Airfares to US to drop?

[Forg]

Correct, although profiling does go on. As an Asian Australian myself, as well as my Asian Canadian friends across the border, I've heard of checks done through multiple of my friends and experienced it myself.

Now this is interesting ... I wasn't going to mention this little story here, because it's a story from my septuagenarian mother from a friend of hers, about that friend's daughter-in-law ... so I wasn't entirely sure whether the entire 3rd-hand story was totally straight!

But the aforementioned daughter-in-law lives in Canada with Mum's friend's son, they're both Australian and she has an Asian background. The husband-and-wife tried flying into the USA a few weeks ago for a weekend with friends, and she was detained for a few hours and sent back to Canada for ... Reasons. Didn't occur to me that maybe she'd been "profiled".

As I said, though, Mum may have gotten it a bit mixed-up (and she probably envisages Trump personally standing there at Immigration randomly pointing at people to be denied entry for no reason ).

 

[jb747]

If avoiding the US becomes a long term trend, then I can see aircraft being redeployed/downsized. And yes, their border people seem to the the world's least human. I wonder whether they are hired that way, or the job changes them.

 

[elanshin]

Regarding deportation: there's a fairly well publicised french researcher recently. French scientist denied US entry after phone messages critical of Trump found

As for the occurrence rate right now- that's something we don't know about whether it's one offs or not. Lots of other reports of wrongful deportation (illegal) as well of residents.

If avoiding the US becomes a long term trend, then I can see aircraft being redeployed/downsized. And yes, their border people seem to the the world's least human. I wonder whether they are hired that way, or the job changes them.

I've read that often they're people that couldn't make it to proper police forces and thus want to be in position of authority but didn't make the cut for the police force.

 

[Gold Member]

And yes, their border people seem to be the world's least human.

I thought that realm was exclusively reserved for the bloodsucking Legal and Insurance firms.

I wonder whether they are hired that way, or the job changes them.

I suspect the latter. Personally, it doesn’t seem like an enjoyable or desirable career path.

 

[RSD]

If avoiding the US becomes a long term trend, then I can see aircraft being redeployed/downsized. And yes, their border people seem to the the world's least human. I wonder whether they are hired that way, or the job changes them.

I think the entire first week of their one week border person training course is spent teaching them how to be totally expressionless, emotionless, and unhelpful.

 

[SYD]

The husband-and-wife tried flying into the USA a few weeks ago for a weekend with friends, and she was detained for a few hours and sent back to Canada for ... Reasons. Didn't occur to me that maybe she'd been "profiled".

Given they would have “entered” the US at the Canadian airport, You’d be surprised if they were detaining people? Perhaps just not allowed into little America? But at least it was probably only an Uber ride home (not another flight)…

 

[BrianQQ]

Given they would have “entered” the US at the Canadian airport, You’d be surprised if they were detaining people? Perhaps just not allowed into little America? But at least it was probably only an Uber ride home (not another flight)…

Probably the land border, or at one of the Canadian airports that doesn't have pre-clearance?

 

[SYD]

Probably the land border

Probably not given they were flying.

or at one of the Canadian airports that doesn't have pre-clearance?

Possibly, but most of the main airports have pre-clearance. Smaller regional airports would have very limited direct flights to the US?

 

[dajop]

Probably not given they were flying.

Possibly, but most of the main airports have pre-clearance. Smaller regional airports would have very limited direct flights to the US?

There are numerous airports that don't have pre-clearance.

YTZ (Toronto Billy Bishop) has a range of US flights ( I think 8-9 a day to Newark, for example) although preclearance is supposed to begin operation this year. Others that come to mind include Regina, Saskatoon, Quebec City, St Johns.

 

[SYD]

There are numerous airports that don't have pre-clearance.

YTZ (Toronto Billy Bishop) has a range of US flights ( I think 8-9 a day to Newark, for example) although preclearance is supposed to begin operation this year. Others that come to mind include Regina, Saskatoon, Quebec City, St Johns.

Like I said, very limited direct flights (that wouldn’t warrant pre-clearance).

OT, I was surprised how few ports there are direct flights between the US and Canada. I was visiting the US North East and needed to get back to Canada to fly home on a QF Sale fare*. Other than AC, AA, UA and DL have VERY limited options. I suspect they’re going to be even less soon.

*we ended up driving to Montreal from Maine.

 

[elanshin]

What Australians flying to the US need to know about phone and device searches at the border

Can immigration deny you entry if you refuse to hand over your phone? What can officials look at or download, and how can you protect your devices?

www.theguardian.com

Relevant article today in the guardian.

 

[Princess Fiona]

What Australians flying to the US need to know about phone and device searches at the border

Can immigration deny you entry if you refuse to hand over your phone? What can officials look at or download, and how can you protect your devices?

www.theguardian.com

Relevant article today in the guardian.

A bit of tin foil hat stuff there IMHO
Burner phones etc.

 

[levelnine]

A bit of tin foil hat stuff there IMHO
Burner phones etc.

