Checking in

[TroyEade]

Hi,

I've always wondered what would happen if you said no to the question of "Have you packed your own bags" when checking in, please?

Regards,

Troy

[smudgesmum]

Hi

You'd probably get bumped from the flight and arrested. The check-in staff don't want to hear stupid remarks like that, joke or otherwise

Smudgesmum

[BHX86]

You would be classed as a selectee and your bags would usually get sent around to the out of guage / oversize baggage area for extra screening. In addition your hand luggage will also definitely get hand searched.

[Leezyjet]

Hi

You'd probably get bumped from the flight and arrested. The check-in staff don't want to hear stupid remarks like that, joke or otherwise

Smudgesmum

Total and utter bolleaux !!. Please don't bother to reply if you don't know the answer.

Saying NO is NOT a stupid remark. It is the honest answer to the question, if it is the case (excuse the pun) you didn't not pack your bags. The check-in staff want to hear the HONEST answer.

As BHX86 said, you would just be sent for extra security screening, thats all. No big deal.

The reason the questions are in place, are not just for what is asked, as most people will always answer YES, it is the fact that if you do give a dishonest answer and something untoward is then discoverd, then you have broken the law in providing that dishonest answer and can be arrested for it.

:ok:

[apaddyinuk]

I wouldnt be so sure. In my days at checkin I perhaps had one person a month who would admit that their luggage was out of their sight for a while say between when they left their hotel/residence to the airport. Id simply ask them to have a quick look inside their luggage until they were absolutely satisfied that there was nothing out of the ordinary inside! Id hang onto their details and have everything ready to go (boarding passes, bag tags) and continue to pull other passengers from the line until said passenger was happy with their check and then I would send them on their merry way, no bull, no hassle and piece of mind for all!!!

Also when I worked at EI check in in the last 90's we had a mad question regarding if they had any new and unused electrical items in their luggage. It only happened once that a chap said he had, I cant remember what it was exactly but he said he had only just bought it and it looked kinda complicated. It threw me a little because it was something that happened so rarely that no one really seemed to know what to do so we simply rang airport police and they asked me to bring the guy over to a scanner and get it scanned to make sure there was nothing dodgy inside it. Once that was done all was fine and again, off he went and all were happy!!!!

Having said that, if you are clearly having a joke, YOU DESERVE THE RUBBER GLOVE TREATMENT!!! But if you are offering an honest answer then you should not be afraid of receiving a rude response!!!

[Mr @ Spotty M]

Just a little point which ties in with this post and is as follows.
90% or more do NOT give a Honest answer to the other question which goes with did you pack it yourself, in the question "has your luggage been with you at all times and not left your sight".
Most luggage as either been in the boot (trunk for you from across the pond) of a car or maybe in the luggage area of a coach.
So unless you have travelled by train or tube to the airport you have all told a little fib, l have always thought that this was a dam stupid question to ask.

[BHX86]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the question 'have you packed the bag yourselves?' is not a mandatory DfT requirement, instead it is used by some check in agents to lead onto the mandatory questions which are:

1. Could anyone have interfered with your bags/baggage since you packed it?

2. Have you been given anything to take on board your flight?

In essence the first question would cover most scenarios, e.g. leaving out of sight, not having packed it yourself etc etc.

[PaperTiger]

l have always thought that this was a dam' stupid question to ask.Where do they still ask these questions ? One of the few things (the only one ?) the TSA has done right is to dispense with them.

If someone could cite a single instance where anything untoward was discovered in response to being asked, I'd be interested. (This all started after the Anne-Marie Murphy thing BTW).

[PAXboy]

The question that must be answered incorrectly every day is:
Have you been given anything to take on board your flight?

Whilst, it is apparent that the question is about a carry bag, sealed wash bag, electrical device, camera etc. that might contain a problem - what would be the reaction to: "Well, my mother has given me two T-shirts for her grandson and a CD for her daughter in law etc."!

[frontcheck]

The 3 security questions are still asked to all passengers departing the UK, it is a DfT requirement,failure to ask the questions could result in a fine or loss of operating licence

[TroyEade]

Thanks to all who have answered my question (with the exception of Smudge). It was an innocent question, but one that i always wondered if you answered in the negative. I know never to joke when it comes to security questions/immigration. I'd hazard a guess that quite a few regular travellers would also wonder what would happen in that situation, espcecially us British who always get asked the question.

To sum up my answer, the bag/suitcase/package would undergo extra security. In this case i have to agree with this, unlike some of the security we have to go through (but that's a different thread).

BTW Papertiger, we still get asked the three questions in the UK.

[ZFT]

I often carry vendor pre packed spares parts and do answer "no". Never had a rude response and either show associated paperwork or they send me off for extra screening.

[MrSoft]

My wife often answers these questions with, perhaps, excessive honesty.

"Yes, mum asked me if I don't mind taking a box of shortbread for her sister in Paris, she loves the stuff" etc.

She also feels obliged to tell them she's packed her electronic hair dryer and so on.

I keep advising her just to say three bags full, but she's not built that way. Always results in a trip to the screening area.

[radeng]

It's much safer to pack your own bag. I found this the hard way some 25 years ago. Going to niece's wedding, let wife pack. Get there and ask 'Where's my suit jacket?'

'Oh' she says, ' it's on the hanger'

'What hanger?'

'The one in the wardrobe at home'.

Since when, I always pack for myself.

Biggest problem with questions is in the US where words have different meanings. TSA went ballistic when they got an answer of 'there's a torch in the case' to a question. How was I to know that to them, a 'torch' meant a blow lamp, and not a flashlight?