Customs Departing from Vancouver

[scottbee]

USA CBP at the Vancouver airport have decided to close early from now on, so the last few flights of the night leave from the international wing, not the [pre-cleared] Transborder wing.

 

Handy way of telling if your flight is/isn't pre-cleared out of Vancouver is load up the webpage for YVR/Vancouver departures: http://www.yvr.ca/en/flight-information/departing.aspx and look at the gate number

A gates: domestic Canada

B gates: domestic Canada

C gates: domestic Canada

D gates: International (clear immigration/customs as destination)

E gates: Transborder (pre-clear US immigration/customs at YVR)

 

right now the only flights I see to the USA that aren't pre-cleared are:

PR106 -> LAS (because flight originates in MNL)

CX888 -> JFK (because flight originates in HKG)

UA519 -> ORD (leaves late - after the CBP go home)

CO1651 -> IAH (leaves late - after the CBP go home)

[reney313]

I didn't realize this was from an earlier post. I was going to mention I had heard the red eye (or late flight) from Vancouver to Chicago clears in Chicago and not in Vancouver (not from experience, I read it here a while back). Glad to hear you made your connection though!

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Normally, if you have a connecting flight, you don't see your luggage until your final destination. Do you have to collect it at the connecting airport if you have to go through customs at your "first airport of entry" in the US? WHY would an airline schedule a connection that they know you can't make, if you need to clear customs?

 

I will have this same dilemma, only our connection time (that connects from a red-eye to Chicago) is only 1 HOUR!! I haven't called United yet, but I seriously doubt they will be helpful at this point.

 

We got off the plane- went through Immigration (show your passports). Then we proceeded to the next room and waited for our suitcases. The went through Customs. Then re-checked our bags. THEN had to go through security again (take off shoes- take out laptops, portable DVD players, etc). The line was LONG and there were only two x-ray machines and one metal detector.

 

I would check with United, they are now part of Continental (well actually- our flight had the continental logo with the word United on the plane).

 

If you're leaving out of YVR at night I would suggest getting a new connecting flight!

[born2cruize]

CA is the normal abbreviation (iso 3166) for CAnada, but assuming you mean California, it can take anywhere from 5 min to 90 minutes to make it through US Immigration and Customs, unless you have a Nexus card (which is really only appropriate for people who cross the border a lot)

 

In the states CA does stand for California. Canada is abbreviated CN.

[PennyAgain]

I fly out of Vancouver fairly often and have never had a speedy departure from that airport when you add in all the various lines and pre-clear issues.

 

The lines can be long on cruise arrival days with some people having an incredible amount of luggage and just plain stuff.

 

Don't cut yourself short on time. It is better to be inside your general gate area having a cup of tea than to be worried while waiting in line.

[hershey4]

We got off the plane- went through Immigration (show your passports). Then we proceeded to the next room and waited for our suitcases. The went through Customs. Then re-checked our bags. THEN had to go through security again (take off shoes- take out laptops, portable DVD players, etc). The line was LONG and there were only two x-ray machines and one metal detector.

 

I would check with United, they are now part of Continental (well actually- our flight had the continental logo with the word United on the plane).

 

If you're leaving out of YVR at night I would suggest getting a new connecting flight!

 

Well, I called United and without my knowledge, they had already changed my confirmed flight leaving Chicago from the 6am to the 7am (which will give us another hour to make that connection). So, they obviously knew there was a problem. I do wonder, however, when they were going to let ME know they had changed the flight. No email. Nothing from them. Not only did they switch the flight, but it changed from United to Continental.

[infoprof56]

Well, I called United and without my knowledge, they had already changed my confirmed flight leaving Chicago from the 6am to the 7am (which will give us another hour to make that connection). So, they obviously knew there was a problem. I do wonder, however, when they were going to let ME know they had changed the flight. No email. Nothing from them. Not only did they switch the flight, but it changed from United to Continental.

 

This seems to be the way the airlines operate. I have had my flights in both directions changed multiples times by two different airlines and was only notified one time. If I hadn't checked and had it fixed we would have been unable to make the conection at all going to Alaska. When reservations are made in advance you have to check the flights often to make sure that it all still works. Airlines make schedule changes all the time.

[dc4517]

I'm flying from Vancouver to Newark, NJ (EWR) on my return, but have a stop at Chicago where I have to switch planes but still with the same airline (Continental/United). If I clear customs and immigration in Vancouver, do I have to re-check my bags in Chicago? Or will they be put on the plane for my 2nd leg and I can stay in the post-security area?

[wrp96]

I'm flying from Vancouver to Newark, NJ (EWR) on my return, but have a stop at Chicago where I have to switch planes but still with the same airline (Continental/United). If I clear customs and immigration in Vancouver, do I have to re-check my bags in Chicago? Or will they be put on the plane for my 2nd leg and I can stay in the post-security area?

 

If you clear US immigration/customs in Vancouver, when you get to Chicago, it will be just like a normal domestic connection - you won't retrieve bags, and you won't have to go back through security.

[dc4517]

If you clear US immigration/customs in Vancouver, when you get to Chicago, it will be just like a normal domestic connection - you won't retrieve bags, and you won't have to go back through security.

 

Awesome, thanks for the clarification.