Help! Customs at Vancouver airport

[Arkylady]

Has anyone flown our of Vancouver on Continental? We had our flights booked in Jan for Aug and they changed flight times in Houston. Only allowing 50 min between flights. I called and spoke to agent and he told me that they do customs at airport and wont need to do it in Houston. We are staying 2 days in Canada after cruise so we arent going from ship to airport.

Just dont want to wait till too late to change flights. First time we have done our own air and not through cruise line. Of course there is 6 people involved -not only husband and I.

Thanks for any info.

[cruiseryyc]

All passengers bound to the US out of Vancouver, clear US Customs & Immigration in Vancouver before boarding your flight, which means you should check in two hours prior your flight in order to get through both security & US Immigration.

[LeftcoastBC]

so all you need to do in Houston is find the next gate.

 

I don't recall there being anything bad about Houston airport and switching compared to other airports and airlines, and it is their hub. Flown them once.

[Putterdude]

We went thru US customs at YVR a week Friday at about noon and there were no lines at all. That will change now that cruise season has began so be sure and arrive at the airport a min of 2 hours before your flight.

[bunduo]

Heed the advice of the other posters: Plan to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure. You do clear customs in YVR but so do about million others. If there are a couple of ships disembarking passengers on the day of your flight, you will stand in lines so long you will think that you will never get home. Seriously.

[scottbee]

Has anyone flown our of Vancouver on Continental? We had our flights booked in Jan for Aug and they changed flight times in Houston. Only allowing 50 min between flights. I called and spoke to agent and he told me that they do customs at airport and wont need to do it in Houston. We are staying 2 days in Canada after cruise so we arent going from ship to airport.

Just dont want to wait till too late to change flights. First time we have done our own air and not through cruise line. Of course there is 6 people involved -not only husband and I.

Thanks for any info.

 

Vancouver has United States pre-clearance for immigration and customs. It works like this;

• check-in (keeping your bags)
  
• walk through duty-free
  
• immigration
  
• customs
  
• drop your bags
  
• security

then you're in the departure wing for US flights. It does take up to an hour longer (depending on the whim of the US Department of Homeland Security), but when you arrive in Houston, you're a domestic arrival as if you'd flown from any US point, so it's easy to change planes.

 

The only annoying part of the entire process is the giant sign leaving the US Immigration saying "Welcome to the United States" which is offensive to Canadians (as you're still in Canada).

[Ephraim]

One warning... if you buy duty-free alcohol or any other liquid (ie maple syrup) you will be required to put it in your luggage since duty-free is BEFORE you hand your luggage over. You walk your luggage through customs and it's only taken after.

 

The only annoying part of the entire process is the giant sign leaving the US Immigration saying "Welcome to the United States" which is offensive to Canadians (as you're still in Canada).

 

Actually, you are in Canada legally and under Canadian law... BUT and it's a big one, if your flight is cancelled, you have to go through Canada customs because you are considered to have been in the US. (If I remember correctly, US customs will simply refuse entry to anyone with a criminal record at an airport in Canada versus detaining them. If you go through a land crossing you are already in the US and subject to detention. There are warnings about this from the Canadian government, since it has already occured a number of times.)

 

It's an odd sort of situation because the employees work in Canada and thye collect GST/PST on anything in that part of the airport, but all passengers are considered to be in the US and cleared.

[Putterdude]

One warning... if you buy duty-free alcohol or any other liquid (ie maple syrup) you will be required to put it in your luggage since duty-free is BEFORE you hand your luggage over. You walk your luggage through customs and it's only taken after.

 

At YVR there are duty free stores on the other side US customs and so long as you are on a direct flight you can take the liqour or what ever with you on the plane; we did this as recently as May 2 on our way to LAX.

In your case I think you are changing planes and therefore you will likely have to purchase you liqour or what have you at the shop you pass thru on you way to US customs but they can best advise you on what the requirements are.

[Arkylady]

I found this again, I keep losing my posts. Anyway thanks for all your information. It was very helpful and now I am not so nervous. I might have my group at the airport earlier than 2 hrs. Might as well hang out there as being nervous in hotel. Our flight is at 11:30 am anyway, so we might miss the other cruisers.

[Putterdude]

You may care to know that on Mondays there is only one ship in town, Tuesdays there is seldom any ships, and on Thursdays there is never more than one so if you are flying on one of those days the lines should be fairly short.

[Arkylady]

We are actually leaving on Sunday, but I couldnt decide how many ships were in dock on August 31.

[Putterdude]

On Sunday, August 31, there are 3 ships in Vancouver so the airport will be busy. http://www.portvancouver.com/vanAlaCruise/content/schedule/index.php?

[FritzG]

How busy can we expect the airport to be for an 8 a.m. flight on a Sunday?

[scottbee]

How busy can we expect the airport to be for an 8 a.m. flight on a Sunday?

 

Tomorrow's sched out of YVR;

 

United UA1120 Denver 07:35

Air Canada AC550 Los Angeles 07:40

US Airways US612 Phoenix 07:44

Air Canada AC8089 Seattle 07:45

Continental CO288 Houston 07:45

Northwest NW1653 Minneapolis 08:15

United UA1128 Chicago 08:15

American AA282 Dallas 08:45

 

With 8 flights in just over an hour, it'll probably be pretty busy

[Putterdude]

However you will be way ahead of the disembarking cruise ship pax rush.... so it should be business as usual, if you had a 11 am departure I would be much more concerned.