Question about possible scam - $450 ICLG fee Canadian flying into Tampa?????

[djean111]

None of the other threads seemed appropriate - A friend was just asked, by someone she does not know very well, for $450 because there is an "ICLG fee" required to fly into Florida (TIA, actually) (and several other states), from Johannesburg - Amsterdam - Atlanta - Tampa - KLM airlines Canadian citizen. Fee is supposedly refundable.
Is this legitimate?

[NoOneMan]

1. What is ICLG? Who is asking for that money?

[Warpy]

2. It doesn't sound legitimate

Any fee like that would be included (hidden) in the ticket price. In any case, the International Comprehensive Legal Guide wouldn't be collecting anything but lists of local laws that travelers need to be aware of.

He might be confused about a landing fee, something all airports charge the airlines to use the facilities.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Red flags.

Asked by someone she doesn't know very well......who the hell asked a mere acquaintance for $450? I have only one answer to that, and so should you. Doing a quick google search, I see that there are ICLG fees, but these are fees required of the airline, not the passengers. It would be something that the airlines pay to use airports.

I hope that I am not wrong to say "don't do this". I just know that I would avoid it.

[Aerows]

4. If people aren't screaming for others to fly out of Tampa

rather than charge them to fly INTO, something is off. TPA is one of the most aggravating airports in the US, not to mention you have to get on I-suicide-75 to escape it.

Use the Clearwater airport. Small, but much more hospitable, and you don't have to risk your life on the Tampa freeway.

[DonCoquixote]

5. Tampa wins awards

and our airport deals with tons of Canadian airlines, as we have a LOT of winter migrants, aka "snowbirds" that can increase towns populations. I have no doubt that this is a scame, and that you can find many flights from Canada to Tampa, as this is exactly the time of year when that route gets busy.

[Aerows]

6. I lived in St. Pete

and flew out of TPA more times than I can count. I-75 is scary as shit, and TPA has a long way to go to be a world class airport.

I was there after 911 and Marines were standing around with rifles, we lined up and had to take our shoes off. That was in late December, I had a business flight.

I was there in March, still took my shoes off, and they dropped my bag that had my laptop, a router, and my necessary tools and spilled them everywhere. Duh. Sorry.

I was coming home in March and couldn't even get my luggage, because this time I put my tools into baggage claim. I had a drink, picked up a girl, (I'm a girl, too) went to a hotel, and 12 hours later, it still took two hours to get my luggage.

Should I go on? TPA sucks.

[BlueJazz]

9. I actually like the place. Never had any trouble with any gear. If you lived in St Pete, how..

...did you get to TIA via I-75 ??

On Edit: Oh...you mean I-275

[Aerows]

11. It's a snarled mess

of freeways. Howard Frankland, up the I-75, then nearly getting killed on the I-275.

[BlueJazz]

13. The Airport is right by I-275

.
.
.

[TeamPooka]

7. I'm Checking Losers Gullibility fee?

[Aerows]

8. Sounds like it

And for flying into TPA. You might as well put a premium onto flying into MSY.

[djean111]

10. Thanks, everyone!

This is a woman that my friend met via match.com - and this is not the first time someone has tried to scam her, sadly.
Anyway - I called KLM, they said huh? Also, I think this woman changed her ticket and is being charged $450 - which is actually the right amount (not a good amount, but the right amount) for changing a non-changeable transatlantic ticket.
It is most certainly not refundable. And TIA says they do not know of any airport fees like this.

So - thanks for confirming my suspicions, aaaaannnnndddd - I love Tampa Airport. I have never had a problem - the security is not a TIA-driven thing - and I appreciate that I don't have to walk long distances like I do at other airports.
It is I-275 that is scary, yep, I agree, but I am used to it.

My favorite airport is Narita. Atlanta is easy to get around in. Schiphol had soldiers with machine guns back in 1995, and no one I know (we were working with PTT phone company) got in or out without an individual interview. Loooong walk at Newark. In Australia, they asked to see my shoes in case I had sheep dung from New Zealand or something.

I am pretty much afraid of flying, but like the airports and being in other countries; I guess I am easily entertained.

[Aerows]

12. She should not have to pay to change her ticket

since she was scammed. She needs a lawyer ASAP.

P.S. Schiphol isn't bad. It's one of the best, actually.

[djean111]

14. I didn't explain it very well.

My friend met a woman through match.com.
The match woman is flying here - Tampa - from Johannesburg, where she was on a photo shoot or something. Match woman bought her own ticket and then changed it to fly back two days earlier. That is a $450 fee, unless she had sprung for a changeable ticket, which she had not. I used to get changeable tickets (well my company paid for them) to Tokyo, and those things cost $5000-$7000 round trip in the '90s.
So it looks like she is trying to get the change fee from my friend, but is saying it is refundable, and she also said this was a fee when flying into Florida. So - Match woman is either devious or not very bright. Since my friend is not going to give her money, no need for a lawyer, and actually good way vet a match.com relationship. Because the match woman was pissy about not getting the money.

Schiphol is great, except the security was scary, and I had to have a letter and a phone number from PTT and also had to explain every single time I went to Holland just why I was working there, because I was taking work from a Dutch person. I actually had a great answer to that one! I always brought back bottles of Ould genever and boxes of some Belgian truffles made like seashells for friends. I could have bought the chocolates at Publix, but I guess people liked that I schlepped them from Holland.