U.S. demands passenger info for flights from UK to North America, even if not in U.S. airspace

[Newsjock]

Source: The Independent

One million British travellers planning to fly to Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico this year face the risk of being turned away at the airport – at the insistence of the US Department of Homeland Security.

New rules require British Airways and other airlines flying to certain airports outside America to submit passengers' personal data to US authorities. The information is checked against a "No Fly" list containing tens of thousands of names. Even if the flight plan steers well clear of US territory, travellers whom the Americans regard as suspicious will be denied boarding.

... Now the US is demanding passengers' full names, dates of birth and gender from airlines, at least 72 hour before departure from the UK to Canada. The initial requirement is for flights to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and the Nova Scotia capital, Halifax – 150 miles from the nearest US territory. A similar stipulation is expected soon for the main airports in western Canada, Vancouver and Calgary.

... Air Canada and British said they would comply with any new rules and The Independent understands that they will join the scheme in April. Flights to Mexico and Cuba - the Caribbean island closest to the US – are also included.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/planning-a-trip-to-canada-or-the-caribbean-us-immigration-may-have-other-ideas-7584912.html

[freshwest]

1. Pax Americana! We're #1! USA! USA! Get over it... oh, well...

[SwissTony]

2. This was on Sky News yesterday.

Airlines will comply because the US can say to an airline "If you don't give us this data, NONE of your planes can land in the US".

And by the sounds of things, you don't get to hear whether you can get on your flight until you get to the airport. So, book your two weeks in Jamaica or Canada, then find out at the last moment that you can't go.