AC Drops Domestic flight @ Canadian Customs
Jul 27, 2019, 2:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 22
AC Drops Domestic flight @ Canadian Customs
ACA 419 from YUL to YYZ on Friday ended on an interesting note. After an unusually long walk for a domestic flight to the baggage area, we emerged at the business end of canadian customs.
Some folks, not AC, herded us into a group and told us to stand by, we'd be escorted, but 5 minutes and 30% of the passengers present later, they just said we'd have to clear customs.
Clearing customs without a passport nor any forms nor having actually left the country was interesting (possibly unlawful) and the customs folks weren't particularly empathetic. It was a tad of a free for all while we spread out, found forms, plugged incomplete details in and tried to get past an agent with just a drivers license. I don't know how it went for folks who travel less frequently or who possibly might be very unfamiliar with Canada or who might have had a reason for not enjoying having an agent vet their details.
I believe AC blew the mission here entirely and both in the routing from the gate and secondarily in allowing us to get to the wrong side of customs and finally by not providing any guidance at all.
Was a new one for me!
P
Some folks, not AC, herded us into a group and told us to stand by, we'd be escorted, but 5 minutes and 30% of the passengers present later, they just said we'd have to clear customs.
Clearing customs without a passport nor any forms nor having actually left the country was interesting (possibly unlawful) and the customs folks weren't particularly empathetic. It was a tad of a free for all while we spread out, found forms, plugged incomplete details in and tried to get past an agent with just a drivers license. I don't know how it went for folks who travel less frequently or who possibly might be very unfamiliar with Canada or who might have had a reason for not enjoying having an agent vet their details.
I believe AC blew the mission here entirely and both in the routing from the gate and secondarily in allowing us to get to the wrong side of customs and finally by not providing any guidance at all.
Was a new one for me!
P
Jul 27, 2019, 2:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: ba silver
Posts: 729
I don' t think CBSA has any authority over Canadian citizens on domestic flights, not does anybody who works for the airport ( who isn' t a police officer ) have the authority to stop you once you' ve exited the plane. If anything the airline would be fined. I could be wrong, but I wonder what would happen if a Canadian citizen just kept walking and refused to answer questions or produce i.d., since they never left the country in the first place.
Jul 27, 2019, 2:56 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: YVR TLS
Programs: Air France Flying Blue, Altitude SE-100k, AAdvantage, United Mileage Plus, WS rewards, BonVoy Titan
Posts: 912
YEP, AC is probably looking at a fine here & loosing their Customs bond $$ on this one....
I heard that a Jazz flight from SEA-YVR parked and off-loaded at domestic a few years ago in YVR, same gong show...except worse since the PAX needed to clear customs.
I heard that a Jazz flight from SEA-YVR parked and off-loaded at domestic a few years ago in YVR, same gong show...except worse since the PAX needed to clear customs.
Jul 27, 2019, 5:46 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MLL / AC Cafe
Programs: It's hard to get status when the website won't let me book flights.
Posts: 5,706
happens a few times a year on the domestic leg of AC 33 from YYZ - YVR. I've been on it twice over the years when it happened. Super annoying. CBSA just confirmed if you were a canadian citizen you were good to go through.
Jul 27, 2019, 5:53 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 91
I imagine if you stopped short of the customs hall and demanded to be let out a different way they’d have to accommodate you but as soon as you go to an officer you are at a port of entry and subject to search. It’s kind of like land borders. Even if you don’t mean to cross and don’t want to, there is a point of no return and if you get lost you have to turn around through customs
Jul 27, 2019, 6:04 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
I don' t think CBSA has any authority over Canadian citizens on domestic flights, not does anybody who works for the airport ( who isn' t a police officer ) have the authority to stop you once you' ve exited the plane. If anything the airline would be fined. I could be wrong, but I wonder what would happen if a Canadian citizen just kept walking and refused to answer questions or produce i.d., since they never left the country in the first place.
Jul 27, 2019, 6:29 pm
#8
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
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Jul 27, 2019, 8:43 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 5,181
Now at Canada Border as some of you have said the CABC absolutely have no authority on domestic travellers. Most of them do not even have a passport to travel and also there is no item that is that they can confiscate or stop you from carrying. So I do not know how they would search the passenger in this case?
Jul 27, 2019, 8:57 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: UA Premier Platinum
Posts: 3,759
Now at Canada Border as some of you have said the CABC absolutely have no authority on domestic travellers. Most of them do not even have a passport to travel and also there is no item that is that they can confiscate or stop you from carrying. So I do not know how they would search the passenger in this case?
Jul 27, 2019, 10:22 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC MM, SE100K
Posts: 233
Yup, exactly that happened to me and a dozen others who were first off the plane a few months ago. Apparently, a tardy AC agent arrived to correctly divert the majority of the passengers, but the group I was with ended up having to fill out forms and pass through border procedures, just as the OP described.
Jul 27, 2019, 10:41 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Vancouver
Programs: Aeroplan, Mileage Plus, WestJet Gold, AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,026
Yup, exactly that happened to me and a dozen others who were first off the plane a few months ago. Apparently, a tardy AC agent arrived to correctly divert the majority of the passengers, but the group I was with ended up having to fill out forms and pass through border procedures, just as the OP described.
Jul 28, 2019, 6:30 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 376
Slightly off topic…
Years ago (may have been before 911) flying AC from YYZ to YSJ, due to weather we were diverted to BOS for refueling. While no one was allowed off the plane we were told we would have to fill in customs forms upon landing in Toronto. No one met us in the terminal upon landing and thus we skipped inspection.