What Actually Happens If You’re on the No Fly List?

If you’ve ever watched the movie, “Due Date,” you’re probably familiar with the concept of a no-fly list. In the 2010 film, Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifiniakis’ characters end up having to drive across the country after getting kicked off of a flight for inadvertently using trigger words like “bomb” and “terrorist.” While the movie is a comedy, and it’s not based on a true story, no-fly lists are no joke. American citizens are entitled to certain inalienable human rights, but flying isn’t one of them. If you do something that the federal government or the airlines deem bad enough, you can lose the right to a middle seat faster than the flight attendants can give their safety speech.

Federal No Fly List

The U.S. federal government’s official No Fly List is a private list created and updated by a division of the FBI called the Threat Screening Center (TSC). The No Fly List is actually part of a larger list, the terrorist watchlist. “While we cannot provide a demographic breakdown, we can confirm that U.S. persons make up approximately half a percent of No Fly records,” an FBI spokesperson tells Travel + Leisure. Anyone on the No Fly List is banned from flying on commercial aircraft to or from the U.S. Additionally, they’re not allowed to fly, commercially, over the U.S. According to the FBI, any individual, regardless of where they have citizenship, can end up on the No Fly List. For years, extremely wealthy passengers on the No Fly List have gotten around it by flying in and out on their private jets which aren’t subject to screening by TSA, one of the government agencies with access to the No Fly List.

What gets you placed on the federal No Fly List?

There are a number of things that can get you on the federal No Fly List. For starters, you could be placed on it if you make a threat that can be deemed an act of international or domestic terrorism pertaining to an aircraft, an airline, a passenger, or civil aviation security. You can also find yourself on the list for a threat to commit an act of terrorism with respect to the U.S. or a threat to commit an act of international terrorism. This includes making threats against U.S. government facilities abroad such as embassies, consulates, and military bases.

How do you know if you’re on the federal No Fly List?

The federal No Fly List is not public because if it were, terrorist organizations could potentially use it to their advantage. Most of the time, the only way you’ll know that you’re on the federal No Fly List is because you won’t receive a boarding pass from the airline after purchasing your ticket. In extremely limited circumstances, if you’re a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, you may receive a letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informing you that you are on the No Fly List, although it doesn’t always explain why you’re on it. Often, the letter will include an option for you to appeal if you think you don’t belong on the No Fly List. If you are not a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, you won’t receive this letter.

Airline No-fly Lists

In addition to the official federal No Fly List, airlines are allowed to blacklist passengers from future flights. “Like most major airlines, Delta does maintain an internal no-fly list separate from a no-fly list managed by TSA/Homeland Security,” a spokesperson for Delta told T+L. “Out of many security and operational considerations, we don't comment or characterize details about our internal list.” Many passengers on these airline no-fly lists—which airlines have different names for—are deemed “unruly passengers.” In 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) logged 2,102 unruly passenger reports. It may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that 2.9 million passengers fly in and out of U.S. airports every day.

Being on one airline’s no-fly list doesn’t mean you are on another airline’s no-fly list. For the most part, they don’t share that information. For example, when Executive Platinum American Airlines member Keith White showed up at the airport only to find himself on American Airlines’ no-fly list, he was able to get to his final destination by purchasing a last-minute ticket on another airline. By the time he reached his final destination, American Airlines had removed him from their no-fly list; they never told him why he was on it.

What gets you on an airline’s no-fly list?

Unruly behavior is the number one reason passengers end up on an airline’s no-fly list. This includes making threats or acting in a violent manner that prevents airline crew members from doing their jobs, which subsequently impacts the safety of other passengers. In 2022, Delta reported having nearly 2,000 passengers on its no-fly list, most of whom ended up on it for refusing to wear a mask during the height of the COVID pandemic.

Of course, not all unruly behavior is considered detrimental enough to ban you from flying the airline ever again. United, for example, takes away other perks or privileges including loyalty miles and Mileage Plus account status for minor offenses. You can also lose your eligibility for TSA PreCheck. For more severe incidents, the consequences are more serious. In addition to being placed on their internal no-fly list, an airline can report your behavior to the FAA who can hit you with up to $37,000 in fines (per violation). The FAA can also refer your case to the FBI which can result in a felony trial and even jail time.

How do you know if you’re on an airline’s no-fly list?

According to Christopher Elliot, a consumer advocate and founder of Elliot Advocacy, airlines should tell you in advance if you’re on their version of a no-fly list. Elliot also says consumers need to be informed of why they’re banned and how they can get the ban lifted. Still, airlines don’t always do this. Some passengers, such as Keith White, don’t find out until the agent at the gate tries to scan their boarding pass, and it gets denied. That said, if you do something on a flight that gets you immediately banned, you may be served papers after you’re escorted off the plane. Other passengers report receiving emails from the airlines informing them of their status.

Does getting selected for extra screening mean I’m on a no-fly list?

Just because you are selected for extra screening or find the dreaded “SSSS” on your boarding pass does not mean you are on an airline’s no-fly list. According to the DHS, “Such delays are often caused by a name similarity to another person who is on the watchlist.” If this happens to you, you can appeal and apply for a redress number. “98 percent of individuals who apply for redress have no nexus to the terrorist watchlist,” reports the DHS. A redress number is basically a 7-digit case number assigned to you that you can input when you’re booking a flight. When you do so, the airline and TSA can refer back to your case and see that you’re not on a watchlist, despite being flagged.