FAQ About "Secure Flight"

http://papersplease.org/sf_faq.html

Secure Flight: Frequently Asked Questions

=====

What are the new requirements in the Secure Flight regulations?

(1) You have to give the airline or travel agency your name, data of
birth, and gender, all exactly matching your ID, before you can make a
reservation for any flight.

(2) The airline has to send that information, and various other data
from your reservation and personal profile, to the TSA, 72 hours before
each flight (or as soon as you make a reservation, whichever comes first).

(3) Unless the TSA sends the airline a message that you are "cleared",
you can't fly. The airline is forbidden to give you a boarding pass or
let you on a plane.

(4) You have to show your ID to the airline whenever the TSA tells them
to ask you for it. If you can't or won't show the airline your ID, you
can't fly.

=====

How do airlines and the government currently decide
who is allowed to fly?

Many different government agencies secretly “nominate� people for
inclusion on various watch lists, including the air travel “selectee�
list and the “no-fly� list. The FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center reviews
(in secret) any derogatory information provided by the nominating agency,
and decides (in secret) which names to put on those lists. The TSA
continuously transmits these watch lists to the airlines, who check the
names in passenger reservations against the names on the watch lists. If
the airline come up with a possible match with the “selectee� list, they
flag the boarding pass so that passenger will be subjected to more
intrusive “secondary� search. If they find a possible match with the “no-
fly� list, they don’t issue a boarding pass or let the passenger on the
plane, and give the TSA a call in an attempt to verify whether the
passenger in question is actually that person identified on the list and
to get instructions from the TSA as to what to do.

=====

How will this process work under Secure Flight?

The no-fly and selectee lists will be created and maintained the same way
they are now, by the same agencies, with the same secrecy and lack of due
process or judicial review. But instead of sending these lists to the
airlines, the TSA will require airlines to collect and transmit
identifying and itinerary data on each domestic air passenger to the TSA
prior to each flight. This data, called the Secure Flight Passenger Data
(“SFPD�), will be collected by travel agencies, tour operators, cruise
lines, and other intermediaries, and will include your name, gender, date
of birth, which flight(s) on which airline(s) you plan to take, and your
TSA “redress number� if you have previously complained to the TSA that
you were improperly prevented from flying. The TSA will then compare the
SFPD with their watch list data and decide whether to instruct the
airline to issue a boarding pass, which is needed to get through security
where ID is required. The TSA will also be able to order the airline to
demand the passenger show ID to the airline to try to verify the
passenger’s identity, contact the police, or take other action.

=====

What are the Watch Lists??

The watch lists are secret lists of people deemed to dangerous to fly,
yet apparently not so dangerous as to require the issuance of a warrant
for their arrest. The No-Fly and Selectee lists compromise the watch
lists. The TSA has admitted that the watch lists function not only to
promote the safety of air transportation, but also to disrupt the
functionality of “terrorists� organizations by inhibiting their mobility.
There is no due process mechanism for being placed on or taken off the
watch lists. It is done entirely in secret, and in doing so ignores the
protections afforded by the Bill of Rights against government tyranny.
Whatever benefit they provide is greatly outweighed by the danger for
abuse they present.

=====

Don't I have a right to travel?

The Identity Project thinks you do, but the TSA disagrees. Here is what
DHS had to say about it in their Secure Flight final rule:

Comment: Many commenters argued that the Secure Flight program is
unconstitutional and infringes on an individual’s freedom of movement,
assembly, and right to travel. A commenter also argued that the Secure
Flight program violates Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR) because it restricts ‘‘liberty of movement.’’

TSA Response: TSA disagrees with the comments. The Government may place
reasonable restrictions on the right to travel in order to protect
compelling interests; in this case, transportation and national security.
The Secure Flight program does not deny individuals their right to travel
or other constitutional rights. Courts have consistently held that
travelers do not have a constitutional right to travel by a single mode
or the most convenient form of travel. The Secure Flight program would
only regulate one mode of travel (aviation) and would not impose any
restriction on other modes of travel. Thus, Secure Flight does not
unlawfully infringe or restrict individuals’ freedom of movement or
assembly. Also, the Secure Flight regulations are reasonable and are not
onerous or unduly burdensome to individuals. Additionally, Article 12 of
the ICCPR does not apply to laws that are necessary to protect national
security. Because the purpose of the Secure Flight program is to protect
national security, Article 12 would not apply even if the Secure Flight
program did somehow restrict liberty of movement.

