Originally Posted by
PLeblond
I've flown MIA-YUL-MCO on the same day and had no issues boarding or with customs.
Both legs operated by Air Canada? How long did you stay in Montreal? You may have been given the benefit of the doubt because you were flying to/from Florida... I've definitely seen reports of AC denying boarding to a passenger due to cabotage restrictions. The kind of transcontinental flight you're talking about is exactly the type of flight DOT would be looking for.
Originally Posted by
PLeblond
Edit: On further thought. OP could also call UA and ask them to book it. I surmise UA & AC have revenue sharing and/or codeshare agreements on most transborder flights, and at least one segment is on UA.
UA won't (shouldn't) book it either, although if there's a codeshare on one of the transborder flights you
may have an argument. (I don't think so, though; 19 CFR 122§165 clarifies that foreign-registered aircraft are exempt if leased or chartered by a US company, but it doesn't say anything about codeshare operations).
I'm no fan of the protectionist cabotage laws myself, but that doesn't mean that we should be looking for sneaky ways to try to get airlines to violate them.
