Security questions when leaving the UK?

Do you think maybe they're shifting some of the US immigration functions over to the departure ports? I also fly a fair bit and never had anything as thorough. I think I'd be a bit freaked out at being examined like that before departure.

No, again, it is private security hired by the airlines or the airport operator.  On the back of my passport I have 7 little stickers that all came from Heathrow and United Airlines quizzing me on departure.

I was also stopped once by the police at Gatwick to ask me some questions.  It seemed to be a random thing, but they took my name and address and got me to prove who I was.  Also, since I fly domestically in the UK a lot as well at Gatwick they take pictures of the domestic passengers to match up when they go to their gate.  Well, it would seem that once they took the picture of the guy behind me and not me and had to call security over for me to prove I was who I said I was, why was I flying, etc.  Luckily I showed up at the gate early, because it took like 30 minutes to go through.

My father's name "Patrick Kelly" appears to be on the US no fly list.  So whenever he flies, he gets interrogated to prove that he isn't the Pat Kelly they are looking for.

I had a friend once who looked like an IRA terrorist.  It would appear that on arrivals from NI and the ROI (when you pass in front of those big glass windows at Heathrow) they had some form of facial recognition stuff, and they would often come out and interrogate them.  One time they came out with dogs and made him drop his back as the police dogs sniffed his luggage and crotch.

The only overseas I have seen has been in departure via Dublin, and there you clearly know it is US Immigration.

We flew to spain in the summer and actually got questioned by immigration after we went through security.  They asked DH why he was here (to which he answered, I'm going to spain!  ) and then questioned him further about how he was allowed to be in this country, what kind of visa he arrived on, how he came to have FLR and how we met.

The only overseas I have seen has been in departure via Dublin, and there you clearly know it is US Immigration.

On Cunard, they literally have overseas immigration into the UK.  A UK IO cruises on US->UK transatlantic crossings and does immigration during the trip.  I guess there are a lot of complaints that the US doesn't do this as well.

I guess it's done by a lottery among senior IOs who haven't gone.  Don't let the Daily Mail know about it.    It really saves a lot of hassles.

I haven't been through Belfast airport in a while, but you had to show ID before you entered the terminal and send all your bags through the X-Ray before you could enter the check in area. 

Just wanted to say, this is not the case anymore. They do still have the x-ray machine there, though--I never knew why it was there!

I guess it's done by a lottery among senior IOs who haven't gone.  Don't let the Daily Mail know about it.    It really saves a lot of hassles.

No kidding! I always felt bad for people sailing into NY and getting woken up at the crack of dawn to go through customs and immigration. If they could do it before or during the trip, it would def save bother.

Is it more of a US airline thing?

Seems like most of you are reporting that it is Delta, United, and Continental doing this. I guess  maybe I've never been questioned as I always fly BA? 

Do you think maybe they're shifting some of the US immigration functions over to the departure ports? I also fly a fair bit and never had anything as thorough. I think I'd be a bit freaked out at being examined like that before departure.

I know at most of the airports in Canada, you go through US immigration before you get on the plane, but I don't know about in the UK, as I haven't flown home yet....but now I don't want to! LOL.

Is it more of a US airline thing?

Seems like most of you are reporting that it is Delta, United, and Continental doing this. I guess  maybe I've never been questioned as I always fly BA? 

I remember being questioned at Amsterdam while flying to Wash DC on KLM last year. This was at the boarding gate area. But I don't quite recall the same for Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Chicago... go figure.

The back of my passport has a bunch of ICTS stickers from Manchester and one from Amsterdam... it's kinda corny but I like having them there, a reminder of each special trip to UK before actually moving here :-)

Back on topic, I'd definitely cooperate to the extent I think would be appropriate, but if the questions start sounding more immigrationish, I'd certainly make my hesitation clear. I've noticed the way you answer your questions also matters... if you're scared they'll question you deeper. If you're just to-the-point they they won't mess with you. Few yrs ago while flying Air France from Philadelphia couple of Border Protection officers (with the whole show too... fully armed and with a K-9 dog) pulled me aside in the jetway right before boarding the flight. I was ticked off by that and when they asked me if I have more than $10,000 on me.... I (very visibly annoyed) answered... $19 and change. They got the point and moved on to their next "random catch" 

Now you might say that the Border Protection Officers were within there scope to have asked me... but my point is your body behavio(u)r probably tells them more than your actual answers.... my experience anyway.

That's weird. I thought you had to declare currency when you're entering, not when you're leaving.

This is a new one to me (don't know how I missed the topic).

DH who is British and I the American flew out of Heathrow two times this year to the US. Once in February out of Terminal 3 and once in November out of Terminal 1 and we didn't experience this at all. We flew United (non stop to SFO) both times and no issues at all. Maybe we don't look threatening or something. I dunno 

That's weird. I thought you had to declare currency when you're entering, not when you're leaving.

It's kinda opposite when leaving the US.. you're expected to declare currency if you have more than $10,000 on you by filling out a form. It's not exactly illegal to carry more than $10k if you have the form filled out. I guess this rule is in place to hamper money laundering, although personally I think its stupid.

I have flown between the UK-US on Delta probably 30 times and they always ask lots of questions, but never as personal as who I am traveling with, that is strange.

It's kinda opposite when leaving the US.. you're expected to declare currency if you have more than $10,000 on you by filling out a form. It's not exactly illegal to carry more than $10k if you have the form filled out. I guess this rule is in place to hamper money laundering, although personally I think its stupid.

I used to work at a bank. Anytime someone deposited more than $10k in cash special forms had to be filled out and it had to be reported. The feds keep tabs on the deposits for investigative purposes. 

It was really amusing when I'd have a regular customer coming in who'd weekly deposit $9,990 to avoid the form.

It was really amusing when I'd have a regular customer coming in who'd weekly deposit $9,990 to avoid the form.

Doesn't someone eventually twig that's happening, though?

Doesn't someone eventually twig that's happening, though?

Not unless the banker processing the deposit files suspicious activity report. Which we did every single time, but not much came of it.

BTW, you can carry more than $10k as long as it's in the form of checks out of the country.  But if it involves carrying cash, forget it.