YVR: "Due to Customs hours, be at the airport 2 hours prior to departure." Really?
 

Got my check in reminder from UA this morning with the following notice at the top:

"Due to Customs hours, you must be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to your originally scheduled departure time."

Is this actually the case? I've flown out of YVR many times (though not on a 6:20 am flight) and have never had to be there that early.

Thank you!

Can also confirm I have flown YVR many times and never faced such delays.

As this question is not about United or MileagePlus, please follow it in the Canada forum.

l'etoile
UA moderator

If your flight is at 6:20am, doubt immigration will be open two hours prior - in fact, YVR website states it only opens at 4:30am.

Haven't been through YVR pre-clearance there in a while, but at peak times, if you don't have Nexus/GE, YYZ T1 can be 1 hour wait, and at real peak, they can even meter people into the custom hall, based on flight time (though haven't heard of that happening in a while). I've also seen several people re-booking at the AC desk post-immigration Sunday evening because they didn't clear in time to make their flights. And IME, while they used to do it years ago, they do not allow people to go to the front of the line if their flight is close - I have mixed feelings about this; I have used this in the past (long time ago) when I was arriving late from a connection, but that process is separate now, but it also invites the gamers to show up late and take advantage.

No matter what, check-in will close at 60 minutes prior to departure, and bag tags will need to be printed by then (and I don't think there's any leaway with that ex-Canada). But if you don't have Nexus/GE, I'd arrive at least 90 minutes prior to departure, maybe a bit earlier. With trusted traveler status, 60 minutes should be sufficient, but again, give time to get through the check in line if you haven't printed a boarding pass from OLCI.

Flew out of YVR last week and arrived at the airport 60 minutes prior to departure, no checked luggage and had printed my boarding pass at home. I have Global Entry. No lines at all.

Was routed via secondary screening at US Customs and still made the flight although just barely. It was 'last call' when I walked down the jetbridge 10 minutes prior to departure. It's the first time that's happened in >20 years.

For a 6/8AM US bound flight, how far in advance do you need to arrive with GE? *G w/ skis to check.

60-75 minutes prior to departure will leave you ample time to get your final Tim Horton's fix pre-departure.

You... I like you...

Haha - thanks, very helpful.

There is no customs going out of YVR, you may be referring to US Passport control and that's never an issue, and more so now when they have the self service machines

Umm ... there sure is US customs inspection at YVR. It's done behind the scenes for your checked luggage, but each bag is matched to a departure record that includes your immigration clearance.

When the immigration agent is asking you questions like 'have you checked x pieces of luggage' they are actually looking at an image of that luggage on their computer screen. They can x-ray/ultrasound it without your ever knowing, and they occasionally open up luggage for secondary inspection. When they decide to toss your luggage is when the two hour time frame becomes relevant.

I see. So you're suggesting that the US is letting anyone flying in from Canada into the country without clearing customs first? They must like folks from YVR then, because in the 30 or so years I've flown Canada-US, mostly out of YYZ, admittedly, you've always done immigration/customs before departure, even if it doesn't seem like it.

But seriously...of course you go through customs...whether you notice it or not is a different question.

Yes this is at least semi legit.

I worked at YVR for 6 years and I can tell you every morning there's a crunch at US customs. I'm not sure why they don't open it earlier, but they don't. It's also not open really late at night.

What happens is, all the cattle show up 3 hours prior, then stand in a line that doesn't move, so it just gets longer and longer. The real wait is getting through CATSA security. The actual border itself is a non issue for the most part, because it's well staffed. But you spend so much time on the other side of the wall that by the time you get through customs you gotta hustle to the gate.

If you have status at least you skip the checkin line, because I've seen that 6am line at UA and it's mental. Full flights to ORD/SFO and IAH thrown in, it's insane. Honestly, I would advise showing up as early as you can. If it's a major issue then you're taking a risk.

If you have nexus/global entry I'm sure it's much faster, but still can end up in a pretty big CATSA line.

I'm on a 6am to SFO on the 24th and with status an no nexus I'm looking at showing up around 330-430 depending on how fast i can get myself moving at that time of day lol.

Although the OP's flight appears to be an early one, I thought I'd throw in some empirical data from a Thursday late afternoon flight out of YVR to LAS this past October for anyone else coming across this thread.

We arrived at YVR just over an hour before departure. No issues with luggage drop off. However, security check line was long (backed to the "door") with only a few lanes going and US customs/immigration was long also. One buddy and I breezed relatively quickly through using Nexus. Other buddy didn't not have Nexus. But he did catch up with us at the Canucks bar just before boarding began.

Also saw one family that politely asked folks in the US customs/immigration line to cut in front so they could make their flight. Some folks told them to cut into the Nexus line (which I wouldn't have cared) but they were concerned that they shouldn't.

I never said the bags are not inspected, what I said is that there is no customs that pulls YOU and your bag to open it as at that point you are already separated from your bag and the chances of the immigration officer checking your passport delaying you to open your bag are even slimmer than being pulled out by customs when you land with your bag at a US airport from a non pre clearance country
OP was asking about customs delays, and those don't exist

My experience flying 6:30am flights out of YVR is that getting there 2 hours early will leave you 1 hour 50 minutes airside.

That being said its usually what I aim for and then enjoy breakfast and do some pre-flight work at the airport...its where I'm most productive.