Is this new? US citizens asked about their trip and work when returning home.

[Anonymous]

At customs? Very routine and normal. They always do this. Heck, my travel isn't remotely interesting and I have occasionally gotten more intrusive questioning with followups. And TSA and foreign security people can do this too, although it is not necessarily routine. If it was actually the ticket agent, that's a bit weird and maybe they were just being friendly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I ticketing agent in Europe asked you about your visit? And your work? Person is curious? It is called making conversation? Determining if you've been on a farm as US customs asked, so hence this is pre screening. Also, it is a common policy to have different lines for EU passport holders and non EU passport holders, I've never seen a line for US citizens. I recommend you stay home from now on.

A bit harsh, innit? OP was just asking if this is something new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At customs? Very routine and normal. They always do this. Heck, my travel isn't remotely interesting and I have occasionally gotten more intrusive questioning with followups. And TSA and foreign security people can do this too, although it is not necessarily routine. If it was actually the ticket agent, that's a bit weird and maybe they were just being friendly?

Being friendly? No, ticketing agents abroad are trained to ask these questions. It is routine now.

[Anonymous]

I got these questions flying domestically. Perhaps it was my name.

[Anonymous]

They don't actually care about your answer. They are like looking for body language that indicates deception. Shifty eyes etc

[Anonymous]

El al has been doing this for years.

[Anonymous]

In may 2016 returning from London, DH and I were asked similar questions at the ticketing/check in desk. Dh had been to London just a month earlier for a business trip and the agent asked when he had last been in London and commented that she thought she had interviewed him then as well, because the answers were familiar. So, yes, I think this is a "thing"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I ticketing agent in Europe asked you about your visit? And your work? Person is curious? It is called making conversation? Determining if you've been on a farm as US customs asked, so hence this is pre screening. Also, it is a common policy to have different lines for EU passport holders and non EU passport holders, I've never seen a line for US citizens. I recommend you stay home from now on.

A bit harsh, innit? OP was just asking if this is something new.

My harshness is because of fear mongering that OP's title indicates.

[Anonymous]

Just came back from France with DH and toddler. We were asked a LOT of probing questions by an officer while waiting in line to check in at CDG, very few upon return (global entry). Customs officer asked if we were traveling for work or vacation and whether we had bought anything. That was it.

[Anonymous]

Not often, but it's happened enough (by ticket agents and by immigration officers) that I try to make sure to always have a business card with me, even on personal travel.

[Anonymous]

I'm consistently asked these questions at ticketing in Europe, starting long before this year.

[Anonymous]

Yes! Just happened to us and also to my parents (traveling separately). At check-in, as well as at customs, the agents asked us and each of our young kids what they saw on the trip, what their favorite thing was, all in a casual but serious kind of way. It happened before every flight.

[Anonymous]

I am always asked these questions at heathrow. For at least 10 years. Not as common in other countries.

[Anonymous]

I've gotten these questions from ticketing agents when checking in for flights to the US from European/other locations for decades. The first time I remember was in the early 1990s in Amsterdam asking about my previous Middle Eastern travel. When I copped an attitude the agent told me it was required by the US for flights into the US.

[Anonymous]

It happens sometimes. I got a good grilling from the desk agent in Manchester flying back to the US last year.