To many, travel by aviation is the only mode available to them. IDP
believes that the restrictions are unreasonable, do not make us safer,
and to say the right to travel can only be violated when all forms of
travel are affected is disingenuous. Using TSA logic, the right to travel
could only be violated if all forms of travel are subject to ID
requirements.

=====

What data other than the SFPD is sent by the airlines
to TSA pursuant to Secure Flight?

A substantial amount of commercial airline data on each passenger’s
travel is also transmitted to the TSA as part of the SFPD. This
commercial data includes itinerary information which itself includes the
departure airport code; aircraft operator; departure date; departure
time; arrival date; scheduled arrival time; arrival airport code; flight
number; and operating carrier. Other information transmitted by the
airline to the TSA includes the reservation control number; record
sequence number; record type; passenger update indicator; traveler
reference number; and the passenger’s passport information if collected
by the airline or already known to the airline (from a previous flight or
frequent flyer profile, for example).

=====

TSA says that it will not collect or use commercial data to
conduct Secure Flight watch list matching. Is that true?

No, that's not true. Secure Flight is based on using commercial data from
airline reservations and airlines' profiles of their passengers as the
basis for government decisions of who to allow to fly, and who not to
allow to fly. Just because the data used by TSA in Secure Flight comes
from the airlines, it does not mean it’s not commercial data.

=====

Will Secure Flight use data mining?

Yes. First airline reservations and passenger profiles will be mined to
extract the Secure Flight Passenger Data (“SFPD�). Second, the
substantial amount of additional commercial data communicated by the
airlines to the TSA will be used in TSA’s data analysis methodology. What
algorithms the TSA will use to conduct their data mining is unknown. Such
data mining has been explicitly forbidden by Congress.

=====

Will Secure Flight assign risk scores to travelers?

Yes. Every would-be passenger will be assigned a risk score of either
“cleared�, “inhibited�, or “not cleared.� This is presumably the same as
the risk scores of “green�, “yellow�, and “red� rejected under the
defunct CAPPS II program. The assignment of risk scores to airline
passengers, except to people who are actually on watch lists, has been
explicitly forbidden by Congress.

=====

What does it mean to be placed in the “inhibited� category?

To be “inhibited� in “TSA speak� means that TSA suspects that you might
be the person on their watch list, and further information as to your
identity is necessary to confirm or deny that suspicion. An airline may
not issue a boarding pass to an “inhibited� individual. Unless you can
further prove your identity to show you are not the supposedly-bad person
on the secret list, you’re not going to be allowed to fly.

=====

How much will Secure Flight cost?

Billions of dollars. The TSA says Secure Flight will cost at least $2
billion, but airlines and travel agencies say it will probably cost much
more than that. And that's on top of several billion dollars that the
TSA, airlines, computerized reservation system (CRSs) and travel agencies
have already spent to modify their databases, collect additional
information from and about travelers, and give the TSA access to their
reservation systems. According to the International Air Transport
Association (IATA), Secure Flight will "force airlines ... to change the
way they operate, and how they interact with passengers, other airlines
and travel agents. As a result, the industry faces complex system changes
in order to meet the DHS duplicative data requirements at growing costs
for the airlines and their passengers."

=====

Why will Secure Flight cost so much?

Tens of thousands of pieces of software that are used to collect,
transmit, store, and process reservations will have to be changed. There
are currently no standards for storing or transmitting birth date or
gender in airline reservations. First the industry will have to develop
and agree on new standards to include this in the "ATA/IATA Reservations
Interline Message Procedures-Passenger" (AIRIMP) protocol. (Normally,
changes to the AIRIMP can take years.) Then each airline or computerized
reservation system (CRS) will have to add these fields to their
databases, and add new commands, responses, and messages to all their
interfaces and APIs to handle this new data. Only then will travel
agencies (both online and offline) and other intermediaries, including
every Web site that sells airline tickets, be able to begin to use those
new command formats and APIs to modify their scripts, procedures, and
automation software to collect this new data. Meanwhile, airlines will
have to develop and implement real-time systems to extract the "Secure
Flight Passenger Data" (SFPD) from Passenger Name Records (PNRs), send
the SFPD to the TSA, and inhibit boarding pass issuance unless and until
the TSA sends back a "cleared" message for each would-be passenger.

