GUWonder

Both major airports in the Chicago area now have these APC kiosks. Midway has them too.

mre5765

Mrs mre experienced the APC. Alas I forgot to prepare her (I was more focused on getting her LH F award on the return).

She was handed a blue form for some reason on the plane. Filled it out. As she approached the arrivals hall, a CBP officer screamed at her to walk faster toward the APC. After she is processed by the APC, collects her checked bag, and hands the CBP officer guarding the exit the blue form. He screams at her that this wasn't the right forum.

Then it took two hours to go through the TSA premium line, and despite a three hour layover, she nearly missed her flight.

What a miserable department DHS is, staffed by miserable people.

So MKE, ORD, and now Midway have them?

GUWonder

MKE has them? That would be news to me.

I don't really consider MKE to be one of both major airports in the Chicago area, especially as MKE has flights to Chicago-ORD by AA and UA at least.

[I am familiar with MKE being considered by some as Chicago's third airport, but MKE's not listed under CHI city code. Is MKE generally even considered by major airlines to be co-terminal to ORD and/or Midway? Think it isn't for my flights to Chicago and Milwaukee.]

When using APC at ORD a few days ago, I was again told no need for the blue CBP declaration form. I couldn't find a pen and so this was convenient. GE machines were less convenient than a bank of idle APC kiosks.

SeriouslyLost

I assume it accepts a '2 out of 3' standard in that passport data and fingerprints match? I flew into DFW and used GE and the photo had my hand across my face because I happened to be itching an eyebrow at the time. CBP didn't even ask about it when he looked at the printout which only showed my hand and ears.

mre5765

First you said both major Chicago airports had APC. Then you said Midway has them too, so I inferred midway wasn't, to you, a major Chicago airport. Gary used to be a Chicago airport but it is dead. So I am wondering, if not MKE, if not midway, what the second major Chicago airport is. I might want to use it.

GUWonder

I added MDW had the APC kiosks too because it was already mentioned that ORD had them. In other words, both major Chicago airports have APC kiosks, with ORD having them already and now MDW has them too.

I don't know any major alliance airline that considers Milwaukee, Wisconsin or Gary, Indiana to be a CHI city airport, and I say that as someone who has frequently been to Gary and Milwaukee. MKE doesn't have APC kiosks to my knowledge, and Gary certainly does not.

gglave

As I've said before, I find it hard to believe the GE kiosk does facial recognition, particularly as there's virtually no lag after it's taken the picture, i.e. no processing time, and also because from time to time it takes a picture of my neck.

I've always assumed the picture is there simply to prevent you from handing your card to someone else in the queue.

hessinger

Actually that's not true. SmartGate requires a passport chip to be present to work. I do have a passport with a chip, but the chip became unreadable sometime shortly after my 4 set of pages were added. I haven't been able to use the machines since.

ords

At least for ORD here's the easiest way to remember.

GE; if you're enrolled in the program, you know where to go.
APC; If you're either American or Canadian passport holder, you'll be funneled into the lanes and zero need to fill out the Blue form regardless if inflight they give you one. (Actually, this would be good to know what airlines have been do this so we can get them to stop)
Visitors will be funneled to regular booths.

I'll be upfront, GE and APC folks have been getting through within 30 minutes or less. Visitors is another story. CBP is placing staff on TDY, required training and overall there's been less staffing made available. This has pushed processing times back to times that are not acceptable.

MRE, was this at ORD the screaming took place? The officer standing at the podium once you're past the APC kiosk should have taken the blue form from your wife and pitched it.

GUWonder

LX and VS; but given the high proportion of non-US/non-Canadians on the flight, handing out the forms to citizens of US and Canada on these flights will likely continue since few airports have APC and cabin crew aren't likely to be route-limited to APC airports.

GUWonder

YVR, YUL and now YYZ have APC kiosks to clear US CBP in Canada, and at least those kiosks are for US and Canadian citizens.

I don't recall seeing any of the APC kiosks at US airports being used by Canadian passport users, but perhaps that has changed. At least ORD and MDW were/are allowing Canadians to use APC? I seem to have recalled reading something about that.

GUWonder

LAX and SEA are also getting the APC kiosks.

drewguy

It would be good to have airlines tell people that only non-citizens (with exceptions) don't need the blue form at applicable cities.

blue_can

I got to use this at YVR yesterday. I was not even aware it was in operation and filled out the blue form by hand before going to the gate.

Sadly I think some of the posts were correct when they said this system would mean more intensive questioning. I was subject to a barrage of questiosn the last one asking me to list all countries I had traveled to in the last 5 years. I started becoming annoyed at this point and it did show on my face. The questions stopped at this point and I was allowed through.

I have decided to get GE after this experience - although I only fly internationally 2 - 3 times a year I am losing patience with having to interact with CBP and answer what often seems to be pointless questions. As an example my interaction with CBSA entering YVR on this occasion was much quicker and easier. I often wonder why US citizens get questioned in this manner when when returning to their own country. I also hold a UK passport and generally enter the UK with no questions and a quick swipe of the passport.

BigFlyer

Not only do they not ask questions of returning nationals in the UK and Europe, I don't think they are allowed to.

I think I've recounted this before. I entered the UK a few years ago with my then 10 year old son travelling on a US passport and I was on an EU passport. The immigration guys questions all used the pronoun "he" - where will he "be" staying, how long will "he" be in the UK, etc. It gave me the impression that he could not ask those same questions about me because I was on a UK passport.

The US is a bit of a police state.