Useful tips for transatlantic flights?

Having just returned from a trip to Canada there were a few tips that sprung
to mind -
1) Take a pen on the plane. You have to fill out US immigration forms for
the States, SARS ones for Canada at the moment. It saves you faffing about
at the other end.

2) Sit on the back row of the plane. The ones that I was on only had two
seats in the row rather than the standard three for the side isles which
meant that there was far more room. You also get fed first as they start at
the back and move up the plane.

3) Make sure you get your reciepts stamped by Canada customs before you go
through passport control on the way out of the country. Otherwise you can't
(or it becomes more difficult at least) to claim back the PST and GST on
good that you've bought.

I'm sure some of these most people know anyway, but if there are any others
that people have come across then I'd like to know as I'm going to be flying
to the US later this year again.

Cheers,
R.

"Rowan Bridge" <rowan_bridgem> schreef in bericht
news:1057174717.44711.0@echo.uk.clara.net...
> 3) Make sure you get your reciepts stamped by Canada customs before you go
> through passport control on the way out of the country.

Since when does Canada have passport control when you leave the country?

Sjoerd

"Ken Pisichko" <kenp@mts.net> schreef in bericht
news:3F04D527.1E2E64F3@mts.net...
> Passport control is not what the OP stated.

The OP wrote:
Quote "Make sure you get your reciepts stamped by Canada customs before you
go through passport control on the way out of the country." Unquote

Sjoerd

briwasson@ (Brian Wasson) wrote in message news:<4c7bd0b3.0307030644.25388a7c@ com>...
[snip]
> Other helpful tips for transatlantic flying:
[snip]
> 3. Lightweight oversocks. Take off your shoes when you get settled,
> put a pair of light sockes over your regular socks, and enjoy wiggling
> your toes on that eight-hour flight. The oversocks keep your regular
> socks clean, and make the lavatory floor less scary.
>

My feet swell. I have trouble getting the shoes back on.

> 4. Every flight I've been on has the food service starting in the
> front of the cabin, not the rear as someone else posted. When you sit
> in the back, you usually are stuck with whatever entree is left over
> (when there is a choice of entree).


Bring a picnic. It'll be better than the food served. You
can have it whenever you want. It helps pass the time. It often
will be an ice breaker with folks around you ('specially if one
shares).

Passport control is not what the OP stated.

He said "get your receipts stamped by Canada customs before you go..." This is
common practice in Canada ; do some documentation on your way out of Canada to
make some things easier later. For example, I get certain items with a serial
number recorded on a Y-38 by Canada Customs just before I leave Canada. When I
return to Canada with the camera, computer, etc., there is no question that I
had this item before i left Canada and won't be hassled about it on return to
Canada. In other words, the Y-38 shows these items are not being imported.

There are times when Canada Customs stamps a "form" indicating that certain
items have left the country with an "exporter". In those cases taxes and duties
can be "recaptured" by "the exporter".

Sjoerd wrote:

> "Rowan Bridge" <rowan_bridgem> schreef in bericht
> news:1057174717.44711.0@echo.uk.clara.net...
> > 3) Make sure you get your reciepts stamped by Canada customs before you go
> > through passport control on the way out of the country.
>
> Since when does Canada have passport control when you leave the country?
>
> Sjoerd

Rowan Bridge wrote:
>
> Having just returned from a trip to Canada there were a few tips that sprung
> to mind -
> 1) Take a pen on the plane. You have to fill out US immigration forms for
> the States, SARS ones for Canada at the moment. It saves you faffing about
> at the other end.
>
> 2) Sit on the back row of the plane. The ones that I was on only had two
> seats in the row rather than the standard three for the side isles which
> meant that there was far more room. You also get fed first as they start at
> the back and move up the plane.

I hate these back rows. They're the bumpiest if there's turbulence,
there are always lots of people milling around back there, and the
flight attendants make lots of noise.

Barbara