NEXUS/Global Entry Discussion Thread for AC Flyers

You can use the connections entrance? I have been tempted before but I figured they would only allow "real" connections through there ...

There are a couple of kiosks in the Connections area after you pick up your checked bags and head to the lines.

BTW noticed some kiosks on the left side of the Arrivals Hall YYZ-T1. Has anyone used these? I tend to just head to the right where they've always been.

Greetings from the YYC AC MLL. The security line was oh so long into A departures today, and the guard at the entrance wouldn't recognize either business class or *G for priority entry, but, very surprising to me... There is a Nexus entry (how long has that been there?). It was very nice to see expedited entry for someplace other than US customs.

The Nexus line at security has been open for a few months now, but everytime I use it they are pushing people into the line once they are through the entry door to the scanners. I have complained about this, and I have read others have also but not sure if anything has been done. I did notice that past couple of times they were asking if you were a nexus member when they scan your boarding pass before putting your bag through the scanner.

Unless something has changed since I was last through they do indeed have *G entry, which gets you to the front of the line but through the left doors, Nexus gets you through the right doors, which doesn't matter when they are pushing people over to the Nexus line once through the door. I guess they can't have staff sitting around doing nothing if there are no Nexus members using the line, but since the idea of the line is to expedite things why not be more choosy with who they are sending over to that line once through the doors? (I am so looking forward to the summer travel season being over!)

When I went through the Nexus line (YYC concourse A) I was the third person from the front. 10 minutes later I was the third person from the front. At least a dozen people were walked up ahead of the three of us. Now, I don't begrudge people getting pulled up in order to catch their flight, but I'd hope to have at least some movement in the line.

A brief update on YYZ connections NEXUS:

I went through on Wednesday (24th August) afternoon, actually connecting from Vancouver. The door dragon at Connections wanted to see my customs paperwork and my ongoing boarding pass. He did not ask for my previous-segment boarding pass. Quite polite for a dragon, he was.

Walked through Connections. Did not stop to pick up any bags, as I never check what's just as likely to be lost or stolen. The exit dragon only wanted to see that I had filled-out by Customs card, then waved me through the door where I did the little 'skip and deke' rightwards into the NEXUS line, where there was yet another dragon whose sole purpose seemed to be to try to dissaude people from using the NEXUS machine! She was quite insistent that I needed to go back and to the left to rejoin the non-NEXUS lines. It took me all of reserves of patience to convince that ¡yes! I indeed was holding a NEXUS card in my hand and that ¡yes! I indeed was entitled (nay, expected) to use the kiosk.

Just the one machine there, now, but the cheery little machine-voice said "Thank you ... for your cooperation!" like it does, and then I was off and away.

Alas and alack for poor little short-connection me, there was quite the line-up at the Customs desk, occasioned by a very large family with very large bags who were not making the Customs checker happy. Customs checker, in turn, was puzzled that I had listed French-language books on my form (memo to self: "keep it simple!"), but I still made the connection, all the same, and the black-coffee-with-double-Scotch worked its sedative wonders on me while I winged my way down to Boston.

So, TL : DR version: one kiosk only in the Connections line (down from two), and there's a dragon there whose tasking appears to be obfuscatory.

Canadian airport security is now using the NEXUS card as a priority/trusted traveler program at many airports for domestic and international security but not for US/transborder security. At YEG the screener at the NEXUS line was surprised I actually had the card as so few out there have them.

I get a similar reaction at YHZ every week. The screeners immediately say "This line here sir" and point to the regular line. When I tell them that I have NEXUS they're a bit shocked too. I got a glimpse of their daily tally sheet (broken down into time blocks) and it looked like they'd only had about 15-20 Nexus cards used up to that point (3pm-ish).

Question about renewing I have Nexus and Global Entry, do you have to go through the whole process again or just fill out the application renewal and go to another interview?

The whole process if I remember

Noticed there is now a GE kiosk at YYZ-T1 pre clearance. Didn't try it this afternoon because I had put my passport away.

Finally got around to applying online for Nexus and hope it's as user-friendly as billed.

Essentially the whole process all over again:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/nexus_prog/renew_nexus.xml

GE kiosks still not installed at YUL pre clearance area. Announcement said September so they have another couple of weeks. Two out of three NEXUS kiosks were out of order today, as were about half of those in the Arrivals Customs hall yesterday.

I used GE this evening since all four Nexus kiosks were out of order. Insert passport, do four-finger fingerprint (all at once), re-answer some of the customs form questions ... and get a different printout. No trouble, but elapsed time is a bit longer than on a Nexus machine.

But why is it there? For GE members who don't have Nexus?

possibly Americans making connections or who come on Business to the major cities. Given that airlines like UA are going to offer it free to their top tier elites, makes sense to have the kiosks around. On my last trip to YYZ, I noted that one (or more?) machines was down, same thing in YUL. Is this becoming more frequent?

All four down at once I have to think the entire system was down ... or they had just shut them down for the night.

Used it Thursday morning as well since the NEXUS machines were not working then either. Had a bit of a problem lining up my fingers so the reader could scan them, but otherwise worked fine. Yes, the print out is different from the yellow card at the NEXUS machines. And the questions are also somewhat differently phrased than on the blue card we still must fill out. This is an entry point for returning Americans not all of whom have NEXUS but who do have GE so why not. These are being installed at all pre clearance airports for GE members.

As I mentioned, they were down on Thursday and I suspect have been down all weekend. The "working" ones did the initial iris scan, but then displayed the not functioning screen. This led NEXUS cardholders to the crew line, and those of us (only me) with GE to use that machine.

I noticed Friday that there is now a NEXUS line at YWG - I hadn't been through for a few months, so perhaps its been there for a while.

I would bet that most Nexus users don't know about GE ... I will admit that it's a handy machine to have, for sure.

milchap - A report please!!!

Is the a NEXUS line for pre clearance or a NEXUS line to access priority security for domestic flights?

All NEXUS members received post cards -- most of us two of them -- announcing the GE service and that most of us were automatically registered (if our fingerprints were on file). But you are probably correct considering most FFers don't know most of their FF program benefits either.

It is to the left of the entrance to departures.