Last edit by: JDiver
"CBX" Pedestrian bridge connects TIJ Int'l. Airport and Otay Mesa
"Cross Border Xpress" connects Otay Mesa and TIJ / Tijuana A. L. Rodriguez International Airport as of 9 Dec 2015
with enclosed pedestrian bridge, including U.S. Immigration and Customs facilities
Link to Cross Border Xpress website.
CBX is an enclosed pedestrian skywalk bridge exclusively for Tijuana Airport passengers who cross the U.S./Mexico border as part of their trip.
- Passport
- Visa if required
- Airline boarding pass
- CBX ticket for bridge use
The "CBX" consists of an enclosed pedestrian bridge that connects TIJ / the Tijuana A. L. Rodriguez International Airport with a facility in Otay Mesa that includes USCBP inspection area (SENTRI kiosks are available), airline ticket counters, an 850 car parking lot and access to multimodal land transport (intercity bus, taxis, Uber). A duty free shopping area and restaurant has been added.
CBX plans to add a gasoline station, shopping center and hotel some time in the future.
Link to San Diego Union-Tribune article 9 Dec 2015
NOTE:
7 Jan 2016: Just received a quick and courteous email from CBX in response to my question regarding whether a passport card is sufficient to cross using the bridge. She confirmed that a passport card is sufficient as they have no additional requirements beyond what is required by customs and immigration and the crossing is considered to be a land border crossing.
Particularly if you live in the San Diego area, you can save as much as 50% or more flying domestic intra-Mexico services out of TIJ.
Q. Has anyone posted about their CBX experience?
FlyerTalk Community Director SanDiego1K has shared her experience in February, 2019 crossing from Otay Mesa, CA to TIJ airport in post #93.
Q. Are there lower cost alternatives to using the CBX?
Yes, but they entail less convenient border crossings (particularly inconvenient herding your baggage through) at San Ysidro or the conventional Otay Mesa crossing and securing transport to TIJ once you've completed border formalities.
NOTE: See Walking into Tijuana? (San Ysidro crossing & new PedWest Aug 2017)
Pedestrian "Cross Border Xpress" /"CBX" Bridge links Otay Mesa, USA - TIJ Airport
#16
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Kind of a moot point anyway as you are asked for your passport when you enter at San Ysidro / Tijuana crossing now.
AA is practically giving away tickets ($98 r/t on upcoming long weekend) so will have to decide if I'll stay at one of San Diego's budget motels (possibly the old Y downtown) or cross the border for an inexpensive hotel in Tijuana.
AA is practically giving away tickets ($98 r/t on upcoming long weekend) so will have to decide if I'll stay at one of San Diego's budget motels (possibly the old Y downtown) or cross the border for an inexpensive hotel in Tijuana.
#17
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Be sure to read the wiki post at the top of the page. One needs a boarding pass (can be had at the ticket counters before the bridge) to use the bridge.
That makes it seem like it's being treated as an air POE. If so a passport card may not suffice for cross-border purposes anyway.
Q. What documents do I need to use the CBX pedestrian bridge?
- Passport
- Visa if required
- Airline boarding pass
- CBX ticket for bridge use
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 2, 2016 at 11:03 am
#18
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Kind of a moot point anyway as you are asked for your passport when you enter at San Ysidro / Tijuana crossing now.
AA is practically giving away tickets ($98 r/t on upcoming long weekend) so will have to decide if I'll stay at one of San Diego's budget motels (possibly the old Y downtown) or cross the border for an inexpensive hotel in Tijuana.
AA is practically giving away tickets ($98 r/t on upcoming long weekend) so will have to decide if I'll stay at one of San Diego's budget motels (possibly the old Y downtown) or cross the border for an inexpensive hotel in Tijuana.
#19
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Latinos just breeze on by and proceed to press the button to see if (I assume) they check what you are carrying. Used to be only Latinos had to press the button, but now everyone does.
Which is why I'm considering not spending the night, as the 2-3 hours to cross back is ridiculous. I'd just have to pay more for motel, Airbnb, Y or Priceline
#20
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I tried calling the number listed on their website which gave me a recording saying the number was not in service. I then emailed their support number asking for clarification about the passport vs passport card issue and they referred me to their requirements page, which was the page I was calling about in the first place. Seems like they're still trying to get some kinks worked out, maybe we'll get clarification later on.
#21
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I may be wrong on this, but to me it seems pretty clear:
No passport, no bridge.
No passport, no bridge.
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#23
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Same as those of us with Canadian passport. Use the passport you have. Or do you not have a Mexican passport? Makes it VERY difficult to travel anywhere else @:-)
#24
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Both of my above sentences don't generally apply to Canadians, unless the Canadian happens to be a dual Canadian-Mexican citizen with US LPR status. Do you happen to be a dual Canadian-Mexican citizen with US LPR status? Then you can travel to/amongst at least three countries without a passport.
#25
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I believe you are right though, in that they probably mean a passport book and just call it a passport as that is what it is what people refer to when they say "passport". I'm probably just getting caught up in the semantics of it because I really wish I could use it.
#26
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Since I'll be in SAN over this coming long weekend (Jan 16-18), I looked at flying to GDL, which I've always (OK, for long time) wanted to visit.
Prices are not that much different to fly there from TIJ than DFW, but while the Mexican route goes several times a day, to US it's only 3 weekly. So I'll just enjoy SoCal and look at Volaris for later in the spring.
