UA says Passport Required for Puerto Rico
Sep 2, 2018, 4:28 pm
#61
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montrose, CO
Programs: United 1K MM, Marriott LTPP
Posts: 548
I was going to LHR from ORD last year. I gave the TSA doc checker my DL and BP. He insisted in seeing my passport. I declined, stating that TSA is not customs or immigration and they only have to verify that the BP and the name on it matched my ID. He wouldn't back down. Asked for a supervisor. Supervisor came and backed me up.
Sep 2, 2018, 6:12 pm
#62
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,976
Sep 2, 2018, 8:09 pm
#63
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: CO hublette
Programs: UA AU MM,HH Diamond,Hyatt Globalist , Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,281
UA classifies Puerto Rico flights as international (including lounge access) and that is what trips the passport info. (No, you do not need it)
BQN is a small airport that is absolutely packed when 1071 arrives.
BQN is a small airport that is absolutely packed when 1071 arrives.
Last edited by trm2; Sep 2, 2018 at 8:10 pm Reason: Adding no passport needed
Sep 3, 2018, 5:19 am
#64
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA MM 1K, AA MM Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 3,236
Are there different rules for flights between two US destinations that have intermediate stops outside the US?
I took the Island Hopper (UA 154) HNL-GUM. It makes 5 stops, two in the Marshall Islands and three in Micronesia, before ending up in Guam. I initially had a card stock BP for HNL-GUM that showed "INTL" (reprinted it to have the six individual passes - all showing "INTL") and the agents in HNL made the "be prepared to show your passports" announcement. Technically you can board at HNL and not deplane until GUM, or get off at each stop (except KWA) and wait in the departure lounge. That announcement may have been because nearly everyone was getting off at an intermediate stop. I don't know what would have happened if I just showed them my DL. I would have brought my passport anyway, since I wanted the stamps from each of the intermediate stops.
Has anyone been on the nonstop HNL-GUM flight? Was a passport required? Do you have to go through Immigration? I did (used GE kiosk).
I took the Island Hopper (UA 154) HNL-GUM. It makes 5 stops, two in the Marshall Islands and three in Micronesia, before ending up in Guam. I initially had a card stock BP for HNL-GUM that showed "INTL" (reprinted it to have the six individual passes - all showing "INTL") and the agents in HNL made the "be prepared to show your passports" announcement. Technically you can board at HNL and not deplane until GUM, or get off at each stop (except KWA) and wait in the departure lounge. That announcement may have been because nearly everyone was getting off at an intermediate stop. I don't know what would have happened if I just showed them my DL. I would have brought my passport anyway, since I wanted the stamps from each of the intermediate stops.
Has anyone been on the nonstop HNL-GUM flight? Was a passport required? Do you have to go through Immigration? I did (used GE kiosk).
Sep 3, 2018, 7:02 am
#65
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,911
If you flew HNL-GUM nonstop you couldn't have used a GE kiosk. That operation is purely domestic except for inbound Guam customs inspection. The reverse, however, is different. The CNMI, Guam and 50US+DC+PR are 3 different immigration regimes, each latter one more restrictive than the former. GUM-SPN has only CNMI customs inspection. SPN-GUM, however, has USCBP inspection for admissibility to GUM, and GUM-HNL has USCBP pre-boarding inspection for admissibility to the States. (US customs inspection is done in HNL after bags are reclaimed, and they can't make a GE kiosk to work customs-only.) A passport is not "required" for citizens, but they need something to determine admissibility.
Sep 3, 2018, 9:14 am
#66
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Sep 3, 2018, 10:03 am
#67
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,219
We still do not know if the OP was for a US citizen, but with the recent INS enforcement perhaps this is UA getting cautious and staring you need to show citizenship/visa via passport, albeit PR is a US territory.
UA may not want someone saying but you didn"t tell me I would need a passport . These days all my international itineraries have the warning in big bold letters about meeting entry requirements.
UA may not want someone saying but you didn"t tell me I would need a passport . These days all my international itineraries have the warning in big bold letters about meeting entry requirements.
Sep 4, 2018, 8:41 pm
#69
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
In particular -- a US citizen flying from non-US to Puerto Rico would still need a passport, right?
Sep 4, 2018, 8:42 pm
#70
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,857
The discussion was about a purely domestic flight
A non-USA citizen on a domestic flight would not need documents either as there is no document checks on arrival for a domestic flight. The non-citizen would need an appropriate ID to clear TSA at their domestic departure airport.
When traveling in a "foreign" (to you) country, having your passport is always a go idea.