A funny thing happened on the way to airport security (2x)

[debster812]

Just wanted to post this to remind all you parents with little ones.

Our DS is 7, and we just got back last night from 9 glorious days in Ft Myers.

Well, it seems that something in our reservations set off Delta Song's computers, and our Seven Year Old was flagged on both the flight out and coming home for extra security screening. The TSA agents were pretty incredulous, and the folks at RSW (Ft Myers) were pretty up in arms that a minor had been flagged. They did not think he should have been flagged, but in hindsight, Delta would have no way of knowing he WAS a minor, since there is nothing to indicate age on the online reservation process.

So, rather than trying to explain, on the fly, what extra security is, and why your seven year old needs it, talk about it before hand........

I do have to say that the TSA folks at both Logan and Ft Myers could not have been any nicer, professional, or careful with my son. And I was with him the entire time.

 

[DebbieB]

Perhaps his name matches someone on a watch list. I would try to find out why he was flagged so that it doesn't happen everytime.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, he probably matches a name on the no-fly list. In future, you should call the airline after your make your reservation and have them note that he is a child.

 

[debster812]

Hmmm-I never thought that his name might match a 'no fly' list. Interesting.

I may fire off an email to Delta anyway, just to see what they say.....

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Maybe they thought he was part of the GSLF -- Grade School Liberation Front.

I've heard that if someone's name has a certain combination of letters, then that person will get flagged, and I can believe it. DW Lauri always gets pulled for extra screening, and I wonder if that's the reason. Her full first name is Laureen, and the "au" and "ee" could make some name profiling programs believe the name is Middle Eastern. To make matters worse, she's combating a chronic autoimmune disorder and is in pain all the time. If she's hurting, tired, and already stressed out, something like this doesn't help.

For the OP and for us before the next time we fly -- where can one find out why they are pulled for extra screening? The TSA, the DOT?

 

[DisneyNutMary]

You DS is the 2nd 7 year old I have heard of getting flagged on Delta Song in the past two weeks.
My DS will be 7 when we fly Delta Song in August, I guess I had better start prepping him for the possibility of a TSA screening.

 

[joanb]

interesting- our last name has an "au" in it and we fly at least once a year and haven't been flagged. we even flew just before christmas 2003- day after raised alert no problem. just glad they are checking and were kind to your child

 

[debster812]

For the OP and for us before the next time we fly -- where can one find out why they are pulled for extra screening? The TSA, the DOT?

Obi-Wan--all the TSA agents we encountered (6 in total) indicated that it was Delta's computers that set the flag. The indicator was on the boarding pass. SSSS printed out on both of them.

It seems more and more logical that our name, or combination of letters in our names could be a trigger. I am usually the one pulled out, and we do have the same last name.

LOL at the GSLF The gate agent that boarded us in Boston was funny. "They pulled HIM for security?? Oh yeah, he looks dangerous "

 

[CarolA]

One trick I have read about on www.flyertalk.com is to make sure your reservation is hooked to a FF number. That seems to help them from getting you confused with the "no fly" list. Your child can have a FF number.

 

[DisneyDreamer2]

i hope its not the au and ee. We are flying Delta in may and my barely 2 year olds name is Aubree. If they flagged her, it will be a very interesting day at the airport.

 

[ckckc2000]

My DH is a TSA screener-and like you mentioned they don't know he's a minor-it's an automatic flag-His name unfortunately probably did match a Flagged name-Glad it wasn't a bad experience -on a funny note-when my DH had to hand wand a little boy the other day they found a pack of Juicy Fruit gum in his pocket(the wrappers set it off)-well the Mom grabs the gum and says"Here give me that"-and then proceeds to put it in her pocket-my DH says"sorry maam but if he didn't get through-you wont either"-The stress of traveling I guess

 

[Kimberle]

My 5 yr was "flagged" last Sept. We all were. It was just before Jeanne hit. We were to leave on Sun. We finally managed to get a flight out Sat (one of the last allowed out before Jeanne.). We reserved over the phone, but since it was less than 24 hrs, had to pay at the airport. We were all "flagged" and searched, including our 5yo.

I thought it was a pretty stupid thing to do.

 

[punkin]

My six year old LOVES getting hand wanded. She askes all security gueards to wand her. They usually oblige.

 

[NotUrsula]

Anytime you pay when checking in for the flight, or pay for a ticket in cash, it is an automatic flag for anyone; that one is a hard TSA rule. Also, though it may be distressing, the truth is that smuggling by putting goods on children has been common pretty much forever; people who smuggle often do that, as young children who get caught will not be prosecuted as adults. Putting contraband in a baby's diaper is one of the oldest smuggling tricks in the book. Searching a child is actually not stupid at all.

As to "au" and "ee" in sequence being taken for an Arabic name, I rather doubt it. A good part of the female populations of Chicago, Boston and NYC would be flagged if that were the case. Female names that end in "een" or "een" are almost universally Irish or Scots in origin; the ending "een" is the feminine diminuitive form, it means "little" in Gaelic. My sister and I both have names like that, we both fly a lot, and neither one of us has ever been flagged. Names taken for Arabic might have a double e, but it will most commonly be followed by a "D", "H" or "L"; I'm pretty sure "een" at the end would be unusual in Arabic. The vowel combination "au" is also pretty unusual in Arabic, but very common in German and French. I believe that names ending in "ah" would be a more likely trigger for Arabic, but then you would get a lot of Jewish names, too. I suspect that programs using letter combinations would be unlikely to use combinations of 2; I think combinations of 3 or more letters would be much more accurate.

I've been given to understand that other than having a "no-fly" name or paying in a suspicious manner, the most common reason for ending up flagged is just dumb luck; the computer chooses randomly based on checkin, as in "every 63rd passenger", etc.

 

[CarolA]

If you book online or via an agency and the airline does not know the flyer is a minor you might want to call anyway and make sure your reservations are linked. Cases like this are the ones where Junior gets moved and winds up in another row because they had no idea he was three years old.

 

[debster812]

You know what? I posted this as a head's up, and I have learned a lot of tidbits here that pretty much explain to me why DS got tagged SSSS. It all kind of makes sense now. There was no way for them to know he was a minor until we walked up.

Pretty cool and knowledgeable bunch we have here. Thanks everyone. I am wondering now if his name matches someone else's. It's a Gaelic first name, with a fairly generic last name? Hmmmmmm?? Either that, or we just hit the security jackpot both times.

I also can't say enough about the TSA folks on both ends. They made something that had the potential to be super scary for him, into no real big deal.

 

[powellrj]

Another sure way to get tagged is a one-way ticket. DS is military and usually flies one way because he will leave one post, fly home and return to a different post. He is always tagged for security.

 

[kaydoggy]

Flying out of Orlando with my wife, two 2 year olds, my mother and my mother in law we were put into the "extra security" line. It was a little ridiculous seeing them pat down a 2 year old.

 

[CarolA]

While I know you all think it is ridiculous to pat down kids, it's not.

Terrorists know that Americans are very sentimental about kids and would not be above using that. Remember one of the Iraq suicide bombings was a very pregnant woman who the solders approached to help assuming that she wouldn't be dangerous! Fanatics are just that and are willing to kill thier kids.

 

[debster812]

While I know you all think it is ridiculous to pat down kids, it's not.

ITA with you on this CarolA. It struck us a funny that our 7 YO got tagged both ways, but we've seen that there is very little that the terrorists will not stoop to, I did not think it ridiculous, so much as way coincidental.