Unable to board, Passport check at the gate
May 7, 2024, 10:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 36
Unable to board, Passport check at the gate
Hello experts!
On all my recent BA flights, on the return flight back to London my boarding pass has beeped red at the gate with “unable to board” and the agents will take my passport and press a few buttons on the computer before I can board. I think there was a message in the app saying my passport would need to be checked at the airport due to rules of my destination country (the UK). But no one else seems to have this problem and I also don’t have this problem departing London. Anyone know what’s going on here?
On all my recent BA flights, on the return flight back to London my boarding pass has beeped red at the gate with “unable to board” and the agents will take my passport and press a few buttons on the computer before I can board. I think there was a message in the app saying my passport would need to be checked at the airport due to rules of my destination country (the UK). But no one else seems to have this problem and I also don’t have this problem departing London. Anyone know what’s going on here?
May 7, 2024, 11:11 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 167
I have the same thing every time flying USA-UK. If you just get the mobile boarding pass, it'll say when checking in 'Your documents must be checked at the airport'. You won't be able to board until you see a BA agent. If you hang around the gate area they'll usually call you by name before boarding starts. In DFW, it used to be there were BA agents in the AA Flagship lounge that could do this, but that's not the case anymore. I always allow a few extra minutes to see the gate agent before boarding.
Departing London to the USA the same thing happens, but you'll get your documents checked before you can go through security (in the first wing, they can do it in the counter just before the security entrance, or sometimes send you to a desk).
Departing London to the USA the same thing happens, but you'll get your documents checked before you can go through security (in the first wing, they can do it in the counter just before the security entrance, or sometimes send you to a desk).
May 7, 2024, 12:44 pm
#6
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 64,160
USA to UK is a DHS requirement to scan, it's used to determine your length of stay since you appeared at CBP and replaces the cards stapled into passports after arrival. If you check-in luggage the passport is scanned there, some places they can do it in the lounge (SFO, JFK, BOS for example) other places they do it at the gate to anyone who is HBO. Some places with high transfer numbers - ORD, PHL - go to some effort to identify people who need scanning well before boarding since the system can't cope with too many people being scanned at the gate in time for boarding, given the new biometric boarding process.
Elsewhere:
Generally if FLY holds incorrect or missing passport details then it will give this message on non CTA flights, so the OP may want to check their profile / API to ensure there isn't a missing piece of data / month-date swap and the like. It's not inefficient to do it at the gate, but if it happens every place in say Europe then that is the reason.
Elsewhere:
Generally if FLY holds incorrect or missing passport details then it will give this message on non CTA flights, so the OP may want to check their profile / API to ensure there isn't a missing piece of data / month-date swap and the like. It's not inefficient to do it at the gate, but if it happens every place in say Europe then that is the reason.
May 7, 2024, 12:46 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, QRPC, Amex MR, World of Hyatt, IHG one rewards, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, etc…
Posts: 697
Hello experts!
On all my recent BA flights, on the return flight back to London my boarding pass has beeped red at the gate with “unable to board” and the agents will take my passport and press a few buttons on the computer before I can board. I think there was a message in the app saying my passport would need to be checked at the airport due to rules of my destination country (the UK). But no one else seems to have this problem and I also don’t have this problem departing London. Anyone know what’s going on here?
On all my recent BA flights, on the return flight back to London my boarding pass has beeped red at the gate with “unable to board” and the agents will take my passport and press a few buttons on the computer before I can board. I think there was a message in the app saying my passport would need to be checked at the airport due to rules of my destination country (the UK). But no one else seems to have this problem and I also don’t have this problem departing London. Anyone know what’s going on here?
May 7, 2024, 1:12 pm
#9
Formerly known as tireman77
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 5,657
I believe this is more than just USA<-->UK. Same thing happened to a friend flying with me from Mexico to Canada.
I assumed the airline must confirm you have the proper physical document to enter a country with you at the airport before boarding a flight or they are responsible for flying you back, though in this case as Canadians they can't really refuse us entry even without a passport.
I assumed the airline must confirm you have the proper physical document to enter a country with you at the airport before boarding a flight or they are responsible for flying you back, though in this case as Canadians they can't really refuse us entry even without a passport.