=====

Who will have to pay for pay for Secure Flight?

You will, either through higher taxes, higher security fees on tickets,
or higher fares.

=====

How long will Secure Flight take to implement?

We don't know. Airlines and travel agencies have said that the TSA's
original 3-month timetable was impossible. Some travel companies said it
would take at least 6 months. Others said it would take a year or more.

=====

When do the Secure Flight regulations go into effect?

The new regulations take effect December 29, 2008. From that day onward,
airlines will have to comply with any TSA orders for Secure Flight.

=====

When will the TSA give airlines those orders?

We don't know, and we probably won't know even when it happens. TSA
orders to the airlines will be given in secret "Security Directives" and
orders approving "Aircraft Operator Implementation Plans". All of these
are considered "Sensitive Security Information" and are kept secret from
the public. The TSA says they expect to give the first airline its orders
to start collecting information, sending it to the TSA, and refusing
passage to anyone except those the TSA "clears", sometime early in 2009.

=====

Which airline(s) will be first?

We don't know, and we probably won't know until they start demanding
birth date and gender from all their passengers.

=====

So how will we know when the TSA says we have to
start giving our birth date and gender, showing ID,
or getting permission to travel?

You'll find out when the airline or travel agency demands your birth
date, gender, or ID, or when you get to the airport and are told that you
can't fly because the TSA hasn't given the airline "clearance" for you to
travel on that flight.

=====

If the airline tells me something is required by the TSA,
how can I tell if that is true?

You can't. The orders will be given to airlines in secret. The TSA has
provided no way to verify what those secret orders really require. TSA
signs about ID requirements at airports and on the TSA website contradict
what the TSA has said in court when those requirements have been
challenged. And the TSA has said it might "create public confusion" for
people to read their press releases.

=====

If someone demands to look at my ID, how can I tell
if I am really required to show it to them?

You can't. The TSA has provided no way to verify who is really acting on
their orders or authority.

=====

What if I don't have a government-issued photo ID?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

What if I don't qualify for a government ID card?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

What if my ID was lost or stolen?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

What if I have only a temporary ID without a photo,
while I'm waiting for a new or replacement photo ID?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

If I give the airline or travel agency my birth date and gender,
and have government-issued photo ID, will I be allowed to fly?

Not unless the TSA sends the airline a message that you are "cleared"
for a specific flight.

=====

Will this "clearance" be denied only for people who
are on a "watch list"?

No. There is no language in the Secure Flight regulations that requires
that people who aren't on watch lists be allowed to fly.

=====

If I'm not on a watch list, will I be allowed to fly?

Not unless the TSA gives the airline permission to transport you on a
specific flight.

=====

What will I have to do to get permission to fly?

You will have to give your full name, gender, and date of birth, all
matching your government-issued ID. 72 hours before your flight (or as
soon as you make a reservation, whichever comes first), the airline will
send your information to the TSA. If the TSA gives you permission to fly,
they will send a "cleared" message to the airline.

=====

What if the airline doesn't get any answer from the TSA?

You won't be allowed to fly.

=====

So the TSA will only get part of the information in my reservation?

The TSA says that only your only your name, gender, date of birth, flight
details, reservation "record locator", and passport information (if the
airline has it in your reservation, or in a stored profile from a
frequent flyer program, registration on their website, or previous
flight), would "normally" be transferred by an airline to TSA. But if the
TSA wants it, they can use the record locator to pull the entire
Passenger Name Record (PNR). That would show who you are traveling with,
if you asked for a kosher or halal meal, how many beds you asked for if
you booked a hotel in the same reservation, etc.

=====

Will I know if the TSA has asked the airline for my complete
PNR or additional information about me?

Not without making a request under the Privacy Act for your records from
the TSA. They might not tell you even then, but you can try. The TSA has
categorized most Secure Flight records as "Sensitive Security
Information" and has tried to exempt them from the Privacy Act. And even
if the TSA has looked at your data, they might no longer have copy in
their records by the time they responded to your Privacy Act request
(even though the airline would still have a copy, and the TSA could
retrieve it again at any time).

=====

Will airlines and other travel companies be allowed
to keep my information?

