I'm on a watchlist...

[Ade]

I mean literally, threw my passport at me and said ‘you can go’.

Hate it when such things happen. I'd have expected (barring spilling of anything that shall not be mentioned) at least a courteous and emphatic chat on why they had to retain you, what was done to verify the identity and say that nothing to worry with an all clear.

Something along the lines of a calm explanation such as "we understand this is frustrating, but we are sure you will appreciate we need to do everything we can do make everyone feel safe. This is not a reflection on you, just a routine check conducted as a consequence of an alert popping in our systems. Due to security reasons, we are unable to disclose what the alert was in regards to, however, please be rest assured that everything checked out in your favour and you are free to go. Thank you for your patience in this matter."

I also ACK that this is not going to happen - but it would have been nice, I'd think. #WishfulThinking

 

[Beano]

Flying several years ago with my teenage daughter into SYD from WLG. She was challenged by immigration as here name had appeared on a watch list. Had to sit outside the "interview" rooms for a few minutes were then passed through. My daughter had never flown international before.

Perhaps you have a similar name to someone else on the watch list.

 

[DC3]

They also read these forums. I ended up with someone else's booking in my profile and got the time to check in e-mail. Someone from Virgin saw the thread and promptly asked me to contact privacy.

So Kerfuffle is your real name?

Or, was there another give-away in the post/s read by VA?

 

[p--and--t]

Last trip to China landed in Guangzhou from Seoul and proceeding through immigration. My partner and I separated to two different booths.

My passport was stamped and waved through.

Partner was being stalled at booth.

I was forced by an officer to move out of sterile area as I watched two officers escort my partner in opposite direction with no explanation, through a door that was slammed shut.

Im standing there with no idea whats going on and being brushed off by security who insist I keep moving away from immigration area.

30mins later partner is escorted out of the immigration area and allowed to proceed to luggage collection.

We have deliberately not booked any travel to or thru China ever since.

Other than being locked in a room with two guards inside and one outside and passport taken away somewhere, a few weird obscure questions which I cant recall now, and passport brought back into the room and returned, neither of us have any idea what happened or why. No explanations or apologies, and no questions allowed.

 

[Lemon_Party]

My father swears he was pulled aside once at HKG into an interrogation room and questioned. Explanation was his head profile was the same shape as a know terrorist. Few questions and a passport check and he was cleared and allowed on through immigration.
Never happened to him since.
He’s not the type to make up stories but I’ve never heard anything like it since…