canadiancow

I'm thinking about hitting up BOS again for EYW, and I'd like to avoid being accused of sabotage.

As such, I've been playing around with various tools.

ITA simply will not show any results for this itinerary.

AC.com spits up a warning (see attached screenshot), but lets me book it.

So what is the rule? SFO-YYJ is a fare. YYJ-BOS is a fare. I'm spending ~12 hours in Canada from the time I clear CBSA to the time I clear CBP.

I've had enough loose discussions on this matter in the past that I know a lot about what people "think" or "guess", but I really want to know what actually makes an itinerary (il)legal.

guv1976

Why do you want to go to Boston (BOS) to get to Key West (EYW) from San Francisco?

canadiancow

EYW: Earn Your Wings (EYW) v6 2017

guv1976

Not sure if this is helpful:

http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-N...-cabotage-laws

I was under the impression that a stop of more than 24 hours in the transit country was necessary to avoid a cabotage situation, but I'm not an expert in this area.

canadiancow

But I'm not buying SFO-BOS via YYJ.

I'm buying SFO-YYJ and YYJ-BOS, both via at least one other Canadian city.

What if I'm only in BOS for 40 minutes, and then back to Canada?

What if I want to fly YUL-BOS-YUL-BOS-YUL? I feel like this is one of those situations where legally, it's fine (clearly my goal is not to fly SFO-BOS), but whether the ticketing system (or finger-wagging BOS agents) allow it is another matter.

But I can't even find anything that has a strict legal definition.

There's no way it's as simple as "24 hours". I've done same day turns to Canada multiple times from SFO, and no one ever has an issue there. Or is it a case where SFO-YYZ-SFO is fine, but SFO-YYZ-YVR-YUL-YOW-BOS-YUL-YHZ-YYZ-SFO is not?

lcohen999

guv1976 ... met cow

lcohen999

Why not just book on two separate tickets if you are concerned ?

Cost shouldn't be a factor in that case?

yerffej201

Should work if you're booking separate tickets.

canadiancow

I prefer to avoid 40 minute connections on separate PNRs

And I want to point out - I CAN book this example on AC.com, but it gives that warning about stopping.

Jagboi

Is it bookable, even though there is a warning? If so, then you have your answer!

I always understood cabatoge was AC taking you from one US city to another, without going into Canada. In your example that would be flying SFO-BOS nonstop (or even direct if such a thing existed).

RangerNS

Cabatoge would be the carrier's problem, not yours.

No?

But in any case, you are stopping in Canada, e.g. it isn't a domestic routing so far as the US DOT would know.

28isGreat

It's not about what you're allowed to fly, it's what an airline is allowed to sell to you.

yyznomad

1. You didn't answer the OPs question!
2. This is FT, so I'm shocked that you're shocked.
3. As you can see, cow has a reason called EYW, not that he needs a reason to appease anyone here on his flying patterns.
4. Come to the YYC DO later this month and meet cow and the rest of us crazy dingleberries.



I once had an itinerary like this and was denied my boarding passes, even though I booked it right off of Ac.com and never got any warning message. In fact, the agent scolded me with a lecture.

I agree that it shouldn't be my problem, but it became my problem.

Fiordland

Perhaps there is a hidden field that shows up on the agents screen that says "crazy dingleberries", with a tick mark next to it.

This has to be quite common. You have a couple of meeting, fly in to one city for the day, catch a late flight out to you next destination and it happens to generate something like this.

The SFO-YYJ non-stop is a united flight. That may also play a role. (However I have a strange feeling the OP is not doing the non-stop).

yyznomad

Not required. They just know by default when the iterinaty pops up on their screen.

Exactly.