Leaving (and re-entering) international terminal after clearing immigration

[dylarr]

Last night, I encountered a situation where someone left something important at home, enough to justify a trip to the airport to drop it off but not something that would have prevented travel. However, they had already cleared immigration and were airside in the international terminal when they realised. Due time constraints and uncertainty about the procedure and whether it is even possible, we decided against attempting an airport run.

However this did raise some questions:

What happens if you wanted to leave and re-enter the international terminal post-customs clearance - is it even possible?
Has anyone actually done this before? Under what circumstances and what was the procedure?
Is it possible to do without risking your trip, provided you have enough time to complete all of the formalities?

Thanks!

 

[Virgin Bart]

Have always wondered this. Keen to see answers.

 

[Himeno]

It depends on the airport in question and the reason.
You'll more then likely need an escort back to immigration.

 

[SYD]

It depends on the airport in question and the reason.
You'll more then likely need an escort back to immigration.

You’d expect that in most Oz airports.

Less of an issue in the US or somewhere like SIN (just go back to immigration!?).

 

[Austman]

I have done it.

I had a good reason.

It was all done quite quickly and without too much pain.

I think however, you do need a good reason.

 

[Himeno]

You’d expect that in most Oz airports.

Less of an issue in the US or somewhere like SIN (just go back to immigration!?).

2019 trip, I was sitting in the MEL F lounge awaiting a flight to SIN with connection to JL. The inbound A330 was hit by lightening on the way in and the flight was delayed and then cancelled.
The other pax on the flight were moved to the EK MEL-SIN flight. Since I was connecting to HND, I was rebooked onto QF from SYD and escorted by QF staff from lounge, through baggage claim and immigration then up to the QFd check in.

A earlier trip, QF from LHR to SIN. When getting ready for landing I put my wallet in my pocket which then slipped out without me noticing.
I noticed it was missing after collecting bags, but before customs (I was looking for it to go to the forex before heading out to the public area).
I went back upstairs to inbound immigration and spoke to the supervisor. They let me back into the transit area (with my checked luggage) and held onto my passport while I went back to the gate and spoke to ground staff who escorted me to the aircraft door, while they went on and looked for my wallet. (They found it between seats, where it had been missed by the cleaners who had already done that row).

 

[Austman]

I should add that it was at SYD where it happened.

I simply wanted to vote in a federal election before leaving the country.

I was first flying domestic MEL-SYD.

There was no exact information on the AEC website about if the early voting booth in SYD INT was before or after passport control. I assumed the latter. And there was no signage at SYD T3 to T1 domestic transfers.

I was wrong.

But I was allowed to go back to vote.

 

[Happy Dude]

Interesting one. Assuming entry into is Australia is not reliant on a visa, one could simply front up at immigration. The lack of info (flight no, departure point, where visited etc) for the incoming pax card is the sticky one though.

 

[Warragul]

Its not that big a drama for Australian citizens to go back landside for ABF - a hassle maybe but there are processes in place. Officially it's the same as when a passenger is offloaded by the airline - cancel the system movement etc. The unofficial (naturally quicker) way of holding onto the passport at Immigration while said passenger hands the house keys still in their pocket to family waiting outside gets tricky, as at some point if the passenger doesn't return any checked bags need to be retrieved. Its a risk the person who permits method takes. The time till flight departure is an issue with regard to the checked baggage retreival and closure of boarding. Unlikely but it is a nervous wait and when someone says they'll be 5 minutes and 20 minutes later still no sign of them, it makes one reluctant to do that favour again for a while.

 

[Austman]

Officially it's the same as when a passenger is offloaded by the airline - cancel the system movement etc.

FWIW, when I requested it, none of that happened.

There was some quick discussion. My reason was considered valid. And I was escorted all the way out and all the way back.

 

[Seat0B]

It has also happened to us A few years back we were on QF1 to London and had already arrived in SYD from CBR to connect. QF1 was delayed by a few hours, then another few, then finally to overnight delay and we were all sent to hotel. The procedure was - get re-booked in the lounge and get a new BP. Boy there were a lot of DYKWIAs giving the poor staff heaps. Then we were escorted in small groups by lounge/other QF staff along a bunch of back corridors to baggage area to collect luggage which was all removed from aircraft. Then board a bus or taxi to the allocated hotel. We did not have to go through customs or immigration to leave. I assume QF handled that for everyone.

Next day, it was the full usual check in experience - hand over bags and fill out departure forms (before the smart gate era) and go through immigration etc as if yesterday never happened.

As a complete surprise bonus, when we went to the F lounge to wait for the delayed departure, the attendant there gave us new BPs - we were upgraded to F (from a paid J ticket) for the whole flight SYD-DXB-LHR . We wondered if it was because we just behaved reasonably the night before or just luck.

 

[Scarlett]

It depends on the airport in question and the reason.
You'll more then likely need an escort back to immigration.

I’d expect that any reason (as long as it was only quick) could be covered by the excuse of needing to retrieve some forgotten medicine… Keys, paperwork, a camera or anything that is a quick handover and can be legally be brought back through security should be manageable I’d have thought.

 

[mrsterryn]

I am aware of a person who was flying from Melbourne to London. Happily ensconced in the airport past customs and security, bags all checked. Unhappily so had a heart and was rushed to a Melbourne hospital.
Some time later it started to cause issues with various data matching with the governments as he had never officially returned to Australia

 

[Forg]

As a complete surprise bonus, when we went to the F lounge to wait for the delayed departure, the attendant there gave us new BPs - we were upgraded to F (from a paid J ticket) for the whole flight SYD-DXB-LHR . We wondered if it was because we just behaved reasonably the night before or just luck.

Luck. In my experience, nobody ever profits from just doing the right thing.

 

[fly2earth]

Last night, I encountered a situation where someone left something important at home, enough to justify a trip to the airport to drop it off but not something that would have prevented travel. However, they had already cleared immigration and were airside in the international terminal when they realised. Due time constraints and uncertainty about the procedure and whether it is even possible, we decided against attempting an airport run.

However this did raise some questions:

What happens if you wanted to leave and re-enter the international terminal post-customs clearance - is it even possible?
Has anyone actually done this before? Under what circumstances and what was the procedure?
Is it possible to do without risking your trip, provided you have enough time to complete all of the formalities?

Thanks!

Don't try this at Changi (unless you have run out of all options imaginable to mankind). You get to experience the caning in one of the FINEST countries in the world