Originally Posted by
emcampbe
Coming back, you will likely want to be there 2 hours prior due to clearing customs in YVR (unless you have GE). Have not gone through there in a while, but IIRC they now take checked bags at the counter, and so you don't need to bring it through CBP yourself. Believe its security first, then CBP. Depending on the time, lines can be long, and you want to make sure you can get through - they generally do not let people cut the line, even if their flight is about to leave (they did do this 10+ years ago). I've seen the AC counter post-CBP in YYZ with fairly long lines to re-book people who don't consider the time it takes, and it can be 1 hour plus at busy times (though maybe the kiosks they use now have reduced that).
At YVR, checked bag deposit is not at the check-in counter. It is before CBP, but there is another line you have to stand in before security to drop bags. That can add 5 minutes to processing, at busy times.
Here are the lines that a pax with checked bags would have to stand in at YVR:
1.Check-in, to obtain baggage tags
2. Bag-drop, pre-security screening
3. Security screening - this is often 20 minutes for those eho don't have GE or Nexus, and 10 minutes for those who do
4. Customs and immigration screening.
During cruise ship season, these lines are long, and filled with infrequent travelers who take longer to process.
Don't say you weren't warned!