Weird question at Denver when checking in for our return flight to the UK

[WritersBlock]

We recently spent a couple of weeks in the USA. While checking in my bags in Denver for the return trip back to the UK, I handed the airline agent my US passport and boarding pass, and then he asked me when I was returning to the USA. I said something like, "I dunno; I live in the UK."

Then he asked if I had any paperwork to prove that. I'm thinking, "huh??" So I told him I have a British passport, and he asked if he could see it.

I've never been asked that question before upon *leaving* the US. The only justification I can think of for an agent of my departing airline to ask this question is if my US passport had less than six months to run. But it's brand new; I renewed it last year.

I'm wondering if this indicates a change in the UK immigration policy, or if he was just being an ass? Unless the UK government's now requiring that question be asked by airlines when checking in US - UK flights, then it's not really any of the Denver ticketing agent's business when I'm coming back to the US, as long as I have a valid US passport with more than six months to run on it, is it?

On edit: I think I'll cross-post this in GD, too. I just checked the UK BIA site and can't see any reason from the UK government's side for this question being asked of people departing the States now. e-Borders doesn't even go into effect until October. So now I'm putting on my TFC and wondering if it's something new and improved from our "friends" at TSA.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

1. It could be what you refer to in your 4th paragraph

When I've travelled to the US, they always asked me in Britain about when I'm coming back from the US. I am guessing that the UK is making sure the US authorities ask the questions first to avoid US citizens being turned away in UK immigration because they don't have a return ticket. But I am as much in the dark about this as you.

[LeftishBrit]

2. The procedures for *getting* your passport renewed are certainly more cumbersome and intrusive than

in the past:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6370627.stm -

I don't know about this questioning of people whose passports don't need renewal; but it may be that officials are just generally getting fussier, in the current atmosphere.