Yes. Under US law, your information belongs to these travel companies,
even if you provide it only because the government makes you. Airlines
and computerized reservations systems can (and probably will, since
storage is cheap and they can probably find ways to monetize the
information about you) keep your records forever, use them, sell them, or
send them to other countries. They don't have to get your permission,
tell you what they have in your permanent file, or tell you what they
have done with it. And the government can get this information from them
at any time, in secret, by using a "National Security Letter".

=====

Who will decide whether to give me permission to fly?

That's for them to know and you not to find out. The regulations don't
say.

=====

How will they decide whether to give me permission to fly?

That's for them to know, and you not to find out. The regulations don't
say.

=====

Are there any rules they have to follow when they
decide whether to let me fly?

No, there are no rules or standards, at least none that they have made
public or included in the Secure Flight regulations.

=====

Will I have a hearing? Will I see the evidence against me?
Will I be able to have a lawyer?

No. It will all be decided in secret, without you.

=====

If the airline doesn't get permission for me to travel,
will they tell me?

No. Even if the airline finds out 3 days before the flight, you won't
find out until you get to the airport. The airline might tell you that
you can't print your boarding pass at home, but that doesn't necessarily
mean you won't be allowed to travel.)

=====

How can I tell in advance if I'll be allowed to fly?

You can't.

=====

If I'm allowed on one flight, does that mean I'm
OK for my whole trip?

No. You could get on your first flight, but not be allowed to get on a
connecting flight. Or you could get to your destination, and not be
allowed to come home.

=====

If the TSA won't let me fly, will they tell me why?

No.

=====

Will the airline tell me why I'm not allowed to fly?

No. The airline probably won't know the reason (if there is a reason),
and won't be allowed to tell you even if they do know.

=====

If I'm not allowed to fly, will I get a refund?

Maybe. That depends on the rules in the airline's conditions of carriage.
Some airlines will give you a refund, but only if you agree not to sue
them for any other damages.

=====

What can I do if I'm not allowed to fly?

You can appeal to the same people who made the original decision. They
will consider your "redress" request the same way they made their initial
decision: in secret. You won't have a hearing, you won't know who or what
agency "nominated" you for a watchlist or travel restriction, and you
won't see the evidence (if any) against you. They won't tell you what, if
anything, they have decided, when, or why. The only way to find out if
they have changed their decision will be to buy another ticket, and try
to fly again.

=====

How long will this "redress" process take?

They can take as long as they like. Just keep trying to fly, and maybe
someday you will find out that you are allowed to fly again. But even if
that happens, you might be stopped once again at any time.

=====

Don't I have a right to a hearing before a judge?

The DHS doesn't think so. We'll find out what the courts will rule when
people challenge these rules. The Identity Project is currently assisting
in the case of Rahinah Ibrahim, a graduate student who was already in the
U.S. with a valid visa but was arrested when she tried to get on a flight
home, and is now trying to get a Federal court hearing on why she wasn't
allowed to fly. Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff used to be a
Federal judge. But now he says he doesn't believe in judicial review of
his agency's decisions: "Mr. Secretary, ... Why not give the American
citizen his day in court to contest the proposed action of your
department?... Secretary Chertoff: [W]e judge through an inter-agency
process whether someone ought to be put on the no-fly list. And the list
is then transmitted to the airlines and winds up then being a basis to
deny people.... But we don't conduct court hearings on this.... But if
you are asking if we would do a court process where we litigate it, I
mean, that effectively would shut it down."

----------------
Edward Hasbrouck

http://hasbrouck.org

consultant to The Identity Project (IDP),
a program of the First Amendment Project
http://www.papersplease.org

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging ... the right of the
people peaceably to assemble" (U.S. Constitution, Amendment 1)

"Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence
within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave
any country, including his own, and to return to his country."
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13)

"Liberty of movement is an indispensable
condition for the free development of a person."
(United Nations Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 27)

Written in 1922, and published posthumously in 1926, Franz Kafka's The
Castle portrays a world seemingly controlled by whimsical leaders and
absurd rules. As K., land-surveyor and unwelcome guest in the village
near the Castle, endeavors to reach his goals--the Castle itself and the
elusive Director Klamm--questions arise regarding the ultimate source of
power, the means of rule-enforcement, and the terms of the relationship
between villagers and officials in the prison-like world created by
Kafka. Regardless of who or what is in control of the Castle, of the
village, and of K.'s actions, the power structures are kept in place by
the pervasive fear of a ubiquitous bureaucratic system and by the threat
of a punishment that is seldom actually administered or experienced.