#27
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Just found this from a news article about the CBX:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...-bridge-opens/
The CBP is treating the facility like other pedestrian crossings on the U.S. border, and the agency's secured area includes eight inspection booths, four X-ray machines, and kiosks where crossers can swipe their radio-frequency identification documents such as the Sentri card. The agency, charged with enforcing laws at U.S. ports of entry, was consulted for the design of the facility, which includes secondary inspection areas and holding areas for anyone taken into custody.
"This is a land port of entry," said Joe Misenhelter, the assistant port director overseeing the Cross Border Xpress. "The only difference is that you have to be a ticketed airline passenger."
Sounds like maybe a passport card will work after all. I'm flying TIJ to MEX in early April with two young kids and this sounds like it could be the best solution for crossing the border.
UPDATE: Just found the following quote from the CEO of Otay Tijuana Ventures, the company who built and operates the CBX.
"“We are not an airport port of entry, we are not a land port of entry,” Valle told coalition members. “It is a hybrid facility.”
Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...ana-san-diego/
Unfortunately, the State department doesn't have any particular entry requirements for a "hybrid facility." I'm sure it will all get ironed out within the next couple months.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...-bridge-opens/
The CBP is treating the facility like other pedestrian crossings on the U.S. border, and the agency's secured area includes eight inspection booths, four X-ray machines, and kiosks where crossers can swipe their radio-frequency identification documents such as the Sentri card. The agency, charged with enforcing laws at U.S. ports of entry, was consulted for the design of the facility, which includes secondary inspection areas and holding areas for anyone taken into custody.
"This is a land port of entry," said Joe Misenhelter, the assistant port director overseeing the Cross Border Xpress. "The only difference is that you have to be a ticketed airline passenger."
Sounds like maybe a passport card will work after all. I'm flying TIJ to MEX in early April with two young kids and this sounds like it could be the best solution for crossing the border.
UPDATE: Just found the following quote from the CEO of Otay Tijuana Ventures, the company who built and operates the CBX.
"“We are not an airport port of entry, we are not a land port of entry,” Valle told coalition members. “It is a hybrid facility.”
Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...ana-san-diego/
Unfortunately, the State department doesn't have any particular entry requirements for a "hybrid facility." I'm sure it will all get ironed out within the next couple months.
Last edited by Big4Flyer; Jan 6, 2016 at 5:53 pm
#28
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But I believe with the info you provided you probably can get through without a passport. OTOH, depending on baggage, it may be cheaper to Blue Line to to San Ysidro and then taxi it to TIJ. Of course with two kids in tow .....
#29
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Just found this from a news article about the CBX:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...-bridge-opens/
The CBP is treating the facility like other pedestrian crossings on the U.S. border, and the agency's secured area includes eight inspection booths, four X-ray machines, and kiosks where crossers can swipe their radio-frequency identification documents such as the Sentri card. The agency, charged with enforcing laws at U.S. ports of entry, was consulted for the design of the facility, which includes secondary inspection areas and holding areas for anyone taken into custody.
"This is a land port of entry," said Joe Misenhelter, the assistant port director overseeing the Cross Border Xpress. "The only difference is that you have to be a ticketed airline passenger."
Sounds like maybe a passport card will work after all. I'm flying TIJ to MEX in early April with two young kids and this sounds like it could be the best solution for crossing the border.
UPDATE: Just found the following quote from the CEO of Otay Tijuana Ventures, the company who built and operates the CBX.
"“We are not an airport port of entry, we are not a land port of entry,” Valle told coalition members. “It is a hybrid facility.”
Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...ana-san-diego/
Unfortunately, the State department doesn't have any particular entry requirements for a "hybrid facility." I'm sure it will all get ironed out within the next couple months.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...-bridge-opens/
The CBP is treating the facility like other pedestrian crossings on the U.S. border, and the agency's secured area includes eight inspection booths, four X-ray machines, and kiosks where crossers can swipe their radio-frequency identification documents such as the Sentri card. The agency, charged with enforcing laws at U.S. ports of entry, was consulted for the design of the facility, which includes secondary inspection areas and holding areas for anyone taken into custody.
"This is a land port of entry," said Joe Misenhelter, the assistant port director overseeing the Cross Border Xpress. "The only difference is that you have to be a ticketed airline passenger."
Sounds like maybe a passport card will work after all. I'm flying TIJ to MEX in early April with two young kids and this sounds like it could be the best solution for crossing the border.
UPDATE: Just found the following quote from the CEO of Otay Tijuana Ventures, the company who built and operates the CBX.
"“We are not an airport port of entry, we are not a land port of entry,” Valle told coalition members. “It is a hybrid facility.”
Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...ana-san-diego/
Unfortunately, the State department doesn't have any particular entry requirements for a "hybrid facility." I'm sure it will all get ironed out within the next couple months.
The issue is whether or not the bridge facility owner/operator will allow use of the bridge to admissible persons without a passport. Even with the launch of this bridge facility, CBP hasn't changed its rules on how it admits Americans.
#30
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Just received a quick and courteous email from CBX in response to my question regarding whether a passport card is sufficient to cross using the bridge. She confirmed that a passport card is sufficient as they have no additional requirements beyond what is required by customs and immigration and the crossing is considered to be a land border crossing.