Not really. My employer provides burner phones and laptops to all employees traveling anywhere overseas as a matter of course. Fairly common for anyone working in an area that handles sensitive information.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Not really. My employer provides burner phones and laptops to all employees traveling anywhere overseas as a matter of course. Fairly common for anyone working in an area that handles sensitive information.

Nobody working for an employer like that is taking travel advice from The Guardian

 

[levelnine]

Nobody working for an employer like that is taking travel advice from The Guardian

Who said they were?

The point is that, if you are worried about authorities (including Australia's) reading/collecting your data, international border crossings are a key source of exposure. A sensible way of mitigating that risk is to carry devices that do not contain this data. It is something organisations have been doing for years. That's not tin foil hat thinking, as you alleged.

 

[RSD]

Even Americans have problems with TSA -

 

[Aeryn]

As far as I know (last ESTA completed a year ago), answering those questions is optional.

And it is still optional, i just leave that bit blank.

I dont post political opinions or criticisms online so not worried about anything being found on my phone.

I may have been lucky but never had an issue entering the USA whether entering off a flight from Australia, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, UK or Europe or via land from Canada or Mexico.

The turn off right now is the weak AUD.

 

[Himeno]

I may have been lucky but never had an issue entering the USA whether entering off a flight from Australia, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, UK or Europe or via land from Canada or Mexico.

I've had a few issues entering the US in the past. Nothing "major".
14 hour flight to LAX in Y with no sleep. CBP agent took issue to not instantly being able to answer questions and was sent for a full bag customs search.
Arrived in BOS (from LHR). First stop on holiday was a friends wedding. CBP agent was walking along the lines asking people to have docs out and ready for check and asking preliminary questions. Didn't like that I was attending a friends wedding and couldn't locate invitation in cabin bags. Pulled me out of line and skipped to next available desk. Normal desk agent had normal questions, then sent me to secondary (didn't even do the USVISIT photo/fingerprints). Collected my checked bags and into the secondary office. After they called me up, they asked why I was even there, then got pissed off at the primary screening agents.
Arrived JFK (T7) from JP via HKG (CX). Agent wanted to see everything including ticket printouts, then confused the JPY marked airfare for USD and decided that I couldn't afford my holiday, then entered into a line of questioning trying to prove her stupidity and didn't understand what "Ticket priced in Yen" meant. She thought I had paid ~700000USD and not ~6000USD. Didn't know what "JPY" meant. She finally let me in when I said "credit card".

 

[RSD]

I've had a few issues entering the US in the past. Nothing "major".
14 hour flight to LAX in Y with no sleep. CBP agent took issue to not instantly being able to answer questions and was sent for a full bag customs search.
Arrived in BOS (from LHR). First stop on holiday was a friends wedding. CBP agent was walking along the lines asking people to have docs out and ready for check and asking preliminary questions. Didn't like that I was attending a friends wedding and couldn't locate invitation in cabin bags. Pulled me out of line and skipped to next available desk. Normal desk agent had normal questions, then sent me to secondary (didn't even do the USVISIT photo/fingerprints). Collected my checked bags and into the secondary office. After they called me up, they asked why I was even there, then got pissed off at the primary screening agents.
Arrived JFK (T7) from JP via HKG (CX). Agent wanted to see everything including ticket printouts, then confused the JPY marked airfare for USD and decided that I couldn't afford my holiday, then entered into a line of questioning trying to prove her stupidity and didn't understand what "Ticket priced in Yen" meant. She thought I had paid ~700000USD and not ~6000USD. Didn't know what "JPY" meant. She finally let me in when I said "credit card".

I don't think that it is going to get any better...

 

[SYD]

I've had a few issues entering the US in the past. Nothing "major".
14 hour flight to LAX in Y with no sleep. CBP agent took issue to not instantly being able to answer questions and was sent for a full bag customs search.
Arrived in BOS (from LHR). First stop on holiday was a friends wedding. CBP agent was walking along the lines asking people to have docs out and ready for check and asking preliminary questions. Didn't like that I was attending a friends wedding and couldn't locate invitation in cabin bags. Pulled me out of line and skipped to next available desk. Normal desk agent had normal questions, then sent me to secondary (didn't even do the USVISIT photo/fingerprints). Collected my checked bags and into the secondary office. After they called me up, they asked why I was even there, then got pissed off at the primary screening agents.
Arrived JFK (T7) from JP via HKG (CX). Agent wanted to see everything including ticket printouts, then confused the JPY marked airfare for USD and decided that I couldn't afford my holiday, then entered into a line of questioning trying to prove her stupidity and didn't understand what "Ticket priced in Yen" meant. She thought I had paid ~700000USD and not ~6000USD. Didn't know what "JPY" meant. She finally let me in when I said "credit card".

Sounds horrible.

Personally, I’d avoid specific things like “wedding” because that has immigration implications.

Stick to “Vacation” or “Business” as purpose of visit.

For Vacation, I’m going to A, B and C and leaving on date MMM, DD from XYZ. If there’s a wedding (as a guest) involved, none of their business.

For Business (including a Conference) pretty straightforward but again don’t get into specifics. Unless pressed ie type of business and you’re there for meetings, marketing and not to perform tattoos with your kit in your checked luggage (a someone recently discovered is not a good idea).