Edward Hasbrouck wrote:
http://papersplease.org/sf_faq.html

Secure Flight: Frequently Asked Questions

=====

What are the new requirements in the Secure Flight regulations?

(1) You have to give the airline or travel agency your name, data of
birth, and gender, all exactly matching your ID, before you can make a
reservation for any flight.

(2) The airline has to send that information, and various other data
from your reservation and personal profile, to the TSA, 72 hours before
each flight (or as soon as you make a reservation, whichever comes first).

(3) Unless the TSA sends the airline a message that you are "cleared",
you can't fly. The airline is forbidden to give you a boarding pass or
let you on a plane.

(4) You have to show your ID to the airline whenever the TSA tells them
to ask you for it. If you can't or won't show the airline your ID, you
can't fly.

=====

How do airlines and the government currently decide
who is allowed to fly?

Many different government agencies secretly “nominate� people for
inclusion on various watch lists, including the air travel “selectee�
list and the “no-fly� list. The FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center reviews
(in secret) any derogatory information provided by the nominating agency,
and decides (in secret) which names to put on those lists. The TSA
continuously transmits these watch lists to the airlines, who check the
names in passenger reservations against the names on the watch lists. If
the airline come up with a possible match with the “selectee� list, they
flag the boarding pass so that passenger will be subjected to more
intrusive “secondary� search. If they find a possible match with the “no-
fly� list, they don’t issue a boarding pass or let the passenger on the
plane, and give the TSA a call in an attempt to verify whether the
passenger in question is actually that person identified on the list and
to get instructions from the TSA as to what to do.

=====

How will this process work under Secure Flight?

The no-fly and selectee lists will be created and maintained the same way
they are now, by the same agencies, with the same secrecy and lack of due
process or judicial review. But instead of sending these lists to the
airlines, the TSA will require airlines to collect and transmit
identifying and itinerary data on each domestic air passenger to the TSA
prior to each flight. This data, called the Secure Flight Passenger Data
(“SFPD�), will be collected by travel agencies, tour operators, cruise
lines, and other intermediaries, and will include your name, gender, date
of birth, which flight(s) on which airline(s) you plan to take, and your
TSA “redress number� if you have previously complained to the TSA that
you were improperly prevented from flying. The TSA will then compare the
SFPD with their watch list data and decide whether to instruct the
airline to issue a boarding pass, which is needed to get through security
where ID is required. The TSA will also be able to order the airline to
demand the passenger show ID to the airline to try to verify the
passenger’s identity, contact the police, or take other action.

=====

What are the Watch Lists??

The watch lists are secret lists of people deemed to dangerous to fly,
yet apparently not so dangerous as to require the issuance of a warrant
for their arrest. The No-Fly and Selectee lists compromise the watch
lists. The TSA has admitted that the watch lists function not only to
promote the safety of air transportation, but also to disrupt the
functionality of “terrorists� organizations by inhibiting their mobility.
There is no due process mechanism for being placed on or taken off the
watch lists. It is done entirely in secret, and in doing so ignores the
protections afforded by the Bill of Rights against government tyranny.
Whatever benefit they provide is greatly outweighed by the danger for
abuse they present.

=====

Don't I have a right to travel?

The Identity Project thinks you do, but the TSA disagrees. Here is what
DHS had to say about it in their Secure Flight final rule:

Comment: Many commenters argued that the Secure Flight program is
unconstitutional and infringes on an individual’s freedom of movement,
assembly, and right to travel. A commenter also argued that the Secure
Flight program violates Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR) because it restricts ‘‘liberty of movement.’’

