I've been interested how many posters jump on the security bandwagon and assumed that when the word security is spoken it ONLY refers to the post 9/11 procedures.
As far as I am aware boarding cards were checked on the aircraft prior to that event and again one of the reasons would have been security. But bear in mind that the definition of the word security covers many things, it may be being used as a reference to internal security policies of the airlines and nothing at all to do with terrorists threats.
It is only the objectors that have taken the "must be anti-terrorist" view of the word security.
Yes it's about revenue protection, correct passenger lists, not ending up with passengers at the wrong destination, not having to sort arguments about seating (i.e. two passengers with the same seat - one on the wrong flight) and I'm sure many other factors. In reality as lot of the above issues will come, in some organisations, under the umbrella of security and there may even be a "security" department within the airline that deals with these policies.
So in many cases the term security correctly applies to this procedure.
An example where I work
Computer security - passwords etc.
Site security - making sure we know who is in our buildings, fire regulation requirement
System security - to keep the leccy flowing
Operational security - to stop folks getting killed in substations
Financial security - the manage the companied finances
Not one of the above deals with any external threats (and we do have them)