Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - Travelling from LAX to YEG via Seattle

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask a question about Alaska Airlines, but I'm going to anyways.

I'm a Canadian citizen who will be travelling from LAX to Edmonton via Seattle. I'm unsure about a couple of things:

- Alaska Airlines now operates from Terminal 6 at LAX, correct?
- Can I check-in through the old fashioned way? (i.e. go to an agent, show my passport, get my boarding pass there?)
- I just need to get my boarding pass at Terminal 6 and clear security there, yes?
- Do I have to check-in in Seattle again? or will I get two boarding passes at LAX?
- Will I go through customs at LAX or Seattle?

I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thank you! :D

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask a question about Alaska Airlines, but I'm going to anyways.

I'm a Canadian citizen who will be travelling from LAX to Edmonton via Seattle. I'm unsure about a couple of things:

- Alaska Airlines now operates from Terminal 6 at LAX, correct?
- Can I check-in through the old fashioned way? (i.e. go to an agent, show my passport, get my boarding pass there?)
- I just need to get my boarding pass at Terminal 6 and clear security there, yes?
- Do I have to check-in in Seattle again? or will I get two boarding passes at LAX?
- Will I go through customs at LAX or Seattle?

I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thank you! :D

Someone can correct me if I am wrong but here goes:

-Terminal 6 is correct

-Yes you can check in at the kiosk and will clear security at T6. They will give you a boarding pass for both flights in LAX. Your SEA-Edmonton flight will require you to have your passport for verification on boarding

-You will not check in again in Seattle (assuming both legs are on an AS itinerary)

-You will only clear customs in Canada at your final destination

Apodo77 is correct: if you are ticketed to YEG from LAX and your luggage is tagged to YEG, you will not need to claim your luggage in SEA. As CBSA does not operate any pre clearance stations, you will clear customs upon your arrival in YEG.

~FAI PDX Flyer :)

Someone can correct me if I am wrong but here goes:

-Terminal 6 is correct

-Yes you can check in at the kiosk and will clear security at T6. They will give you a boarding pass for both flights in LAX. Your SEA-Edmonton flight will require you to have your passport for verification on boarding

-You will not check in again in Seattle (assuming both legs are on an AS itinerary)

-You will only clear customs in Canada at your final destination

Apodo77 is correct: if you are ticketed to YEG from LAX and your luggage is tagged to YEG, you will not need to claim your luggage in SEA. As CBSA does not operate any pre clearance stations, you will clear customs upon your arrival in YEG.

~FAI PDX Flyer :)

Yes, both legs are on AS itinerary (Seattle to Edmonton is with Horizon but it is their partner's airline so essentially the same thing).

Where do I get the exit stamp on passport from the US? Is that not how it works? Preclearance at Edmonton will stamp in my entry to US, but what about exit?

Sorry, I'm just very unaware of how airport and traveling works.

Thank you so much for your responses.

Yes, both legs are on AS itinerary (Seattle to Edmonton is with Horizon but it is their partner's airline so essentially the same thing).

Where do I get the exit stamp on passport from the US? Is that not how it works? Preclearance at Edmonton will stamp in my entry to US, but what about exit?

Sorry, I'm just very unaware of how airport and traveling works.

Thank you so much for your responses.

My understanding is the US and Canada only issue entry stamps so there would be no exit stamp is that is the case.

I have flown US-Canada and never gotten an exit stamp as an FYI.

Yes, both legs are on AS itinerary (Seattle to Edmonton is with Horizon but it is their partner's airline so essentially the same thing).

Where do I get the exit stamp on passport from the US? Is that not how it works? Preclearance at Edmonton will stamp in my entry to US, but what about exit?

Thank you so much for your responses.

The United States and Canada do not have formal exit controls like other nations do. Thus, no exit stamp is given (or needed).

When you depart YEG to the United States, you will go through USCBP's Pre-clearance station in YEG. Once you pre-clear in YEG, you are considered an "in transit" passenger and are held in a separate holdroom designated exclusively for PAX bound to the United States. Upon arrival in SEA, your flight will arrive into QX's C2 gate area and you will deplane directly into the terminal without going through passport control and US Customs in SEA--as if your arrival was a domestic arrival.

I hope that answers your question!

~FAI PDX Flyer :)

- Can I check-in through the old fashioned way? (i.e. go to an agent, show my passport, get my boarding pass there?)