TSA Response: TSA disagrees with the comments. The Government may place
reasonable restrictions on the right to travel in order to protect
compelling interests; in this case, transportation and national security.
The Secure Flight program does not deny individuals their right to travel
or other constitutional rights. Courts have consistently held that
travelers do not have a constitutional right to travel by a single mode
or the most convenient form of travel. The Secure Flight program would
only regulate one mode of travel (aviation) and would not impose any
restriction on other modes of travel. Thus, Secure Flight does not
unlawfully infringe or restrict individuals’ freedom of movement or
assembly. Also, the Secure Flight regulations are reasonable and are not
onerous or unduly burdensome to individuals. Additionally, Article 12 of
the ICCPR does not apply to laws that are necessary to protect national
security. Because the purpose of the Secure Flight program is to protect
national security, Article 12 would not apply even if the Secure Flight
program did somehow restrict liberty of movement.

To many, travel by aviation is the only mode available to them. IDP
believes that the restrictions are unreasonable, do not make us safer,
and to say the right to travel can only be violated when all forms of
travel are affected is disingenuous. Using TSA logic, the right to travel
could only be violated if all forms of travel are subject to ID
requirements.

=====

What data other than the SFPD is sent by the airlines
to TSA pursuant to Secure Flight?

A substantial amount of commercial airline data on each passenger’s
travel is also transmitted to the TSA as part of the SFPD. This
commercial data includes itinerary information which itself includes the
departure airport code; aircraft operator; departure date; departure
time; arrival date; scheduled arrival time; arrival airport code; flight
number; and operating carrier. Other information transmitted by the
airline to the TSA includes the reservation control number; record
sequence number; record type; passenger update indicator; traveler
reference number; and the passenger’s passport information if collected
by the airline or already known to the airline (from a previous flight or
frequent flyer profile, for example).

=====

TSA says that it will not collect or use commercial data to
conduct Secure Flight watch list matching. Is that true?

No, that's not true. Secure Flight is based on using commercial data from
airline reservations and airlines' profiles of their passengers as the
basis for government decisions of who to allow to fly, and who not to
allow to fly. Just because the data used by TSA in Secure Flight comes
from the airlines, it does not mean it’s not commercial data.

=====

Will Secure Flight use data mining?

Yes. First airline reservations and passenger profiles will be mined to
extract the Secure Flight Passenger Data (“SFPD�). Second, the
substantial amount of additional commercial data communicated by the
airlines to the TSA will be used in TSA’s data analysis methodology. What
algorithms the TSA will use to conduct their data mining is unknown. Such
data mining has been explicitly forbidden by Congress.

=====

Will Secure Flight assign risk scores to travelers?

Yes. Every would-be passenger will be assigned a risk score of either
“cleared�, “inhibited�, or “not cleared.� This is presumably the same as
the risk scores of “green�, “yellow�, and “red� rejected under the
defunct CAPPS II program. The assignment of risk scores to airline
passengers, except to people who are actually on watch lists, has been
explicitly forbidden by Congress.

=====

What does it mean to be placed in the “inhibited� category?

To be “inhibited� in “TSA speak� means that TSA suspects that you might
be the person on their watch list, and further information as to your
identity is necessary to confirm or deny that suspicion. An airline may
not issue a boarding pass to an “inhibited� individual. Unless you can
further prove your identity to show you are not the supposedly-bad person
on the secret list, you’re not going to be allowed to fly.

=====

How much will Secure Flight cost?

Billions of dollars. The TSA says Secure Flight will cost at least $2
billion, but airlines and travel agencies say it will probably cost much
more than that. And that's on top of several billion dollars that the
TSA, airlines, computerized reservation system (CRSs) and travel agencies
have already spent to modify their databases, collect additional
information from and about travelers, and give the TSA access to their
reservation systems. According to the International Air Transport
Association (IATA), Secure Flight will "force airlines ... to change the
way they operate, and how they interact with passengers, other airlines
and travel agents. As a result, the industry faces complex system changes
in order to meet the DHS duplicative data requirements at growing costs
for the airlines and their passengers."

=====

Why will Secure Flight cost so much?

Tens of thousands of pieces of software that are used to collect,
transmit, store, and process reservations will have to be changed. There
are currently no standards for storing or transmitting birth date or
gender in airline reservations. First the industry will have to develop
and agree on new standards to include this in the "ATA/IATA Reservations
Interline Message Procedures-Passenger" (AIRIMP) protocol. (Normally,
changes to the AIRIMP can take years.) Then each airline or computerized
reservation system (CRS) will have to add these fields to their
databases, and add new commands, responses, and messages to all their
interfaces and APIs to handle this new data. Only then will travel
agencies (both online and offline) and other intermediaries, including
every Web site that sells airline tickets, be able to begin to use those
new command formats and APIs to modify their scripts, procedures, and
automation software to collect this new data. Meanwhile, airlines will
have to develop and implement real-time systems to extract the "Secure
Flight Passenger Data" (SFPD) from Passenger Name Records (PNRs), send
the SFPD to the TSA, and inhibit boarding pass issuance unless and until
the TSA sends back a "cleared" message for each would-be passenger.

