More silly airline games

[DandyDon]

The other thing is if you are in, say row 31, but you see open seats and overhead bin at row 10 and you shove your over sized carry on into it (so that when the folks who are seated there have no overhead bin space when they board) you will have to wait till the plane is empty to go back up and retrieve your bag.

I'd never try that. That's just immoral. I almost got into it with a guy whom I saw do that once.

AA is using dual airstairs in CZM, front and back so the closer you are to the middle (exit row) the further back in the immigration line you will be.

I wondered why most of the seats behind me seemed taken? So I could move back to row 26 to leave the plane faster, except that might be the day that they didn't bother.

 

[ReefHound]

AA is using dual airstairs in CZM, front and back so the closer you are to the middle (exit row) the further back in the immigration line you will be.
The other thing is if you are in, say row 31, but you see open seats and overhead bin at row 10 and you shove your over sized carry on into it (so that when the folks who are seated there have no overhead bin space when they board) you will have to wait till the plane is empty to go back up and retrieve your bag.

That happened on a United flight for us a few years ago. We were in row 30 or something, third from last and figured we'd be sitting awhile and was surprised when the back door opened and we were quick to exit. Also heard someone nearby grumbling that their bags were way up front.

 

[Kimela]

As Dandy Don mentioned, there's a difference in terms of going to and from Cozumel. US customs requires when you FIRST arrive in the US, you must present yourself and anything you're carrying for inspection. That's why you have to gather your bag and go through the process of walking past the immigration folks.

This is just the same as when you arrive in Cozumel, if it's your first arrival airport. You have to do the same thing. If for instance you first flew into Mexico City to connect to Cozumel (your first touchdown in Mexico) you'd do the same process as most of us do when we arrive in Cozumel. Then your ongoing flight to Coz would be a domestic flight and you'd not have to go through the whole process of immigration and customs like most of us do..

As also mentioned above, there are some agreements in place where you do your clearance (hence the "pre-clearance term) at your departure airport abroad and you land as a "US arrival" and don't have to do all the immigrations and customs process when you arrive. We do this when we fly in from Vancouver to the US. Our arrival is then at a "domestic" terminal.

This makes more sense. I wasn't thinking about CZM being my first AND final arrival city/airport in Mexico. Same as, if I were only flying from CZM to Dallas I'd be 'done' and not have to claim bags and recheck them. I hadn't thought this through.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Kimela]

I'd never try that. That's just immoral. I almost got into it with a guy whom I saw do that once.

I wondered why most of the seats behind me seemed taken? So I could move back to row 26 to leave the plane faster, except that might be the day that they didn't bother.

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On one of our flights into CZM they announced, after landing, that they would be deplaning from the back (we were near the front and I inwardly groaned) ... and then started deplaning from the front (yay). I don't think this is predictable.

 

[DallasNewbie]

I'm getting a bit worried reading this thread. We're booked on American DFW-CZM at the end of July. Taking the whole family for the first time, and some them are not particularly flexible when it comes to plans changing.... I hope American doesn't cancel or reroute us.

 

[tridacna]

I spent almost 6 months in the 90s analyzing optimal mathematical models of getting passengers on and off planes. So much easier without people in wheelchairs, military personnel in uniform, families with children, elite and first class passengers and passengers with carryon bags.

If anyone is really interested, check: https://www.cs.bgu.ac.il/~ebachmat/managesubmit.pdf (Not my paper -much better!).

Some cool math for an apparently simple problem

 

[DandyDon]

Also heard someone nearby grumbling that their bags were way up front.

They stole someone else's overhead bin up front while they were sitting in back? So rude.

I'm getting a bit worried reading this thread. We're booked on American DFW-CZM at the end of July. Taking the whole family for the first time, and some them are not particularly flexible when it comes to plans changing.... I hope American doesn't cancel or reroute us.

I know, people need to book plans that they can trust. Going and returning both look fine until August 17.

I spent almost 6 months in the 90s analyzing optimal mathematical models of getting passengers on and off planes.

I think it'd be impossible to predict how people would act. If I ever have to deplane in an emergency, I'd better not see anyone dragging a roll-on bag. That could get ugly.

 

[ReefHound]

They stole someone else's overhead bin up front while they were sitting in back? So rude.

Probably. Karma? But sometimes I've seen the overheads get full and the flight attendant will cart off a bag to stuff in wherever they can find a spot.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

They do check them thru to your final destination with the airline or cooperating airlines on a thru ticket. It's just that the bags have to shuffle thru Customs on entering the country in your presence so the airlines give them back to your momentarily for that process. Once cleared, you just give them back to the airline, but there is no weighing or rechecking at that step. The same usually happens when entering any country if you're connecting to another flight.

The rules are a bit more complex? It also depends upon if you are in-transit and/or you are switching airlines.

Canadians can fly from the caribbean to Canada via Houston on United Airlines with no need to claim and recheck bags in Houston. If you are a trusted traveller you clear customs and then walk out into the general public so that you can get back through security via the fast lanes. They actually put up signs a while back telling you about this "short cut".

In Europe you can transit multiple countries on multiple airlines and never have to see your bags. Except in Germany they still want you to go through Customs even though you came from another EU country. Avoid Germany as a transit.

 

[ReefHound]

In Europe you can transit multiple countries on multiple airlines and never have to see your bags. Except in Germany they still want you to go through Customs even though you came from another EU country. Avoid Germany as a transit.

That's different if you're just transiting through and the bags will never be entering the country. One reason you need to pass through customs on the first stop when there is another stop in the same country is because the next stop may not have customs facilities. Another is that the next leg is a domestic flight and you would now have bags and people not subject to customs mixed together with uninspected bags and people.