Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - Vancouver YVR CX to CX sterile transit possible?

Or, like a U.S. gateway, is it mandatory that one go through immigration (and be greeted by a nice immigration official or two)? :)

Thanks.

Or, like a U.S. gateway, is it mandatory that one go through immigration (and be greeted by a nice immigration official or two)? :)

Thanks.
Since you did not specifiy which flights you are taking and the nature of the route, I'm not too clear on what you're implying here. My guessing is that you are implying to either the YVR stopover on CX888 or you are flying 889 from JFK to YVR and wish to connect to 839 the following day. Am I right? Since you mentioned about CX to CX, these are the two possible scenarios I can think of (828/9 now stops in ANC).

If you meant 888, then immigration is done at JFK. As always when I took this flight, there was a CX agent at YVR waiting for us at the end of the aero bridge asking every passenger where they are going. The ones who ended in YVR would be directed to go up the escalators to the Immigration Hall while the ones continuing to JFK were instructed to go to the restricted departure waiting area located directly by the gate and wait there until all pax are called for re-boarding. As far as what you can do during the transit other than access the washrooms & restaurants in the area, I don't know since I've never flown the full route all the way to JFK. Here's what others have experienced. CX888 and the PR flight to LAS are the only two US departing flights that leaves YVR from the "D" gates (Int'l Terminal) as oppose to the US preclearance "E" gates.

If you are in transit from 889 to 839, you will have to clear Canada Immigrations (Unless you want to spend the whole night sleeping on the chairs of the boarding areas and don't even know if you're allowed to do that) even if you are staying at the nearest hotel which is the Fairmont BTW. Given that this is only one of two flights arriving into YVR during the very late hours, I&C can be a hassle as the officers have less pax to deal with and can thus have more time to be picky & conduct searches.

thanks, rejunivated, and sorry for not being clear. I had in mind a transit from 888 or 838 to 839.

thanks, rejunivated, and sorry for not being clear. I had in mind a transit from 888 or 838 to 839.
Wow! Are you doing a mileage run? Please accept my apologies me if I'm wrong, but if I'm not mistaken, by going 888/838 and then connecting to 839 on the same day are you trying go HKG-YVR, arrive into YVR, wait a couple hours and then take the flight back to HKG?

Wow! Are you doing a mileage run? Please accept my apologies me if I'm wrong, but if I'm not mistaken, by going 888/838 and then connecting to 839 on the same day are you trying go HKG-YVR, arrive into YVR, wait a couple hours and then take the flight back to HKG?

A mileage run? Exactly! Aren't we all fond of flying? :p I find YVR to be a very beautiful town (and one of the best I like) but I just hate Canadian immigration so much so that I am tempted to do a MP. :D Without such immigration officers, I like HKG better. :)

With all due respect, I do find this MR a little bit odd. While there are many members in this forum who spends the majority of their time flying for the purpose of a hobby, I for one happen to fly a lot as a result of doing business and going on vacation trips. As a result, I've never done a longhaul trip where I would go from point A to B and fly back to A on the same date I arrive at B.

Anyways if this is what you desire, I suggest you take CX888 to YVR and take CX839 4hrs 15min later back to HKG. I doubt that you will be able to bypass Canadian Immigration as you will most likely have to undergo the procedure of an arrival pax, go through Immgration, retrieve you luggage via customs, climb back up to the departure level and re-check in at the CX counters. (As a result of this, CX838 might be too tight since the turnaround of the a/c to 839 is 2hrs & 40min). I also doubt that CX will recognize your itineary as a transit/connection in YVR. Same day return check-in for CX is only available for HKG-SIN/BKK/MNL/TPE & SIN-CGK.

So I highly recommend that you spend a night or two in Vancouver even if YVR I&C isn't the most pleasent encounter because I don't think skipping it is an option. Not only will you be able to enjoy the city but you will have rested your body in preparation for the return flight. Again as I stated earlier, I have not done such an a routing or anything close to it that I could be wrong myself. But I have a gut feeling that you are going to have to undergo the procedure that I stated above. Good luck!!! :)

I am a little confused.

As I understand chiangi's situation he wants to arrive in YVR from HKG on CX, and turn around straightaway to fly CX back to HKG.

If that is the case, how is that different from an international-international transit? In which case the normal procedure would be to recheck in at the appropriate transfer desk and proceed through security to the departures level.

Of course, this procedure no longer applies in the US unless on a through flight like the NZ1/2 in which case passengers are herded into a sterile transit lounge (all arriving pax on US soil are required to clear Customs and Immigration, no?)

So the way I'm reading it, chiangi's query is whether Canadian international transit procedures are aligned with the US or the rest of the world's?

