US Customs Pre-Clearance from Vancouver Airport?

[gigito2]

Could someone please explain what this is?  I've seen it mentioned, but not sure how or where it's done...

I'm a US citizen disembarking in Vancouver from an Alaskan cruise originally departing from Seward, Alaska.

Travelling home with first leg of flight on Alaska Airlines going to Seattle.  From there will continue on to Boston on same airline.  After that will transfer to a small puddle jumper to Saranac Lake, NY.

Not sure exactly what to expect.  Will I clear customs in Vancouver? Seattle?  How long should I anticipate it will normally take to clear customs &/or Pre-Clearance (whatever that is...).

I'll be travelling solo at this juncture and have never flown internationally before.

Unfortunately I won't have an overnight stay in Vancouver and I don't anticipate any purchases there, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

[riffatsea]

You will doUSA immigration and customs in Vancouver before getting onto your first flight.

The time it takes depends on how many people/flights are going through at that time so hard to say. Generally speaking it is always suggested that one get to an airport a good several hours before taking off on an international flight.

You will then land in Seattle as a domestic flight.

[gigito2]

 

6 hours ago, riffatsea said:

You will doUSA immigration and customs in Vancouver before getting onto your first flight.

The time it takes depends on how many people/flights are going through at that time so hard to say. Generally speaking it is always suggested that one get to an airport a good several hours before taking off on an international flight.

You will then land in Seattle as a domestic flight.

Thank you.  That explains it perfectly.

[thegoaliegirl]

If you are checking bags, the earliest you will be able to check in will be 3 hours before your flight. After checking in,  going through security then Canadian and US customs you will be in a segregated part of the airport. There are several restaurants, shops, etc as the area is rather large. I loved pre-clearing customs as it was so much faster than if we did it arriving back in the states, as I only saw a few people, not an entire plane full of people. 

[hallux]

The previous posts assume you have a relatively early flight (you don't indicate when it is), and with the stop in Seattle first that may be a safe assumption.

 

For others finding this thread - there IS a cutoff, after which flights are NOT pre-cleared for US customs and will require clearing customs in the US.  I believe that cutoff is 8:30 PM.  Here's the YVR website that mentions USCBP pre-clearance - https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/navigate-yvr/customs-and-immigration/us-customs-and-border-protection

[gigito2]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions!

The USCBP article was most helpful. 

Leaving out of YVR at 7:05PM, so we should be good there. 

Not checking any bags (unless I buy too much in Alaska beforehand!).

Edited February 12, 2020 by gigito2

[martincath]

With a flight at that time, you've been given all the key info - but I'd add as a local familiar with YVR is that since you are well beyond the late morning/early afternoon frenzy (when many folks, heading home same day like yourself, pile off ships and head straight to YVR or take a generic city tour that drops them off c. 1:30pm) you can safely show up just 2 hours early at the airport. Even with checked bags, as long as you make the checked bag cutoff (usually an hour before your flight) you should always make it through all the queues in time as folks in danger of missing a flight will be expedited to the front of the line - nobody wants you to miss a plane when they are responsible for you, as they'll have to look after you until they can find you another seat home. Without checked bags you've got one less queue so even faster.

 

Even without Global Entry/NEXUS you'll usually get through Security (almost always the longest queue) within about a half hour, and Immigration/Customs is really fast these days for all US & Canadian citizens as everyone gets to use kiosks, not just Trusted Travelers. Basically you can reasonably expect to be at your gate within an hour of arrival, except during mid-late mornings on busy cruise days (several thousand pax all rolling in within a couple of hours understandably causes major backlogs...)

 

Unfortunately that timeline is too tight to enjoy an early dinner downtown before heading out to YVR, but there are dining options in the US secure area if you want to avoid plane food. Since you're traveling light, SkyTrain is most definitely the logical way to go - cheapest and fastest is a hard combo to beat! From downtown, it's only $4.25 on weekdays or $3 on weekends to head to YVR any time in the afternoon (evening discount fares start 6:30pm, too late for your flight if it's a weekday). Tap a credit card with NFC payments (or even a phone with a 'virtual wallet') on the fare gates getting on and off and you don't even have to wait at a ticket machine.

 

[gigito2]

Boy!  Thank you all so much for all the info and tips!  Very much appreciated.

Getting NFC (had to look that one up) via Apple Pay now.

 

[martincath]

1 hour ago, gigito2 said:

Boy!  Thank you all so much for all the info and tips!  Very much appreciated.

Getting NFC (had to look that one up) via Apple Pay now.

 

No probs. If you renewed a Credit Card (well, Visa or MC at least) in the US in the last couple of years there's a good chance you already have it - look for the little WiFi symbol next to the on-card Chip. Each person needs to have their own device to tap - only 1 person gets through per tap and the same device used will not reopen the gate so you cannot just hand it back - so sometimes it's better to spend a minute at the ticket machine (e.g. if you have Seniors or Kids traveling, only the ticket machines issue Concession discount fares - tapping is always billed at regular adult single ticket rate).

[gigito2]

More good info Martincath - thanks again!

[scottbee]

It's easy to figure out if your flight has per-clearance. if you're departing from an E gate, it's in the per-clearance area

[gigito2]

Thanks, scottbee - that's good to know.

[scottbee]

I love how auto correct changed pre-clearance to per-clearance <sigh>  But you get the idea.

 

The only flights to the US that don't leave the E (pre-clearance)  gates are a couple of red-eye departures to the midwest/east coast, and the JFK flight on Cathay is going away, so I think it just leaves the summer red-eye to Chicago/ORD.