Travel with combo card - denied boarding pass

[agrabs 241]

My husband and I spent this past week in cancun, Mexico on vacation. We applied for his AOS Sept 2012 ( yes - been waiting over 9 months now for his greencard) He was issued his combo EAD/AP card back in nov 2012. Upon checking in for our return flight on Frontier Airlines, they would not accept his A/P combo card. They wanted the old paper a/p document that used to be issued and said he didn't have his travel papers. We showed them right on the front of the card where it says serves as advance parole and she wouldn't accept it - she kept turning the card over and reading out loud to us what it says on the back about not being a green card.

We tried calling USCIS and the american embassy but could not get a hold of anyone. They took us up to a room by security and just kept yelling at us that he didnt' have proper travel papers. Finally my husband was able to activate the data roaming on his phone and got on the uscis website and pulled up the combo card info and showed her the part about how they no longer issue paper document for A/P. When we asked her to look at this she took my husbands phone and sent him out of the room and back downstairs but made me stay there. she then wanted me to e-mail her the website. At this point it was less than 10min before our flight was to leave (yes, we got to the airport 3hours early - thank goodness. )

With less than 5 minutes before take off they finally got a phone call from someone at the frontier office in the usa saying we could board.

Upon entering the US - we had NO trouble at immigration, in fact as we were telling the immigration officer our story a supervisor standing near by came over with a smile on his face and said " AHHH that was you guys? Frontier called me at home on what should have been my day off to ask about this" We asked him what should have done differently and he said nothing - the card is all you need. Hmmm.....someone should really tell that to the airlines!

[Hypnos 6,576]

I would file a complaint with the airline.

http://flyfrontier.custhelp.com/app/flyfrontier

Unfortunately, morons are everywhere, and they seem to especially gravitate towards governments and airlines. Not sure why that is...

Edited June 9, 2013 by Hypnos

[agrabs 241]

I would file a complaint with the airline.

http://flyfrontier.custhelp.com/app/flyfrontier

Unfortunately, morons are everywhere, and they seem to especially gravitate towards governments and airlines. Not sure why that is...

Oh it was the first thing I did when we got back!

[Hypnos 6,576]

Good to hear, I hope you hang them out to dry. There is no excuse for an international US-based airline not knowing about the EAD / AP combo card, it's been in use for over two years now.

[agrabs 241]

the worse part was how helpless we felt. There was no way to call for help. all the phone numbers for uscis were 800 numbers that did not work from out of the country. the number they give on the website to call if you are out of the country is an automated response only - no live help - it is only to check on the status of a case (it does state that on the website) and with it being saturday no one was there anyway. I will be curious to see what the response from frontier is.

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

A member had similar issue in Nigeria. I think even the us embassy was confused.

[Jawaree 717]

A formal complaint is in order and advise them of never using their airlines again , while encouraging family members and friends never to.

[Ryan76 46]

Hey do you have a link for that combo card info? My wife and I are also waiting on green card (about to hit 9 month mark also) and we're going on our first vacation/flight together and now i'm worried about her being hassled, though we are not leaving the country...just florida and back, and we were just planning on taking the combo card and her passport. I'd like to print that page out that you're referring to just to be 100% safe

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Hey do you have a link for that combo card info? My wife and I are also waiting on green card (about to hit 9 month mark also) and we're going on our first vacation/flight together and now i'm worried about her being hassled, though we are not leaving the country...just florida and back, and we were just planning on taking the combo card and her passport. I'd like to print that page out that you're referring to just to be 100% safe

If you are not leaving the country then you will not pass an immigration checkpoint and will never be asked about status.

[hikergirl 277]

http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint

Please also make a complaint to the Department of Transport. They track all consumer complaints and will be able to push for better training of individuals at counters, etc.

[agrabs 241]

http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint

Please also make a complaint to the Department of Transport. They track all consumer complaints and will be able to push for better training of individuals at counters, etc.

thank you for the link hikergirl - i will be sure to do that!

[agrabs 241]

Hey do you have a link for that combo card info? My wife and I are also waiting on green card (about to hit 9 month mark also) and we're going on our first vacation/flight together and now i'm worried about her being hassled, though we are not leaving the country...just florida and back, and we were just planning on taking the combo card and her passport. I'd like to print that page out that you're referring to just to be 100% safe

My husband and I have taken several trips within the country - they won't ask for the combo card. If she has a driver's license, they won't even need her passport - otherwise they only use the passport for ID - they won't look at any of the immigration stuff if you are traveling within the USA

[TBoneTX 45,288]

My husband and I have taken several trips within the country - they won't ask for the combo card. If she has a driver's license, they won't even need her passport - otherwise they only use the passport for ID - they won't look at any of the immigration stuff if you are traveling within the USA

However, if you're traveling via the roads within a 100-mile radius of either U.S. border, expect immigration checkpoints where you MUST prove your lawful status.

[Darnell 8,478]

OP - you should file a letter of written complaint to the airline, citing the city and the name of the employee that held him up.

Ask that the employee be trained in proper ID verification or transferred to baggage handling.

[agrabs 241]

OP - you should file a letter of written complaint to the airline, citing the city and the name of the employee that held him up.

Ask that the employee be trained in proper ID verification or transferred to baggage handling.

Done! . It was the first thing I did when we got back. I also filed a complaint on their website. I have yet to get a response from frontier airlines.