No ID required to check bag?

[happily single]

I just had the strangest interaction at the Southwest counter. When I checked my bag the agent asked for my name and that’s it. I had my ID in my hand. She tagged my bag and said I was all set, didn’t ask if I needed a boarding pass, etc. I said “don’t you need my ID” and she responded “no, I see you have it in your hand”.

Is this new?

 

[_19disnA]

Sounds like the counter agent was playing loose with the rules relating to showing your ID to fly. Everyone now needs a Real ID to fly (or other permitted documents like a passport). Southwest can't change those rules on their own since every airline has to follow the TSA rules relating to ID's, bag screening, etc. To get through TSA screening you still need to show a current day's boarding pass along with your Real ID.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I just had the strangest interaction at the Southwest counter. When I checked my bag the agent asked for my name and that’s it. I had my ID in my hand. She tagged my bag and said I was all set, didn’t ask if I needed a boarding pass, etc. I said “don’t you need my ID” and she responded “no, I see you have it in your hand”.

Is this new?

Totally depends on agent.

I believe official policy is that ID is to be checked for everyone over 18 but, since they don't have to scan it into the system or anything, how carefully they scrutinize (if at all) is agent by agent. And probably counter by counter, depending on how strict managers are, etc.

In the past several years flying SW, I've had everything from the lack-of-verification like you're describing to agents who look at ID, my face, and the tag like I'm a teenager trying to buy beer.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

To get through TSA screening you still need to show a current day's boarding pass along with your Real ID.

That depends on the airport.

A couple hundred (more than 225 at least) as of 2024 use the CAT system (Credential Authentication Technology) where you do not show your boarding pass just your ID.

 

[EACarlson]

By rule and policy, they are supposed to verify that your face is on the ID and that the ID matches the name on the baggage tag. If a check in agent is being lazy, not a whole lot that can be done.

 

[eticketplease]

That depends on the airport.

A couple hundred (more than 225 at least) as of 2024 use the CAT system (Credential Authentication Technology) where you do not show your boarding pass just your ID.

I can't remember but I don't think we had to show anything when flying delta from LAX this summer.
We did have our passports linked to our skymiles account and did the facial scan though.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can't remember but I don't think we had to show anything when flying delta from LAX this summer.
We did have our passports linked to our skymiles account and did the facial scan though.

That's Touchless ID via pre-check and is at much fewer airports than CAT and only with specific airlines.

With that yes you do facial recognition in lieu of needing to present documents.

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID requires:

• Active airline profile with a participating airline
• Current TSA PreCheck traveler
• Valid passport information uploaded to your airline profile

https://www.tsa.gov/touchless-id

 

[kdonnel]

I can't remember but I don't think we had to show anything when flying delta from LAX this summer.
We did have our passports linked to our skymiles account and did the facial scan though.

But to check a bag, Delta asks for the physical ID of the person checking the bag. They do not need to see eveyone's id, just the id of the person checking the bag.

Sounds like the Southwest person was playing fast and loose with rules.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

But to check a bag, Delta asks for the physical ID of the person checking the bag. They do not need to see eveyone's id, just the id of the person checking the bag.

Sounds like the Southwest person was playing fast and loose with rules.

She's just responding to my comment which was in response to another poster talking about having to get through security with an ID and a boarding pass.

eticketplease wasn't talking about bag check.

(of course if you have someone on ignore lol there will be times you need to show ignore content in order to understand the conversation )

 

[kdonnel]

She's just responding to my comment which was in response to another poster talking about having to get through security with an ID and a boarding pass.

eticketplease wasn't talking about bag check.

(of course if you have someone on ignore lol there will be times you need to show ignore content in order to understand the conversation )

I understand the conversation.

I have no one on ignore?

I was responding to the entire thread in a single response to one post.

The OP was checking a bag. eticketplease said she showed no id to fly. I was pointing out that despite not needing to show the TSA an id, to check a bag with Delta, with any airline, you are supposed to show a physical id.

It is a gap in the move to both the facial recognition and digital id.



While I wasn't confused when I posted the first time, I am confused now. I take it you really don't like me?

 

[eticketplease]

I understand the conversation.

I have no one on ignore?

I was responding to the entire thread in a single response to one post.

The OP was checking a bag. eticketplease said she showed no id to fly. I was pointing out that despite not needing to show the TSA an id, to check a bag with Delta, with any airline, you are supposed to show a physical id.

It is a gap in the move to both the facial recognition and digital id.



While I wasn't confused when I posted the first time, I am confused now. I take it you really don't like me?

Well we didn't have too show id's either for bags. Again ours were already linked with Delta though and they scanned our faces so maybe that counted as "checking" but we never got them out of our bags for them to physically inspect.



https://www.delta.com/us/en/check-in-security/expedited-airport-security/touchless-id


It would have been faster if we had just shown the id's to Sky Priority I feel like as we were the only ones in line and it took forever to get someone.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I understand the conversation.

I have no one on ignore?

I was responding to the entire thread in a single response to one post.

The OP was checking a bag. eticketplease said she showed no id to fly. I was pointing out that despite not needing to show the TSA an id, to check a bag with Delta, with any airline, you are supposed to show a physical id.

It is a gap in the move to both the facial recognition and digital id.



While I wasn't confused when I posted the first time, I am confused now. I take it you really don't like me?

_19disnA mentioned needing to show both a boarding pass and and ID to get through security, I mentioned when you don't have to with CAT tech being used, eticketplease responded to me saying she didn't think she had to show ID either when she went through security with Delta and having her passport information in Delta's system, I responded that is Touchless ID (well my assumption based on her comments).

These comments were about getting through security so while the OP may have been talking about checking a bag if you could see everyone's comment then that particular topic between 3 posters was about getting through security, a tangent to the OP's. Hence my comment about if you have someone on ignore which does happen in threads where people either say they don't know what's being said or respond to something seemingly unrelated (or at least somewhat unrelated) because they have one or more persons on ignore and haven't shown the content to see where the conversation flowed to. My apologies if you don't have someone on ignore but hopefully you can see why the assumption was there.