=====

Who will have to pay for pay for Secure Flight?

You will, either through higher taxes, higher security fees on tickets,
or higher fares.

=====

How long will Secure Flight take to implement?

We don't know. Airlines and travel agencies have said that the TSA's
original 3-month timetable was impossible. Some travel companies said it
would take at least 6 months. Others said it would take a year or more.

=====

When do the Secure Flight regulations go into effect?

The new regulations take effect December 29, 2008. From that day onward,
airlines will have to comply with any TSA orders for Secure Flight.

=====

When will the TSA give airlines those orders?

We don't know, and we probably won't know even when it happens. TSA
orders to the airlines will be given in secret "Security Directives" and
orders approving "Aircraft Operator Implementation Plans". All of these
are considered "Sensitive Security Information" and are kept secret from
the public. The TSA says they expect to give the first airline its orders
to start collecting information, sending it to the TSA, and refusing
passage to anyone except those the TSA "clears", sometime early in 2009.

=====

Which airline(s) will be first?

We don't know, and we probably won't know until they start demanding
birth date and gender from all their passengers.

=====

So how will we know when the TSA says we have to
start giving our birth date and gender, showing ID,
or getting permission to travel?

You'll find out when the airline or travel agency demands your birth
date, gender, or ID, or when you get to the airport and are told that you
can't fly because the TSA hasn't given the airline "clearance" for you to
travel on that flight.

=====

If the airline tells me something is required by the TSA,
how can I tell if that is true?

You can't. The orders will be given to airlines in secret. The TSA has
provided no way to verify what those secret orders really require. TSA
signs about ID requirements at airports and on the TSA website contradict
what the TSA has said in court when those requirements have been
challenged. And the TSA has said it might "create public confusion" for
people to read their press releases.

=====

If someone demands to look at my ID, how can I tell
if I am really required to show it to them?

You can't. The TSA has provided no way to verify who is really acting on
their orders or authority.

=====

What if I don't have a government-issued photo ID?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

What if I don't qualify for a government ID card?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

What if my ID was lost or stolen?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

What if I have only a temporary ID without a photo,
while I'm waiting for a new or replacement photo ID?

You can't fly unless the TSA decides to give you permission, which they
could revoke at any time, even in the middle of your trip.

=====

If I give the airline or travel agency my birth date and gender,
and have government-issued photo ID, will I be allowed to fly?

Not unless the TSA sends the airline a message that you are "cleared"
for a specific flight.

=====

Will this "clearance" be denied only for people who
are on a "watch list"?

No. There is no language in the Secure Flight regulations that requires
that people who aren't on watch lists be allowed to fly.

=====

If I'm not on a watch list, will I be allowed to fly?

Not unless the TSA gives the airline permission to transport you on a
specific flight.

=====

What will I have to do to get permission to fly?

You will have to give your full name, gender, and date of birth, all
matching your government-issued ID. 72 hours before your flight (or as
soon as you make a reservation, whichever comes first), the airline will
send your information to the TSA. If the TSA gives you permission to fly,
they will send a "cleared" message to the airline.

=====

What if the airline doesn't get any answer from the TSA?

You won't be allowed to fly.

=====

So the TSA will only get part of the information in my reservation?

The TSA says that only your only your name, gender, date of birth, flight
details, reservation "record locator", and passport information (if the
airline has it in your reservation, or in a stored profile from a
frequent flyer program, registration on their website, or previous
flight), would "normally" be transferred by an airline to TSA. But if the
TSA wants it, they can use the record locator to pull the entire
Passenger Name Record (PNR). That would show who you are traveling with,
if you asked for a kosher or halal meal, how many beds you asked for if
you booked a hotel in the same reservation, etc.

=====

Will I know if the TSA has asked the airline for my complete
PNR or additional information about me?

