Arriving PTY from US, no customs now?
Mar 13, 2016, 1:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 107
Arriving PTY from US, no customs now?
Arrived pty yesterday from LAS, customs hall was still pretty empty, yet from my filght folks were diverted into a bypass line which just exited customs without doing the usual xray routine - this is not the 'green light/red light routine but human diverting traffic before entering the rope maze.
I arrive in PTY regularly and haven't seen US flights essentially skip the process before.
HAs there been a change in routine for US arrivals or was this perhaps a one-off?
I arrive in PTY regularly and haven't seen US flights essentially skip the process before.
HAs there been a change in routine for US arrivals or was this perhaps a one-off?
Mar 13, 2016, 8:43 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 107
right, but this thread is about actually skipping any and all customs examination based on origin of flight, not about how their xrays (which they have stopped me over before, mainly books for obvious reasons) are or are not whatever.
Mar 15, 2016, 8:20 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 107
That is interesting - I didn't have my passport out at all but my customs form did say US for nationality. The key question was where our flight was from, though. Nothing about nationality.
Thanks, hopefully the criterion/criteria is clarified on this.
Thanks, hopefully the criterion/criteria is clarified on this.
May 2, 2016, 6:06 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: IAH
Programs: UA
Posts: 603
Two recent experiences. On a flight from the US, a guy was posted at the entry to the maze. Took my customs form, then waved me to a direct exit lane with no xray. On a flight not from the US, no such guy was posted, so I went through the maze and xray.
Nov 6, 2016, 4:28 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: IAH
Programs: UA
Posts: 603
it's back
This phenomenon persisted for a few more weeks after my previous post, then like many things at PTY it disappeared without a trace.
But, today I arrived and found that now both entry points to the customs maze have clearly signed by-pass exit lanes for passengers "on flights arriving from the USA." I wasn't coming from the US, so I didn't experience it, but I got the impression this wasn't a freely accessible exit, someone has to be there to check you out first.
But, today I arrived and found that now both entry points to the customs maze have clearly signed by-pass exit lanes for passengers "on flights arriving from the USA." I wasn't coming from the US, so I didn't experience it, but I got the impression this wasn't a freely accessible exit, someone has to be there to check you out first.
