday's news coverage, they
referred back to this story and mentioned that procedures have not
changed much since then.
According to that Dateline article:
- A Dateline staffer was hired to drive a cart around the airport,
and was "promoted" to X-ray monitor after two days. They never
performed a background check, nor did they contact any of his
references.
- Their people were able to walk through secure areas, onto the
tarmac, into baggage compartments, into wheel wells, and into
passenger compartments without incident. Their person was not
wearing any airport badge. He walked past numerout airline
employees and was never stopped or questioned. They were
successfully able to plant a package under a seat, and retrieve it
at the plane's destination.
NBC's article from yesterday (which cites the 1996 Dateline article) is
No amount of questioning people at the ticket counter will do any good
when the hiring system can let people with no references and no
background check have unrestricted access to the airplanes. With
security holes like these, the hijackers don't even need tickets.
-- David
Many really small regional airports allow you to board without
going through
metal detectors/bag x-rays. Once you get off the plane at the
destination(larger airport) you're behind the "secure" zone, and can also
board another flight without going through one.
Which is why many international Airports (Narita, HKG) make you go through security again
when switching planes. I don't think Changi (Singapore, where I live) does though.. They
have shared de-planing/boarding areas. I guess that will change...
At MSP international layovers are secured in a sealed area that is swept before unloading,
and swept again after reloading, although the security in the rest of the airport is rather
lax at best (from my experience at least, where after a few metal detector sweeps we
couldn't determine what caused it to go off, they looked at me, and let me go through anyway)
Then of course, there's always the people who are loading/unloading the baggage
(the same ones who have stolen electronic equipment, small amounts of money, and
a norelco razor from my locked baggage by ripping the zipper open) who are
obviously not monitored enough.
I don't see things getting better anytime soon.
Matthew S. Hallacy
Even larger airports have lax security. I had a warranty contract to repair on a case-by-case some 'Net access kiosks at Norfolk International (VA) near the gates and never had to produce a work order or any other proof of who I was or what I was doing there. Just told the security folks, "I'm supposed to work on those" and pointed down the hall. And there I went, large black bag and all...
Dean Robb
www.PC-Easy-va.com
On-site computer services
Member, ICANN At Large