Angelapm

I've seen a few similar questions on other threads, but usually regarding an flights at the beginning of a trip. Here's mine...I'm flying with my kids back to the US from Europe later this summer. Our flights are Frankfurt - Toronto - Newark. As I live right between Toronto and Newark, and the arrival into Newark is quite late, I'd love to ditch that last leg and have my husband pick us up in Toronto rather than Newark. I know it's against airline rules, and I know it means I'll have to carry-on our luggage rather than checking it (which I'm prepared to do...), but ethics aside....will the airline fine me? Or would I have any problems driving thru US customs since they have no record of me going thru Canada before?

Thanks!

rkkwan

You won't have problem with customs and immigration. As long as you don't have checked luggage, and you all have valid documents to enter Canada.

janisj

>>As long as you don't have checked luggage, and you all have valid documents to enter Canada.<< . . . and goes w/o saying as long as you don't the the airline when you check in at Frankfurt.

newtome

So I'm curious - OP gets off in Toronto, goes through Canadian Immigration right? SO she also has to have a story of why she is in Toronto?

NoFlyZone

For whom would she have to concoct a story? The airline will never know and just mark them as a no show. Neither Canada nor US immigration will care that she is being picked up in Canada since "it's easier to get home from there" aka, telling the truth. Lots of people fly in and out of airports in neighboring countries.

Unless she needs a better excuse for her husband.....

newtome

My question has to do with Immigration asking how long you will be there etc. I wouldn't want to be caught in a lie if I have a ticket to one place and I'm getting off in another place.

rkkwan

Canadian immigration doesn't care what you tell or don't tell the airline. Just tell them the truth why you're entering Canada - that the husband is picking you guys up at YYZ and taking you home!!!

Rastaguytoday

The last several times I went through Toronto to the U.S., the only customs folks I talked to were U.S. customs.

This is where you're approved for "domestic" entry into the U.S.

rkkwan

What does that have to do with the OP? She wants to get into Canada and then travel back to the US by road. She'll be going through Canadian immigration and customs at YYZ, not US ones.

bob_ct_54

But the question is will she be charged for the no-show fee, it seems they can, but did anyone ever get charged this fee? Im not talking about one who wants to rebook another flight home, but one like her who doesn't mind losing the value of the ticket...?

rkkwan

It's been answered many times. If you don't repeatedly do it, the airline won't do anything to you.

sparkchaser

<i>Or would I have any problems driving thru US customs since they have no record of me going thru Canada before? </i>

wat

Since you're flying <b>into</b> YYZ and leaving the airport, you will go through Canadian immigration & customs and get your Canada entry stamp. When you leave Canada, you will get your exit stamp and a U.S. entry stamp. If US CBP examines your passport they will see that you left the US for your European trip.

You're overthinking this.

rkkwan

Canada doesn't have exit control. You drive straight to the US checkpoint.

NeoPatrick

The "story" they need to come up with is very simple. They will not be the first people in history to be dawdling in the airport and miss their connecting flight. Big deal. Happens every day, and I don't think anyone has ever been arrested or fined for doing so.

rkkwan

There is no "fine", and it's not illegal if you're talking about criminal offense of any country. What some people actually mean is that the airline can claim that one's violating its terms and condition when purchasing the ticket. And they can charge you the DIFFERENCE IN FARE, if they can prove that you're already intending to do it when buying the ticket - which they may have a case if you do the same repeatedly.

NeoPatrick

rkkwan, sure what you say could be true for FF flyers who set up a repeated habit of not using the final leg, but I don't see that this is a "repeated" plan by the OP. And I still don't see any way the airline in this case could see it as anything other than "oops we missed our connecting flight".

rkkwan

I do not disagree with you, NeoPatrick, at all! I told the OP it's fine what she's doing. Just clearing up what people mean by the word "fine".