Deciphering the No-Fly Lists

Last month, Adrienne mentioned the frustrating troubles that the no-fly list causes for certain passengers, including young children. The frequency of common names and incorrect matches has wreaked havoc for many travelers, including over 26,000 who have submitted this TSA form as of August 2005. It is really mind boggling to think of the red tape this has caused.

And I didn't realize until I read this short Wired piece today, that there are actually two distinct watch lists: the no-fly list, which bans passengers, and the lesser known (at least to me) selectee list, which marks the boarding passes of unlucky travelers, who are then always subjected to extra screening when they fly. It sounds like they are making in-roads to streamline the process and combine duplicate lists so travelers can clear their names quickly, but with 26,000 in need of assistance, they've obviously got more work to do. This scarlet letter branding of innocent travelers has really got to go.

Filed under: Business