A passenger off of a transatlantic flight to New York has shared what happened when they were accidentally directed straight out of JFK airport – instead of being directed to immigration.
They were sent a note by the airline that they had to return to New York JFK airport the next day and given a specific time to do so in order to present themselves to the U.S. government. It was an aggressive message from the airline, clearly trying to fix a mistake, and incredibly inconvenient for a customer who may live nowhere near that airport.
I flew Norse into JFK and they let us off the plane without going through customs
by u/tiktokbrowser in Flights
Low cost carrier Norse Atlantic, the ‘new Norwegian’ long haul airline, arrived at JFK’s terminal 7 which used to be the home of British Airways and will eventually be torn down to make way for a new terminal. The gate there can either direct passengers into the terminal, as though they were getting off of a domestic flight, or funnel them into customs. It seems that someone opened the wrong doors.
The aircraft arrived at an international capable gate, but the feature wasn’t used properly. The passenger here had carry on luggage only, which isn’t uncommon with Norwegian because of the fees they charge. However anyone with luggage would have been confused – because if they skipped customs they’d have also skipped the claim area where their bags were sent.
This happens more than you’d expect, and happens at New York JFK more than you’d expect. Several years ago there were a string of American Airlines flights from Cancun to JFK where passengers arrived, got off the plane, and just entered the terminal without ever going through immigration and customers (for instance this one and this one).
Not long after the TSA let a bunch of passengers into New York JFK terminal 5 without going through screening and then tried to cover it up. They didn’t report it for hours trying to find each of the passengers inside the terminal themselves by reviewing video footage. That didn’t work out well. Three of the eleven passengers were identified and screened once they landed at their destination. That way TSA could say none of the passengers traveled without having been screened.
This has happened at Dallas – Fort Worth airport. Then there was the Finnair flight to Chicago where passengers exited without going through customs or immigration. Passengers followed a TSA Agent through the door that lead out the airport. One passenger reports realized the mistake, tracked down a customs and border patrol agent who told him not to worry about it and just go home. In that case CBP showed up at passenger homes.
It’s unclear why it’s necessary, though, to go visit a U.S. citizen at home, or to require them to return to the airport. The government knows who the passenger is and how to reach them. In this case they identified the passenger and sent them a message! They have flight manifests and video surveillance. And as a U.S. citizen they’re in the country legally. Why not just ‘check them in’?
There is no need, by the way, for commenters to point out that anyone crossing a land border without going through a checkpoint doesn’t have to return for processing.
I love this story! These few airline passengers got in almost as well as the thousands mafia-led persons walking across the desert border far from customs gates in Texas and Arizona every day!
Keep these stories coming!
Any word if these passengers were given complimentary suites at the ROW NYC, 3 daily meals and Mets tickets?
Terminal 7 is mostly international carriers so am surprised. I think United is the only airline that has domestic flights in that terminal. Is the airline at fault or the ground team they hire?
you wrote this sentence:
Then there was the Finnair flight to Chicago where passengers without going through customs or immigration.
What did they do? What happened to the passengers? You missed the verb/ action. Ever heard of proofreading and attention to detail?
Meanwhile, thousands of people walk into the U.S. everyday across the Southern border.
I personally would ignore any request that I received A. from Norse Air, or B. that was sent by email (regardless of the source).
If Customs want me they can notify me properly.
While I’m pretty sure I’d notice if I were diverted straight into the terminal, I’m also pretty sure I’d politely say that if CBP needs to tick some boxes, they can do it over zoom or show up at my house. No way I’d hoof it back to the airport for someone else’s mistake. That said, as a US citizen, my lawful presence in the country is not predicated on clearing immigration.
Not sure why someone would need to “return to the airport, especially if they went on to other destinations. Some percentage of pax have Global Entry, Sentri or Nexus. They go through with just a facial scan, as I did last week in Miami.
The interest of the government for the others is simply verifying that the person on the manifest is the same as the person entering the U.S. The manifest has all of the passport and citizenship info from check-in. This could be done through technology in any number of ways.