I really wonder how it works at YVR. I did once an AC to UA transit at YVR a few years ago. If I recall correctly, I did not have to go through the regular immigration channel. But I did preclear U.S. immigration even though it was a transit. I really don't understand the layout of YVR.

I also recall doing once a sterile transit at DFW, arriving from NRT on AA and then transferring to YUL also on AA. But I guess this special option at DFW is no longer available after 9/11?

I guess not many people do MR but I think you can do a turnaround without going through immigration at many airports in Asia like NRT, TPE, SIN and BKK.

How about in Europe? AMS certainly you can, I think. How about LHR? And in Australia? SYD? AKL in New Zealand I did a turnaround a couple of times a few years ago.

There is no more airside transit after 9/11. The overhead walkway which you could use to bypass immigration is closed. The only option will be to stay onboard the same aircraft, if that's possible.

How about in Europe? AMS certainly you can, I think. How about LHR? And in Australia? SYD? AKL in New Zealand I did a turnaround a couple of times a few years ago.

I am sorry if I am being dim but I still don't quite understand...

For example, if I am flying SYD-HKG-SYD on a CX turnaround, I arrive HKG on (say) CX110. I go to the transit point, check in for CX101 which leaves 4 hours later, go through security and up to the departures level. That is, I go through exactly the same procedure if I were transiting HKG on a LHR-HKG-AKL flight or any other flight requiring transit procedures.

I would therefore expect this procedure to be exactly the same at all other international airports (barring the United States and maybe Canada, which is what the OP asked about). With the exception of those slightly over-sensitive security regimes, I wouldn't expect international-international transit to be that much of a hassle, regardless of the fact origin equals destination? As far as the people at the turnaround port are concerned, I would imagine they couldn't care less where you came from and where you are going to.

The only option will be to stay onboard the same aircraft, if that's possible.
LOL...It indeed would be incredible if that option is available. But I doubt it. As a matter of fact, wouldn't it do nothing but raise suspicion? :eek:

But Canadian officers are nice to Japanese citizens !!

Sorry, chiangi, you must go through Canadian immigration even if you're just doing a turnaround. But since you're coming all this way to Canada, why not stay a day or two.

I'd like to meet up with you.. and take you out for lunch/dinner? Itwould be nice to meet a respected fellow CXer!

But Canadian officers are nice to Japanese citizens !!



This I concur. I always had seamless entry to Canada, even for an overnight stay which seems unusual for people of my age (20s).

The only thing they are picky with is the amount of duty free you bring in.

I remember, before I became a Permanent Resident of Canada, I used my British Citizen passport to enter. At that time, the immigration officers were fine, even nice at YVR.

But after I became a Permanent Resident, the YVR officers look at me like I've committed some crime. The YYZ officers are WAY better and a lot more nicer. A YVR officer was particularly fed up I had no Permanent Resident Card, even though I applied for it for over a year, and haven't gotten it at the time. The YYZ officer was fine, and understood my situation.

So long as your not carrying alcohol or cig's customs doesn't care. Its getting to the point of being funny,

Customs: "do you have anything to declare?"
you: "well I have a dead body in my luggage"
Customs: "do they have any alcohol or cigs..?"
you: "Uh..no???"

Customs: " Have a nice day sir.."

maybe not to that extent, but I cross every few weeks and they don't seem to care expect for the above mentioned items..

The only thing they are picky with is the amount of duty free you bring in.
I'll second this. They have even grilled passengers who made that "itty bitty tiny mistake" of calculating their declaration amount.

I also have noticed that many of the ones that they tend to keep an eye on are the ones who have just arrived from an asian flight such as CX, SQ, JL, etc.

Reading from the archived stories from a local newspaper know as the "Richmond Review", two residents (Both of HK natives) have been fined thousands of dollars for failing to declare items. One was fined $6,000 for failing to declare a diamond engagement ring she received from her fiance while she was in HK while the other one also pleaded guilty for failing to declare her rolex. :eek:

In the Toronto HK comunity, its always spread around, that clearing customs at YVR is the worst. The officers grill you too hard, and I agree. At YYZ, it is pretty easy.

Some time back I was travelling back to attend my sisters wedding. I declared properly and was dinged about 150.00 for a digital camera I brought in as gift. Then on the opposite side of things this past trip arrival procedures I was processed by a Chinese Canadian immigration official. He asked me all sorts of questions and got into things about my childhood in Winnipeg where I am from(and he was too)! In the end he let me through even though I was one bottle of Champagne over on my declaration. It goes both ways I guess....

At YYZ, it is pretty easy.
Yes, pretty easy for the Canadian ones. But watch out for the USA pre-clearence ones.

Yes, pretty easy for the Canadian ones. But watch out for the USA pre-clearence ones.
The USA pre-clearance ones............ :mad: They suck so much.