Originally Posted by Clipper801
You are correct. That's why I said "unpredictable". At random, US INS may require all passengers to disembark and be screened. I was on an AC flight from YVR to SYD a few weeks ago and during transit at HNL, all transiting passengers were forced to disembark to go through immigration, picked up their luggage, clear custom, security and re-board!
The US authorities have always required a deplaning of passengers and carryon items at HNL for all flights continuing on to/from Australia/New Zealand and Canada/US. This is nothing recent and goes back to CP days. They view refueling as a safety issue and want all passengers in the terminal holding area. Before 9.11, it was just a cursory review of documents as one left the plane and entered the holding room. After 9.11, US authorities insisted all passengers AND THEIR CHECKED LUGGAGE be deplaned, and one go through full Immigration and Customs procedures before being permitted into the holding area.
With respect to ANC, after 9.11, US authorities required a similar procedure, and with transit visa and other issues in mind, CX was forced to change its refuelling stop to YVR. After review, US authorities changed the policy and permitted the tech stop but insisted no passengers left the aircraft [as had been the practice prior to 9.11]. On the YVR stop, passengers were kept on board and not permitted to deplane, though I was permitted to pass an envelope off the plane to be mailed from Vancouver.
As for compensation, it is true that AC will likely offer some Aeroplan miles to elites on that, and other flights, which are so delayed. My remarks related purely to the notion of monetary compensation, as I thought that's what the original poster's concern was.