LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT

Careful What You Carry: Colorado Woman Gets $500 Fine And Has Global Entry Status Revoked For Not Declaring Apple At Customs

by Sebastian Powell
April 23, 2018
Reading Time: 3 mins read
7

An apple a day keeps Global Entry away… It’s no secret that U.S. entry regulations are quite stringent especially when it comes to customs and agriculture restrictions and just recently a CO based passenger had to experience this the hard way.

The passenger arrived at a U.S. point of entry from Paris on Delta Air Lines and the airline handed out fruits during the flight which the lady then decided to take off the plane, a decision that cost her $500.

In addition to the fine, the woman who is also a member of the Global Entry program might now lose her clearance to participate in the program following her customs violation.

You can read more about it from the local Colorado news station Fox 31 (access here).

ADVERTISEMENT

An Arvada woman said she’s facing a $500 fine from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol after she saved a free apple she received from an airline on her way home from Paris.

Crystal Tadlock said towards the end of her flight from Paris, flight attendants passed out apples in plastic bags. She wasn’t hungry at the time so she threw the snack in her bag and planned to eat it during the second leg of her trip back to Denver.

Tadlock said when she went through Customs, her bag was randomly searched. She said the Customs agent pulled out the apple in the plastic bag with Delta’s logo on it. Tadlock explained she’s just received the snack from the airline and asked if she could throw it out or eat it. She said the agent said no, and handed her a $500 fine for the apple instead.

“He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, ‘yeah.’ I didn’t really get why he was asking that question, and then he said ‘It’s about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500,'” said Tadlock.

Tadlock said she’s frustrated that an innocent mistake could amount to a $500 and the loss of her Global Entry Status. Tadlock said Delta shouldn’t have passed out apples to customers or at least reminded passengers not to take the fruit off the plane. She also said she’s frustrated that Customs would ticket her when the agent clearly saw the snack came from an airline. …

The excuses she brings up don’t have any merit in my opinion. She is a Global Entry participant and obviously travels internationally on a frequent basis. Global Entry applicants receive an introduction during their interview and are informed in all materials related to the program that it’s a system based on ‘trust’ hence the description Trusted Traveler Program. Members have to self police themselves and act in a fashion according to regulations and rules of the program.

Customs and Border Protection has repeatedly stated that Global Entry and Nexus members are held to much higher standards than the regular traveler and that a violation of any kind can lead to having the membership terminated.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a document obtained through the Freedom of Information Act where DHS/CBP made a list of revoked Global Entry memberships available (see here) and it’s a good insight to what people think they can get away with.

As far as this particular case is concerned I get the impression there was some attitude on the part of the passenger involved. I might be wrong but the statements in the article drive me to that conclusion. There is no remorse and lots of shifting the blame to Delta and the customs agent while the passenger herself first took the fruit off the plane, then didn’t declare it on the screen to create the form and after that tried to take it through the customs checkpoint. So much for ‘self policing’. Depending on how the conversation went I can very well imagine the CBP agent throwing the book at her.

Conclusion

These regulations are valid for everybody coming into a country (not only the U.S. but really ANY country) no matter if the individual is a citizen or foreign visitor. Privileges pertaining to citizenship or Trusted Travel Programs don’t include violations of customs regulations or a free pass if one gets caught.

While she can fight this matter in court and with the Global Entry CBP Ombudsman I doubt anything will come of it as the violation is crystal clear and the fine wasn’t even the maximum as it could have been as much as US$1000.

Previous Post

Giveaway: 100,000 Hilton Honors Points (Enter By 11:59PM ET Friday April 27)

Next Post

Marriott eBreaks For April 26 – 29, 2018 (20% Off This Coming Weekend)

Related Articles

Are You Going To Change Your Credit Card, Hotel, or Frequent Flyer Program This Year?

Are You Going To Change Your Credit Card, Hotel, or Frequent Flyer Program This Year?

