Concessions and Other Staff in US PreClearance Areas
Sep 30, 2015, 2:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta PM, HHonors Gold; SPG Gold
Posts: 254
Concessions and Other Staff in US PreClearance Areas
So I had a thought while I was at YYZ last weekend awaiting my flight back to Washington.
What's up with all the staff (both airline staff and concessions, and others) who work in the US Pre-Clearance area at airports with such an offering?
Do they have to literally enter the United States and exit it every time they come to work/take a lunch break, etc.? I doubt that is the case - but what I was wondering was...
If that's not the case, if there is some door, somewhere, that staff can use to get to work without formally entering the United States - what's to then stop a staff member from purchasing a ticket and then getting on a plane when they're in the secured area?
I guess, what I'm asking is...if I work at a restaurant, for instance, in the US preclearance area at YYZ airport (or any other airport with pre-clearance facilities), and I am a Canadian (or whatever country) national...what's to stop me from going up to the counter (or - even better - using my phone/tablet/computer) to purchase a ticket on one of the many flights to the US and then entering the country (illegally) as a domestic flyer and never being subject to immigration or customs.
Is that possible?
What's up with all the staff (both airline staff and concessions, and others) who work in the US Pre-Clearance area at airports with such an offering?
Do they have to literally enter the United States and exit it every time they come to work/take a lunch break, etc.? I doubt that is the case - but what I was wondering was...
If that's not the case, if there is some door, somewhere, that staff can use to get to work without formally entering the United States - what's to then stop a staff member from purchasing a ticket and then getting on a plane when they're in the secured area?
I guess, what I'm asking is...if I work at a restaurant, for instance, in the US preclearance area at YYZ airport (or any other airport with pre-clearance facilities), and I am a Canadian (or whatever country) national...what's to stop me from going up to the counter (or - even better - using my phone/tablet/computer) to purchase a ticket on one of the many flights to the US and then entering the country (illegally) as a domestic flyer and never being subject to immigration or customs.
Is that possible?
Sep 30, 2015, 5:08 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: YTZ
Posts: 502
So I had a thought while I was at YYZ last weekend awaiting my flight back to Washington.
What's up with all the staff (both airline staff and concessions, and others) who work in the US Pre-Clearance area at airports with such an offering?
Do they have to literally enter the United States and exit it every time they come to work/take a lunch break, etc.? I doubt that is the case - but what I was wondering was...
If that's not the case, if there is some door, somewhere, that staff can use to get to work without formally entering the United States - what's to then stop a staff member from purchasing a ticket and then getting on a plane when they're in the secured area?
I guess, what I'm asking is...if I work at a restaurant, for instance, in the US preclearance area at YYZ airport (or any other airport with pre-clearance facilities), and I am a Canadian (or whatever country) national...what's to stop me from going up to the counter (or - even better - using my phone/tablet/computer) to purchase a ticket on one of the many flights to the US and then entering the country (illegally) as a domestic flyer and never being subject to immigration or customs.
Is that possible?
What's up with all the staff (both airline staff and concessions, and others) who work in the US Pre-Clearance area at airports with such an offering?
Do they have to literally enter the United States and exit it every time they come to work/take a lunch break, etc.? I doubt that is the case - but what I was wondering was...
If that's not the case, if there is some door, somewhere, that staff can use to get to work without formally entering the United States - what's to then stop a staff member from purchasing a ticket and then getting on a plane when they're in the secured area?
I guess, what I'm asking is...if I work at a restaurant, for instance, in the US preclearance area at YYZ airport (or any other airport with pre-clearance facilities), and I am a Canadian (or whatever country) national...what's to stop me from going up to the counter (or - even better - using my phone/tablet/computer) to purchase a ticket on one of the many flights to the US and then entering the country (illegally) as a domestic flyer and never being subject to immigration or customs.
Is that possible?
When you go through preclearance, the cbp agent stamps your boarding pass. No stamp, the ga are supposed to deny boarding.
Earlier this year at yyz, my partner and I used global entry, but the agent collecting the receipts was engrossed in a conversation with the Peel cop who was working with him and just waved us through. I was also focused on other things and didn't think anything of it. After getting to the gate we along with another couple who also went through global entry had to wait for the GA to call CBP to confirm we had made it through with no issue. Thankfully the agent on call was in a good mood and gave all 4 of us the green light.
of course on another occasion I had a new bp printed in the lounge which obviously was lacking the stamp and the ga didn't notice.
So it's definitely not a strong system but probably works well enough.