You can, but the Instant Travel kiosks are MUCH faster if you're not checking any baggage. Just go to one of the kiosks (they're littered all over the place in the ticketing area at LAX--no need to wait in line), punch in your confirmation number, and it'll spit out your boarding passes.

If you're checking bags, then the kiosk is an unnecessary step, as the agent can print your boarding passes pretty quickly at the same time as they take your bags.

The United States and Canada do not have formal exit controls like other nations do. Thus, no exit stamp is given (or needed).

When you depart YEG to the United States, you will go through USCBP's Pre-clearance station in YEG. Once you pre-clear in YEG, you are considered an "in transit" passenger and are held in a separate holdroom designated exclusively for PAX bound to the United States. Upon arrival in SEA, your flight will arrive into QX's C2 gate area and you will deplane directly into the terminal without going through passport control and US Customs in SEA--as if your arrival was a domestic arrival.

I hope that answers your question!

~FAI PDX Flyer :)

Thank you. :D

You can, but the Instant Travel kiosks are MUCH faster if you're not checking any baggage. Just go to one of the kiosks (they're littered all over the place in the ticketing area at LAX--no need to wait in line), punch in your confirmation number, and it'll spit out your boarding passes.

If you're checking bags, then the kiosk is an unnecessary step, as the agent can print your boarding passes pretty quickly at the same time as they take your bags.

Yeah, I will be checking in a bag... and so I find it easier to go to an agent and let them do their thing.

Thank you all for your responses. It really helped!

A couple of clarifications from a frequent traveler to Canada.

I find it easier to get most of the documentation requirements and forms done pre-security.

When checking in at the counter, pre security - regardless if I'm checking bags or not, I get the passport information verified. The record is updated as being verified, so no paging over the intercom to come to the departure gate for 'Passport verification'.

When going through the TSA checkpoint while only presenting my drivers license, I have been asked more than once to present my passport on an international itinerary - even though I'm embarking on my next connection - through SEA. This is from No Cal airports - so keep out the passport. This seems to be an inconsistent practice, but whatever they want to see I'll show them. Personally, I prefer to have my passport see the light of day as infrequently as possible. After all, I paid for NEXUS!

At the SEA departure gates, there are still veriances in what agents will accept as proper ID for aircraft boarding. Some will acept a NEXUS ID without a problem, others will only accept a passport.

Filling out the immigration declaration form prior to boarding makes sense as I hate fumbling for stuff once on the aircraft. I always carry extra Canadian & US forms and usually fill the form the previous day.

A couple of clarifications from a frequent traveler to Canada.

I find it easier to get most of the documentation requirements and forms done pre-security.

When checking in at the counter, pre security - regardless if I'm checking bags or not, I get the passport information verified. The record is updated as being verified, so no paging over the intercom to come to the departure gate for 'Passport verification'.

When going through the TSA checkpoint while only presenting my drivers license, I have been asked more than once to present my passport on an international itinerary - even though I'm embarking on my next connection - through SEA. This is from No Cal airports - so keep out the passport. This seems to be an inconsistent practice, but whatever they want to see I'll show them. Personally, I prefer to have my passport see the light of day as infrequently as possible. After all, I paid for NEXUS!

At the SEA departure gates, there are still veriances in what agents will accept as proper ID for aircraft boarding. Some will acept a NEXUS ID without a problem, others will only accept a passport.

Filling out the immigration declaration form prior to boarding makes sense as I hate fumbling for stuff once on the aircraft. I always carry extra Canadian & US forms and usually fill the form the previous day.

The only ID I will be carrying is my passport and my driver's licence. I'll be presenting my passport whenever an I.D. is required since it's the only thing that shows my nationality and connects me to Canada.

Thank you. :D



Yeah, I will be checking in a bag... and so I find it easier to go to an agent and let them do their thing.

Thank you all for your responses. It really helped!

If I were you, I would bring an oversize carry on, and let them gate check the bag for free.
Works for me on DL.
(I assume you have no status, unless you specify otherwise. By your first post, I think I am right.)

If I were you, I would bring an oversize carry on, and let them gate check the bag for free.
Works for me on DL.
(I assume you have no status, unless you specify otherwise. By your first post, I think I am right.)

Yeah, I don't have any status... but that seems risky, no? :eek:

Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)

If I were you, I would bring an oversize carry on, and let them gate check the bag for free.
Works for me on DL.
(I assume you have no status, unless you specify otherwise. By your first post, I think I am right.)

Yeah, I don't have any status... but that seems risky, no? :eek:

Just be prepared to pay more then the bag check fee at the gate...