There may be a few from non-visa waiver countries, but they can be handled on an exception basis.
The entire idea of personal inspection and standing in line at immigration is truly obsolete. At CDG, it was simply automated gates. I got a passport stamp this trip, but it will disappear by 2025 there.
Someone probably figured that to prevent any accusation of discrimination, they would need to notify ALL passengers, not just the known foreigners.
My best guess is they can’t “check in” someone because verification isn’t sufficient, but authentication is.
If we are allowing thousands of ILLEGALS into our country daily!!DO we really need Customs and Immigration for those leggaly on a commercial flight and have had their ID’s etc checked and processed already.. and till recently had to show VAX paperwork and testing prior to BOARDING>vs those illegal just walking in and released without any ID or ??? checks at all!!
@cynicalanddisgusted:
> I personally would ignore any request that I received A. from Norse Air, or B. that was sent by email (regardless of the source).
If Customs want me they can notify me properly.
While it certainly would seem like phishing in this case they should have realized something was up. You don’t cross international borders without encountering some formalities, thus an “oops, we didn’t send you to immigration” e-mail would not be suspicious **in this case**.
@Andy:
> While I’m pretty sure I’d notice if I were diverted straight into the terminal, I’m also pretty sure I’d politely say that if CBP needs to tick some boxes, they can do it over zoom or show up at my house. No way I’d hoof it back to the airport for someone else’s mistake.
This. Their mistake, they don’t get to burden me with trying to fix it especially as odds are I’m not even in that city anymore.
Yeah, as a US citizen, I’d ignore anything they said. I’m already home and if somelne else fucked up, that’s LITERALLY not my problem. Plus, what is customs supposed to do, search them for contraband days after they arrived? Lol. Not a chance in hell.
“Sorry, can’t go back to the airport, I have Covid.”
@loren:
> This. Their mistake, they don’t get to burden me with trying to fix it especially as odds are I’m not even in that city anymore.
Except that is a bit disingenuous, no? Ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse. Travelers are *required* to clear through customs. The barriers are to prevent criminals from sneaking out, but even if they were removed it would not lessen the traveler’s obligation to pass through customs. You might leave your front door unlocked, too, but that doesn’t entitled others to enter uninvited.
Okay, first off, the use of the word “Customs” is not accurate. The passengers did not process through “Immigration”. Where did they pick up their “checked” bags? If picked up in the regular domestic baggage area, they did not pass through “Customs” where they would have submitted declarations for items brought into the US.
The functions of Immigration and Customs are different, although related to legal entry and exit of the US.
Second, US entry “gate” control
is a shared process and involves a joint accountability between the airline, the airport, the federal agencies involved and the travelling public. This is not a he said/she said matter but a team foul that hurts all the parties involved. Most international travellers get the idea of the requirement of passing through “Immigration and Customs” after one trip internationally by air, sea or land. To find fault might seem newsworthy, but, to me it shows the growing attitude of indifference to existing processes designed to inhibit and curtail illegal actions, not to frustrate those involved.
Either help address and resolve or button up. This country has enough moaners and whiners.
Why do we even have to go through customs anyway. What are they looking for? What does having someone stamp my passport accomplish? They should do away with the whole process.
Send me a subpoena then I’ll pull a Gym jordan and ignore it.
Given the vindictive streak of some government employees I think I would be trekking back to the airport, not because I was told to but because I can almost guarantee the next time I entered the US or even presented for a domestic flight I would have SSSS on my boarding pass from now to eternity.
I can’t believe it’s all the airline’s fault. When I’ve flown internationally, the jet bridge, the ground staff, gate staff, everyone made sure we could only go to one place. Immigration and customs. How can the pilot, from the cockpit, direct people away from I & C?? Bad call blaming the airline. Also, when I ask, must ground staff say they are contracted employees, not working directly for the airline. (Yeah, I was one of them for a while.)
Happened to us landing in Paris. We got off the plane, no checked bags, followed the crowd, next thing you know, we were getting in a cab and heading to town! Never heard a word.