Relax, a lost photo ID doesn't mean you're grounded

YOU'VE made a travel list, checked it twice. But at the airport, you discover something not so nice: Your photo ID is missing.

Can you still fly?

Much to my surprise, I recently boarded a flight to New York while my driver's license stayed home.

Checking in with an American skycap, I realized the license was AWOL. Digging through my overstuffed purse, I prayed it was hiding with the lipsticks and loose change. Nada.

Then, as I dumped the entire contents of my bag on the ground, I remembered: It was still in the pocket of jeans I'd worn on the previous day's flight. The trip was over before it began. Or so I thought.

The Transportation Security Administration doesn't advertise it. And few travelers know about it. But it's possible to fly domestically, even if your ID is lost, stolen, expired or forgotten. You'll just have to go through additional security.

"Most people think if they don't have ID, we won't let them fly," said TSA spokesman Nico Melendez. "We recognize that travelers often have wallets stolen or lose their belongings in tsunamis in Thailand."



Although federal law requires passengers 18 and older to present a government-issued picture ID, TSA and the airlines will make exceptions for passengers who have become separated from their identification.

But the extra inspection could add another hour to the curb-to-gate schlep, making for some close calls during the holiday season. (I almost missed my plane.) And there's no guarantee your trip will be hassle-free on the other end.

As a "selectee," or high-risk passenger, I embarked on a journey to the gate that got longer and grew more touchy feely.

Even with boarding pass in hand, I had to join the ticket-counter conga line to check bags — and get a new pass stamped SSSS, airline code for potential threat. Then at security, I was inspected more thoroughly than a piece of USDA-grade meat.

Although TSA won't divulge actual numbers, the LAX screener assigned to my secondary once-over wagered that about one in 10 fliers shows up without credentials.

And it isn't a cakewalk for everyone. Like policies for shoe-removal or liquid carry-ons, each screener decides who flies and who doesn't.

"There's no one-size-fits-all scenario," Melendez said.

Airlines too are mum on policies for handling "high-risk" fliers. And check-in policies vary as well. American, for one, won't let selectees check bags or get boarding passes from skycaps.

"They're third-party contractors, usually not as highly trained on the reservations system … as our ticket agents," says American spokesman Tim Wagner.

Not so at Southwest, where skycaps and ticket agents are equally empowered to check in passengers without IDs. Other airline policies vary.

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Hospitable hotels

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