Sebastian Powell
January 17, 2023
35

The new calendar year just started, and most loyalty counters of the various hotel and airline programs have reset to...

U.S. Domestic Flights Heavily Delayed Or Cancelled Due To FAA System Failure, Grounding Flight Operations

U.S. Domestic Flights Heavily Delayed Or Cancelled Due To FAA System Failure, Grounding Flight Operations

Sebastian Powell
January 11, 2023
1

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently experiencing a systems outage that's causing nationwide grounding of domestic flight...

U.S. Airlines Are Extending Their Cancellations To Mainland China & Hong Kong Until Late April

Hong Kong Removes Restrictions For International Travelers Including “Amber” Health Code Period From December 14, 2022

Sebastian Powell
December 13, 2022
8

The government of Hong Kong has just announced that effective Wednesday, December 14th 2022, almost all restrictions for international travelers...

Upgrade Your Travel IQ

Make the most of your travel with our free and daily newsletter with the latest hotel and airline news and promotions.

We do not sell or share email addresses.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trending

Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans
Hilton Honors

Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans

July 25, 2021
Reader Question: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Redemption Problem, Connecting Segments Not Bookable Online
Alaska Airlines - Mileage Plan

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan oneWorld Award Redemptions Are Still A Complete Mess

February 4, 2023
Hong Kong To Distribute 700,000 Free Airline Tickets March – August 2023
Travel News

Hong Kong To Distribute 700,000 Free Airline Tickets March – August 2023

February 2, 2023
The New MGM Rewards Program Is Now Live, Displaying New Benefit Table
MGM MLife

MGM Rewards Just Completed Its Annual Member Tier Downgrades, Hyatt Rematch Possible

February 2, 2023
Airfare of the Day [Business Class] TURKISH AIRLINES Jakarta to New York from $2,142
Airfare Of The Day

Airfare of the Day -Premium Economy- SINGAPORE AIRLINES Singapore to New York from $1,375

February 3, 2023

Top Categories

  • IHG Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • Hilton Honors
  • Accor ALL
  • Airfare Of The Day
  • Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)
  • Hyatt – World of Hyatt
  • Travel News
  • American Airlines – AAdvantage
  • British Airways
ADVERTISEMENT

All Categories

In Case You Missed It

IHG Save Up To 25% On New Hotels In The Middle East, India & Africa

IHG Save Up To 25% On New Hotels In The Middle East, India & Africa

February 4, 2023
Airfare of the Day [Business Class] TURKISH AIRLINES Jakarta to New York from $2,142

Airfare of the Day -Premium Economy- SINGAPORE AIRLINES Singapore to New York from $1,375

February 3, 2023
Airfare of the Day [Business Class] SWISS Tokyo to Zurich and New York from $2,537

Airfare of the Day -Business Class- AER LINGUS Paris to New York from 1,309€

February 4, 2023
Hyatt Acquires Dream Hotel Group

Hyatt’s Acquisition Of Dream Hotel Group Closes

February 2, 2023
Accor ALL Turkish Airlines Triple Miles&Smiles February 5 – April 30, 2023 (Book February 5 – March 5)

Accor ALL Turkish Airlines Triple Miles&Smiles February 5 – April 30, 2023 (Book February 5 – March 5)

February 3, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT

Since 2011, we have been helping millions of visitors like you untangle travel loyalty programs for free upgrades, flights and hotel nights.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram

Site Navigation

  • About LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Airfares
  • Contact Us

Hotel Promotions

  • Accor
  • Hilton
  • IHG Rewards
  • Marriott
  • World of Hyatt

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Our free daily newsletter sends you the latest information on hotel and airline programs.

We do not share or sell email addresses.

Site & Contents ©2011-2023 LoyaltyLobby.com
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

  • News
  • Hotel Promotions
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • World of Hyatt
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
No Result
View All Result

© 2011–2023 LoyaltyLobby.com - Site & Contents