AuAAdvantage

I'm considering MR to BRU to take advantage of AA's DBL05 promo. Will I get hassled if they (BRU customs) see I'm only staying several hours?

MikeMpls

What are they going to do? Deny you entry and put you on the next plane back to the U.S.? European passport control tends to be rather perfunctory, and actual customs (luggage, declarations) checks are extremely rare.

My hassles were with the U.S. customs in Detroit on the return from an MR.

bhatnasx

When I was 17 years old, I was flying by myself from LHR-BRU-FLR (I think I flew in on BMI, but I can't recall what airline I was flying out of BRU on, but I had to go through customs because I was flying out of another Terminal or something like that) - I had 2 feet long hair & a full beard at the time & had been traveling for about 2 weeks already, living out of a backpack & probably hadn't done my laundry or anything yet. I got stopped by customs for being suspected of having a fake passport & got pulled into a questioning room for about 2 hours & they went through all my stuff before they realized that I wasn't a threat. Haven't flown back in/out of BRU since then...I doubt you'll have too many problems now & as long as you look & act respectable, you shouldn't have any problems - it's not like you're staying in the country too long...

That said, the only other time I've gotten the third degree was at ORD after the customs agent asked me how long I had had been in AMS & I told him about 26 hours. He asked why we went for such a short time & my friend who was traveling with me held up a box of this really good strawberry shortcake he got at a bakery for his sister & said "They've got the best shortcake in the world!" The customs people x-rayed the short cake & let us go through (after explaining that we were on a mileage run & were from DC & still had to catch a flight to MSP & then on home to IAD).

work2fly

My first MR was to BRU - I had no problems at all - just be honest about what you are doing.

One bit of advice, buy Neuhaus chocolates at the duty free. It's some of the the best chocolate that I have ever had and it's ridiculously expensive here in the US.

gldwebs

Brussels made me laugh...They never even asked me for my passport...or looked at me...heck, I don't even remember seeing a customs agent there.

Gary

AuAAdvantage

Actually, I was more concerned about being delayed by them and missing the "next plane back to the U.S.", i.e. mine.

SFOTRAVELER

Were on a connecting flight to another EU country? If so, they really don't do much unless you are flying INTO or OUT OF the EU, since IIRC passport control operates as if the entire EU is borderless. I just flew AMS-FRA-SFO, and in AMS, they really didn't check or look at anything. However, once in FRA, there was mandatory wanding in security and documents were scrutinized at three different points, and this is all inside the terminal past where you would normally check-in!

choster

I have only flown through BRU once, LHR-(bmi)-BRU-(UA)-IAD. While waiting for the connection I was called up to the podium and escorted behind a screen where I was searched (including removing my shirt and shoes and lowering my chinos), then asked what I had in my checked baggage that could be "construed as a weapon." Well, nothing, but when pressed I said I had my camera charger and Palm Pilot charger and maybe the wires would look suspicious. And that was the end of that. They were extremely polite about it at every step. Took maybe 15 minutes.

MikeMpls

If they "reject" you the airline that delivered you gets the honor of returning you. You'll make it home one way or another. That's why the airline also checks your passport before you leave.

As long as your passport is valid and you still bear a vague resemblence to your passport photo, you won't have anything to worry about.

Depending on how the airport is arranged and whether or not a transfer desk is available to provide your boarding pass for the return, it's conceivable that you might not even go through customs.

graraps

Not true. The "borderless" area consists of the countries that have signed up to the Schengen treaty (which is about a dozen EU countries).

civicmon

I'm in AMS this second and because I've been hanging out in the bars and the coffeeshops, I know i'm going to drive those poor drug dogs crazy.

good thing I got a 5 hr layover I suppose

John C

I lived in Brussels (with a US passport) for about a year, though it was just before 9/11. Brussels airport is not especially large and they processed people fairly efficiently. As the EU parliament and NATO are headquartered there, it does get a decent amont of fast in and out traffic. Even living there, it was not uncommon for me to pop in for less than 24 hours and then be gone again. I never had any problems with passport control at the airport. Personally, I doubt there will be any problem.

tealeaf99

I have never been hassled by BRU customs, and I flew there twice a month for the last six months of 2004. (This was for work, and not MR's). The only possible hassle is a line/queue at customs. Around 7am, a UA flight arrives and so do a few flights from Africa (?). Around 8am, you have AA flights from JFK and ORD, a CO flight from EWR, and a DL flight from ATL. So, it can get a bit crowded.

After getting your passport stamped, keep walking straight, and then head left to the exit - passing all of the baggage carousels. Once out of that area, take the escalator up one level to check-in level.

If you're arriving on a flight from a Schengen country, then disregard the above info. In this case there will be no passport check. You will just have to walk (a mighty long walk) from terminal A to terminal B and go through security. Terminal A is Schengen, and Terminal B is all others (UA, AA, CO, DL, BA, BD, etc.).

Skyhawk

You won't get any hassle for a short stay in Europe. Though if you do this repeatedly you willl wish to spend the night, and drinkt in the atmosphere.

Only on my first MR, which was a turnaround and then backj to Canada, did I get the third degree.

The agent was most polite as he searched all of my belongings. I told the truth, about doing a MR for status. The customs agent smiled and said others were doing the same. No problem at all if you tell the truth, it always works.

izzik

Some people don't consider dropping their pants a hassle.