FOLLOW UP TO PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRY - TSA Bag Search

Follow up to TSA Response - Airline Management cannot request TSA to search bags on thier behalf...

I decided to do one more attempt to see if airline management can request TSA or any immigration/ag. officer to do a search on their behalf.

The answer is NO!!! (as you can see from the responses below).

So if you hear or find out that TSA is searching bags to look for items taken off the plane or by request of airline management, they are violating their own rules. If the TSA agent makes a comment in regards to bag search on behalf of the airline, dont put up a fight but request the TSA agent's name and the supervisor on duty. Report it via the TSA website and call your local AFA office. As your own personal choice, you might look into personal legal advise.

However, London and Frankfurt are a totally different story... Crews are getting searched left and right! So be aware. And those security agents have the direct lines to supervisors' cell phone numbers which they get called right away when a suspicious item is found on a crew member's bag. But that is a deal that AFA in FRA and LHR need to look into.

Take care and Happy Holidays!!!

Raul

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From: XYZ
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 2:56 PM
To: Hornbach, Barbara
Cc: GotFeedback; SALGADO, PATRICK
Subject: Re: Got Feedback : Chicago-O'Hare Int'l Airport (ORD)

Ms. Hornbach:

Thank you so much for your reply and I do appreciate your time.

The issue we have, as Flight Attendants and crew members, is that we need to know, for once and for all, if a TSA Officer, a US Customs & Boarder Protection Officer, or a CBP Agricultural Specialist has the right to be asked by an Airline Management to do bag and personal searches on their behalf.

I don’t think that qualifies as a “sensitive/security” information. It should be a straight yes or no answer.

If you cannot answer that question, who should I speak to.

Thank you so much and I do hope to get an answer from you soon,

Raul

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Mr. Zambrana:

I can only speak for TSA but I assume CBP works in the same way. Our Officers will not search a bag based solely on the request of a non-TSA employee. Officers will assess the situation and determine for themselves whether a bag search is required or not.

Regards,
Barbara Hornbach

Barbara H. Hornbach
Customer Service Quality Improvement Manager
Transportation Security Administration
Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Tel: (773) 377-1217
Cell: (773) 343-1772
Email: barbara.hornbach@dhs.gov

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Yes, we work the same way. If feel we need to ask questions or search bags, we can do it with our Border Search Authority.


Thank you,

Patrick Salgado
Passenger Service Manager
United States Customs and Border Protection
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago, Illinois 60666
773-894-2900 Ext. 2872
312-296-6528-Blackberry