N1Hawk

I know this is the wrong place to probably place this question but here goes hopefully someone will be able to help me. I have 19 days before I fly from Cleveland Airport. My concern is the following, I'm driving to Cleveland from Toronto and will be processed by USA boarder guards on the way through to Cleveland. Should I tell them I found cheaper Airfare in Cleveland to Calgary and show them my boarding pass and itinerary? or should I just say I'm visiting my girlfriend for the week and coming back on the 15th of Aug?

Now here is my situation, if I tell them I'm going to go visit my girlfriend for a week basically a lie and then try to fly will I be stopped by USA Customs/Guards in Calgary to pre-clear for our flight back to Cleveland? Do the Land guards and the airport guards share the same info? So should I tell both sides the truth?

Ari

Why would you lie to them at all? What purpose would that serve? Obviously tell the truth.

Some questions around here are mighty strange . . .

SFO777

+1
So you found a cheap airfare from Cleveland and want to save money. What's the problem?
Don't even think of lying at the boarder, or more importantly at the border.

Firebug4

Finding cheaper airfare from a US airport is not an unusual occurrence nor is it a problem to spend time in the US before the flight. It is not a good idea to lie to a Border Officer (which is the correct term by the way). You should just tell the truth. You are much more likely to be under greater scrutiny if you tell them you are visiting a girlfriend in the United States then what the truth actually is.

FB

N1Hawk

Do boarder guards/customs look at you more tough and ask you more questions because you are flying from the USA and live in Canada, and I'm not going to lie about visiting the g/f. I'm actually flying with her from Cleveland where she lives to Calgary. My question is this, because I'm flying in to Calgary and landing in to a Canadian city from the USA and not flying Canadian city to city won't the guards in Calgary Canadian Customs be looking at me weird? Yes I'm saving money?

Steph3n

border border border border border please type it after me 1000 times.

BORDER is a boundry, demarcation, etc.

BOARDER is a totally different thing.

Ari

No-- why would they care? Besides, you have a perfectly rational explanation should there be any scrutiny. Is there a reason you are so worried?-- this isn't so unusual as FB said above.

And telling a border guard that you are visiting a girlfriend/boyfriend always makes matters more intense, not less . . .

SFO777

Jeez, dude. Do you think you just invented trans-border flying to save money? And if you persist in mis-spelling border, you will most certainly be denied entry for failing the mandatory customs spelling test.

Hint...
BOARDER, bad.
BORDER, good.

N1Hawk

OK thanks

mre5765

This cannot be stressed enough. If one has multiple reasons for crossing the border, never volunteer the visit to the significant other.

yyzvoyageur

Déjà vu.

Just relax and tell the truth. If the officer is suspicious you may be questioned further and have your vehicle searched. An inconvenience, to be sure, but better than being turned around at the border when he starts catching you in ridiculous lies.

Ari

Oh, yeah . . .

Yeah, really. Honestly answer questions asked . Don't over-volunteer information not requested but don't conceal anything material. It isn't rocket science.

tentseller

Just tell them you are flying out due to lower fare. It is not like the CBP agents at 405, 420 or QEW crossing never came across this.

I have flown and many others to Bellingham WA to get to YVR at significant savings.

NEVER, NEVER tell them you are visiting a girlfriend/boyfriend.

N1Hawk

But I've never been held up more then 10 mins telling them I'm visiting my girlfriend!

Firebug4

Again, just tell them the truth. It doesn't matter what the truth is. Most officers are reasonably adept at recognizing a lie. 9 times out of 10 it is the lie that gets you held up and many times the traveler is lying about something that doesn't matter.

FB