Bad Experience at Montreal
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Discuss Bad Experience at Montreal, on the Immigration & Customs forum of FrequentFlyer.com.au, the home of frequent flyers.
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Ihad a bad experience flying into Toronto about five years ago on a *A RTW ticket. This was back in the days of paper tickets, and similiat to QF009, I had about 4 of them stapled together. The immigration guy was all questions, who what where why etc. I shouwed him bookings for Toronto and sightseeing tours to Niagra Falls etc, but to no avail, a big yellow highlighter through my card.
So in for secondary questioning with the undesirables. As I walked int he guy was loudly saying I need to get this guy on the next flight of here. Anyway my turn was very breif and I was allowed to go. I removed the 2 already used ticket books after that, funny thing not a problem with the US guys.
I think you will find that SSSS is not given because you are deemed to be a terrorist risk, but moreso the airlines have to give a certian quota, and based on previous history with the airline you get chosen. First time I flew through the US post 9-11, AA had me SSSS'ed 2 for 2 on a DONE4. On same trip I was flying from Rapid city on NW for the first time, and sure enough SSSS. However since then I have flown AA many many times and never had the SSSS given to me again. TOUCH WOOD, as I am flying there tommorow and a series of AA flights.
Must say that I visit the USA a lot (I am a UA Million Miler) and have never been SSSS'd, even when taking one-ways etc. Status must have a lot to do with it. I also find the US Immigration people to be not that bad. Very rarely do I have more than a cursory question.
However, Canada is a completely different kettle of fish. Last year I went there (SYD-HNL-YVR on AC) and got the "Spanish Inquisition" from a young female Immigration officer. Why was I coming to Canada? (because I thought I liked it), how long was I staying? (only 4 days), where was I going? (just sightseeing), etc, etc. But I had been to Canada several times before.
I decided, that as I had nothing to hide, to give the immigration officer as good as I got (after all what's the worst they could do to someone who was a senior DFAT officer for over 30 years?), and in the end (maybe after 5 minutes), I was just let through.
Based on this experience, the Canadians are much worse than either the US or Australian Immigration people. Anyone planning to go to Canada as a single male should take precautions. Ensure you have a good, legitimate reason for going there (that can be checked out) and do not under any circumstances carry anything that could be considered illegal or offensive. You have been warned!
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Re: Bad Experience at Montreal
I have only had the dreaded SSSS appear on a BP once, and it was issued at a self-checkin console for a one-way trip I had booked with 36 hours notice.
"Bugger that", I thought, and took it to an agent at F check-in. She looked at it, rolled her eyes, tapped away at her keyboard for what seemed like 5 minutes, and then presented me with a new BP, sans the haraSSSSment code.
I haven't visited Canadia (no, it's not a typo, it's what I refer to it as) for years, so I can't really comment about their current attitude to visitors - but if they are worse than the God-appointed National Heroes (AKA the DHS) at LAX, then there's a problem...
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Last edited by NYCguy; 20th January 2008 at 10:21 PM.
If you think it really is targeted then somebody must know what flags a person to be SSSS'ed ??
The only possible reason i could think i was ever flaged was that i had some trips to east and south-east asia for short stays (conferences etc) but i am not sure the US woudl even know about that.
I am not saying that some are not targeted, eg people following a specific religion etc, but i still believe that some of them are really just randomly selected.
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Re: Bad Experience at Montreal
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evan
If you think it really is targeted then somebody must know what flags a person to be SSSS'ed ??
It's fairly well discussed in various forums. Some SSSS attention seeking factors are rumoured to include:
One way ticket, last minute purchase or changes, previous history of buying tickets and not flying, no history of flying with the airline, paying cash for ticket.
These types of things are tallied by an airline and can tip you into SSSS terrirtory. It's all done by computers at the airline using a 'secret' formula, although it is widely discussed.
I just spent 10 mins reading what some people think trigger such SSSS'ing and so far i have fail to see how i would possibly be selected to SSSS ! If i was selected based on some "risk" profile then there must be other things that people have not thought of to trigger my SSSS.
I absolutly don't doubt some people are selected on specific set of rules but i would also assume if the airlines have a quota and they are low they just randomly select people ? Possible ? I would have thought so.
Anyway all a bit OT since the real gripe in this post seems to be Canada not the USA.
Anyway my turn was very breif and I was allowed to go. I removed the 2 already used ticket books after that, funny thing not a problem with the US guys.
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