Wpgjetse

This question is asked for Transborder flights. It is a requirement of the US government. My last UA flight into the US, I was asked the same question, plus what hotel I was staying in.

Skatering

I've been asked this by LH on intra-EU flights, which is mildly annoying as an EU citizen.

'Transit' wasn't an option, when I was actually transiting FRA on two tickets.

Travelling to a country I'm not a citizen/resident of, it makes sense. Could also easily be for research purposes.

segacs

Just say "leisure" when "transit" isn't an option. After all, if you're going to hang out in the airport lounge, that's relaxing, right?

jc94

I've never noticed this especially, but then as a UK citizen I have to give my address in the US three times before I can get past TB customs (one being the checkin machine). Annoys me under the generic inefficiency of it all.

I assumed that AC were giving this information through to the US where I also fill it on my little blue form as well as APIS/ESTA.

canadiancow

I find it much more annoying when agents won't give you a boarding pass until you tell them what you do for a living and what you're going to do at your destination.

flyquiet

I am certain this is simply provide to CBP et al. While it is rather redundant since the officer or GE kiosk is going to ask you anyway, the redundancy doesn't have a down-side for them. They supply that information to CBP, and when you scan your card and fingerprints, the GE kiosk already knows your flight and just asks you to confirm it. I suppose if you answered your purpose of travel differently than you did on check-in, they might pay closer attention.
Worrying about dual purpose trips is overthinking things. Even the government of China did not care that I was doing both a convention and some sightseeing.Many trips are mixed business and leisure. You simply check the primary one. Are you taking a week vacation and grabbing a meeting when you happen to be there? Or are you doing a wine tour before going home from a week's conference. It's not that precise a hair to split. It's not like most of us are being shadowed by private detectives tracking how much of the time we're enjoying ourselves, at the ready to accuse of of rating 51:49 the wrong way. (And as I enjoy my work trips, it would really confuse them.)

songsc

There is one more thing to consider: does AC use this information during IRROPS. Like when everything else equals AC accomodate business travellers first then leisure travellers. For this reason I select business every time for domestic travels or to countries where visa is not a concern.

segacs

I've never seen any evidence of this. Unless you have any proof that they do, I'd say it's probably well beyond their IT capabilities.

Nah, the simplest explanation is usually the right one: AC collects this information for trans-border and int'l flights to feed to border authorities if requested, and for document checks. Anything else is probably wishful thinking.

YOWgary

Where have you read that any airline does this?

karachi

BTW somewhat off topic, but specifically for Thailand, they have never in my knowledge actually enforced this. i've always been there as a tourist, as have many of my colleagues. I actually called up their consulate in Toronto many yrs ago when i had to leave immediately for a biz trip - i was told just to declare myself as a tourist.

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

I never get asked any questions by Thai Immigration. But since I work in border security, and was planning to meet with the government on my current trip (was there two days ago), I do not take chances declaring myself as a tourist when I am not. That is in spite of the fact that the Thai visa application forms and instructions are incredibly confusing and it would so much simpler to just show up at the border.
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13F

kwflyer

As well as to the CBSA for exit travel scoring and reporting to various international agencies as necessary.

.

Actually, quite the opposite. Inconsistencies in your declaration is an effective tool to probe further, up to being charged for a false declaration, that can have a serious impact on your entry/exit traveler risk score. Or just give you a reason to deny entry. Whichever international customs officer you deal with and how they feel that day.

Ding Ding Ding. Except replace 'might' for grounds for leveraging the situation however they see fit.

For developing countries, yes. For developed countries (especially those belonging to the five eyes) quite the opposite.

YYZ_TVGuy

Some knob from some security firm tried to pull this on me at BRU when I was connecting from GVA to YUL. Tried to make me answer several immigration-style questions before he would "DOC_OK" my boarding pass.

Reason of trip was that my father was dying. I felt no need to explain, as a Canadian citizen travelling to Canada, to a European why I was doing so. I told him as such and eventually he relented. I told him I am a Canadian citizen traveling to Canada with a Canadian passport, that that is all he needed to know, and could he kindly stamp the BP.

karachi

they have these idiots at IST, FRA, LHR as well. they wait at the gate and ask the non "old stock canadians" questions like "hows the weather in Toronto" and "where do you live in Toronto". i once answered "24 Sussex Drive".

Kraafish

Ahahaha, IST is THE WORST. I handed in my Canadian passport, and they were like "what are you going to do there?". Umm eat pickles at MLL lounge?? The worst is when they pull out their camera and took the front page of your passport like