Originally Posted by
AADFW
It has nothing to do with U.S. vs. Foreign carriers. U.S. regulations mandate that U.S. bound international flights abide by the "stay in your ticketed cabin" protocol. I've been admonished of the same when visiting my partner in J from the F cabin on CX. I think they are particularly fussy when FAMs are on board. It's fatuously arbitrary, though I'm sure there's was mindless bureaucrat somewhere at some point who thought it was a great idea -- much like the mesh curtains that flood the F cabins full of galley light on our domestic carriers.
CX is cathaway pacific, right? The Hong Kong flag carrier?
I know that certain Asian airports do this in hopes of receiving visa waiver or the condition on obtaining visa waiver to the United States, Hong Kong and South Korea, respectively.
While Japan is not as stringent since it obtained visa waiver status back in 1989. Unlike Hong Kong and South Korea, Japanese carriers in general do not make you rid of liquids bought post security on US bound flights, unless it a U.S. Carrier.
The crew were not as strict on JAL as long as you do not stay in the cabins you are not part of for too long since they know it is a long flight and let people walk around for exercise. Although, this could very well change if more American FAMs come aboard foreign airlines bound for the U.S. Even though some of those rules are ridiculous
!
Air France was somewhat stricter than JAL, but still provided galleys were passengers can stand and help themselves to drinks so long as they do not block the aisle nor block the lavatory doors.