Customs experience at STR during MR
Aug 6, 2007, 2:39 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: HKG
Programs: Miles & More Senator, CX Marco Polo Club, SQ Krisflyer
Posts: 249
Customs experience at STR during MR
Folks,
Just thought I'd tell you about really unsettling arrival at Stuttgart whilst doing MR over the weekend. Did a J class BRU-ZRH-STR with 7 hour transit in ZRH during which I also managed to fit in ZRH-FRA-ZRH and get very funny looks from the maitre de cabine whose aircraft/crew also operated my ZRH-STR sector.
Customs at STR pulled me aside and went thru EVERYTHING checking hand luggage, wallet and performed that drugs test where they scrape the palms of your hands. The guy was determined to find something and said 'I'm going to give you one last chance, are you carying any drugs?' He saw all my boarding passes which probably raised an alarm bell. Obviously he let me go but all the while I was dreading him finding something that either got there by mistake or carelessness. If any of you take drugs recreationally just don't do it before a MR...
This is the second time this has happened at STR in 2 years...kind of makes me twice about using it for future MRs.
Just thought I'd tell you about really unsettling arrival at Stuttgart whilst doing MR over the weekend. Did a J class BRU-ZRH-STR with 7 hour transit in ZRH during which I also managed to fit in ZRH-FRA-ZRH and get very funny looks from the maitre de cabine whose aircraft/crew also operated my ZRH-STR sector.
Customs at STR pulled me aside and went thru EVERYTHING checking hand luggage, wallet and performed that drugs test where they scrape the palms of your hands. The guy was determined to find something and said 'I'm going to give you one last chance, are you carying any drugs?' He saw all my boarding passes which probably raised an alarm bell. Obviously he let me go but all the while I was dreading him finding something that either got there by mistake or carelessness. If any of you take drugs recreationally just don't do it before a MR...
This is the second time this has happened at STR in 2 years...kind of makes me twice about using it for future MRs.
Last edited by fratboy; Aug 6, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Aug 6, 2007, 2:43 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: STR and the rest of EMEA
Programs: LH HON, Marriott Platinum, ...
Posts: 731
Aug 6, 2007, 8:05 pm
#3
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,130
Since this info is useful for fellow FT members planning MRs, we moved the thread to the MR discussion forum and linked it to the turnaround thread.
Oliver2002 & Kiwi Flyer
Moderators M&M Forum
Oliver2002 & Kiwi Flyer
Moderators M&M Forum
Aug 11, 2007, 4:45 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Programs: Too many...and an Amanjunkie
Posts: 1,667
In STR, customs seem to be very keen on ZRH arrivals regularly.
Had a bad experience many years ago arriving from HKG/BKK via ZRH. Every pax with luggage (not many as most people were one-day business travellers) were checked in green channel where my shopping tour of two photo cameras in HKG ended up in a hefty duty bill and a forced donation to a local social institution
Lessons learned, forget about cheap purchases overseas no matter how much travel mags/guides praise it. The green dragons will be waiting for you near the baggge claim and get you if your are above the 175,-- € threshold for importing non-EU purchases that makes your bargain shopping tour look like a trip to Tiffany's...don't worry, the dragons in STR have an X-ray view...
Had a bad experience many years ago arriving from HKG/BKK via ZRH. Every pax with luggage (not many as most people were one-day business travellers) were checked in green channel where my shopping tour of two photo cameras in HKG ended up in a hefty duty bill and a forced donation to a local social institution
Lessons learned, forget about cheap purchases overseas no matter how much travel mags/guides praise it. The green dragons will be waiting for you near the baggge claim and get you if your are above the 175,-- € threshold for importing non-EU purchases that makes your bargain shopping tour look like a trip to Tiffany's...don't worry, the dragons in STR have an X-ray view...