Have you ever gone through US airport customs with no luggage whatsoever?
Jan 12, 2015, 1:53 am
#1
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Have you ever gone through US airport customs with no luggage whatsoever?
No carry on, no checked bag, nothing.
Just walk off an international flight, traveling alone, hand them blue form, nothing in your hands at all.
I'm just curious if this freaks out the CBP officers or what would happen.
Just walk off an international flight, traveling alone, hand them blue form, nothing in your hands at all.
I'm just curious if this freaks out the CBP officers or what would happen.
Jan 12, 2015, 9:14 am
#5
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At JFK T8 (AA), a several years ago a family (mother, father, 2 children) were exiting CBP; they told the agent they were away for just a weekend and had no bags...agent did think anything was "out of the ordinary
" and sent them out to the exit.
" and sent them out to the exit.
Jan 12, 2015, 9:41 am
#6
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--J
Jan 17, 2015, 7:01 am
#9
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I usually travel with my laptop backpack, many TB and International trips. GE/Nexus help. They only airport where it raised attention was in POS.
Jan 17, 2015, 2:00 pm
#12
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I travel from Canada to the US, always with a small carry-on or something like a folder only (nothing wheeled), no problems. But I'm a Canadian coming *to* the US for a visit and I think you're asking about US citizens returning from a trip?
On that note, I have had CBSA on my return to Canada ask me "where are your bags? no bags?" on multiple occasions. So maybe it's odd not to have luggage, but I've never had any problems other than that one extra question.
On that note, I have had CBSA on my return to Canada ask me "where are your bags? no bags?" on multiple occasions. So maybe it's odd not to have luggage, but I've never had any problems other than that one extra question.
Jan 20, 2015, 11:12 pm
#13
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I've done a few 3 day trips to europe with just a small bag for laptop and clothes and they didn't say anything.
My partner (US citizen living in Canada) regularly flys back and forth with just a messenger bag since she has residences on both sides of the border and it doesn't raise any questions.
My partner (US citizen living in Canada) regularly flys back and forth with just a messenger bag since she has residences on both sides of the border and it doesn't raise any questions.
Jan 21, 2015, 9:10 am
#14
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I do it fairly often. A couple times with no bag at all, most with just a small satchel or leather briefcase.
I was only nagged once (which I wrote about here some time ago) and that was early on in the GE period when it was still just three airports in the pilot including IAH and before IAH got one-stop exit for GE.
Upon customs exit I handing in my GE receipt and the CBP guy kind of looked me over and asked if that small briefcase was my only bag to which I replied yes. To which he started asking a lot of questions (he was Caucasian but spoke with an extremely heavy French-esq accent and was hard to understand). I was fairly vague in my first few responses and then asked him how much luggage was I supposed to have and he just kind of looked at me. He asked what I "did" and I noted I could not get into it at the time due to security rules (which was the truth) and then he waved me on.
Other than that I am never stopped in the US. I have had the guardia di finanza stop a few times exiting Italia with just a briefcase but they have been fairly short. The Germans stopped me once last December but they actually were stopping every single person, and they asked if it was my only bag but did not seem surprised by it.
I cross border 50+ times a year, often with only a small bag so my hit rate is luckily very small for stops. Viva GE and one-stop. YMMV of course.
I was only nagged once (which I wrote about here some time ago) and that was early on in the GE period when it was still just three airports in the pilot including IAH and before IAH got one-stop exit for GE.
Upon customs exit I handing in my GE receipt and the CBP guy kind of looked me over and asked if that small briefcase was my only bag to which I replied yes. To which he started asking a lot of questions (he was Caucasian but spoke with an extremely heavy French-esq accent and was hard to understand). I was fairly vague in my first few responses and then asked him how much luggage was I supposed to have and he just kind of looked at me. He asked what I "did" and I noted I could not get into it at the time due to security rules (which was the truth) and then he waved me on.
Other than that I am never stopped in the US. I have had the guardia di finanza stop a few times exiting Italia with just a briefcase but they have been fairly short. The Germans stopped me once last December but they actually were stopping every single person, and they asked if it was my only bag but did not seem surprised by it.
I cross border 50+ times a year, often with only a small bag so my hit rate is luckily very small for stops. Viva GE and one-stop. YMMV of course.