Not without making a request under the Privacy Act for your records from
the TSA. They might not tell you even then, but you can try. The TSA has
categorized most Secure Flight records as "Sensitive Security
Information" and has tried to exempt them from the Privacy Act. And even
if the TSA has looked at your data, they might no longer have copy in
their records by the time they responded to your Privacy Act request
(even though the airline would still have a copy, and the TSA could
retrieve it again at any time).

=====

Will airlines and other travel companies be allowed
to keep my information?

Yes. Under US law, your information belongs to these travel companies,
even if you provide it only because the government makes you. Airlines
and computerized reservations systems can (and probably will, since
storage is cheap and they can probably find ways to monetize the
information about you) keep your records forever, use them, sell them, or
send them to other countries. They don't have to get your permission,
tell you what they have in your permanent file, or tell you what they
have done with it. And the government can get this information from them
at any time, in secret, by using a "National Security Letter".

=====

Who will decide whether to give me permission to fly?

That's for them to know and you not to find out. The regulations don't
say.

=====

How will they decide whether to give me permission to fly?

That's for them to know, and you not to find out. The regulations don't
say.

=====

Are there any rules they have to follow when they
decide whether to let me fly?

No, there are no rules or standards, at least none that they have made
public or included in the Secure Flight regulations.

=====

Will I have a hearing? Will I see the evidence against me?
Will I be able to have a lawyer?

No. It will all be decided in secret, without you.

=====

If the airline doesn't get permission for me to travel,
will they tell me?

No. Even if the airline finds out 3 days before the flight, you won't
find out until you get to the airport. The airline might tell you that
you can't print your boarding pass at home, but that doesn't necessarily
mean you won't be allowed to travel.)

=====

How can I tell in advance if I'll be allowed to fly?

You can't.

=====

If I'm allowed on one flight, does that mean I'm
OK for my whole trip?

No. You could get on your first flight, but not be allowed to get on a
connecting flight. Or you could get to your destination, and not be
allowed to come home.

=====

If the TSA won't let me fly, will they tell me why?

No.

=====

Will the airline tell me why I'm not allowed to fly?

No. The airline probably won't know the reason (if there is a reason),
and won't be allowed to tell you even if they do know.

=====

If I'm not allowed to fly, will I get a refund?

Maybe. That depends on the rules in the airline's conditions of carriage.
Some airlines will give you a refund, but only if you agree not to sue
them for any other damages.

=====

What can I do if I'm not allowed to fly?

You can appeal to the same people who made the original decision. They
will consider your "redress" request the same way they made their initial
decision: in secret. You won't have a hearing, you won't know who or what
agency "nominated" you for a watchlist or travel restriction, and you
won't see the evidence (if any) against you. They won't tell you what, if
anything, they have decided, when, or why. The only way to find out if
they have changed their decision will be to buy another ticket, and try
to fly again.

=====

How long will this "redress" process take?

They can take as long as they like. Just keep trying to fly, and maybe
someday you will find out that you are allowed to fly again. But even if
that happens, you might be stopped once again at any time.

=====

Don't I have a right to a hearing before a judge?

The DHS doesn't think so. We'll find out what the courts will rule when
people challenge these rules. The Identity Project is currently assisting
in the case of Rahinah Ibrahim, a graduate student who was already in the
U.S. with a valid visa but was arrested when she tried to get on a flight
home, and is now trying to get a Federal court hearing on why she wasn't
allowed to fly. Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff used to be a
Federal judge. But now he says he doesn't believe in judicial review of
his agency's decisions: "Mr. Secretary, ... Why not give the American
citizen his day in court to contest the proposed action of your
department?... Secretary Chertoff: [W]e judge through an inter-agency
process whether someone ought to be put on the no-fly list. And the list
is then transmitted to the airlines and winds up then being a basis to
deny people.... But we don't conduct court hearings on this.... But if
you are asking if we would do a court process where we litigate it, I
mean, that effectively would shut it down."

----------------
Edward Hasbrouck

http://hasbrouck.org

consultant to The Identity Project (IDP),
a program of the First Amendment Project
http://www.papersplease.org

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging ... the right of the
people peaceably to assemble" (U.S. Constitution, Amendment 1)

"Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence
within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave
any country, including his own, and to return to his country."
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13)

"Liberty of movement is an indispensable
condition for the free development of a person."
(United Nations Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 27)