Transborder connecting at YVR
 

Connecting to US through YVR. Past experience has taught me to expect this to take at least an hour and sometimes more. Typically only two security lines. Then there's the bottleneck at immigration. Last time the wait was so long they actually brought water to hand out. Question: arriving from another Canadian city and have checked baggage. Could we exit the secure area and use the regular US border entry point (as opposed to the transborder)? Assume, if possible, this would be faster especially if Nexus line open. Appreciate any advice or experience with this at YVR.

I posted this earlier but believe it was buried. Apologies if it reappears elsewhere.

Checked luggage will likely go to the connection luggage belt. Been so long since I had checked luggage.(may have changed, hence the likely)

I do leave the secure area when connecting domestic to US at YVR. Find it much faster and Nexus available

I leave the secure area virtually every time when connecting in this situation at YVR. I've never had an issue so far.

I think the last time the US border agent asked for my bag tags so they could pull up the luggage we had on his monitor, but that was actually the first time they've asked about checked bags.

The agent does not need to see your bag tags. Bag tag numbers are attached to your file number. When they scan your boarding card, your bag tag numbers come up, along with a picture of your luggage. YVR has a very good system for trans border flights.

Agree their bag transfer system is excellent. Just not clear, given that we will have checked bags, if we can leave the secure area to go to the Nexus line elsewhere in the terminal. Appreciate the advice. Too many hours over the years in the transborder area got us trying to think creatively.

Yeah he initially thought we didn't have any bags. The agent at our point of departure had problems checking us in, so I don't think the bags got linked to the file properly. We were asked to show the physical tags when we stated we had checked luggage and our file didn't have anything attached. That was the only time I've had to show them when going TB at YVR.

I love YVR Transborder as its quick and easy. If you transfer through get out and come in from the outside as the security line is faster and they have NEXUS/GE where internal transfer they have no Nexus/GE and I find the security to be slower!

No need to pick up bags as they look at pictures of your bag, so quick and easy. ^

Agreed with above posters on domestic-transborder transfer... I always go outside now to the US side instead of internal transfer. Not that I like this option that much but better than the stupid one line for the masses internal transfer.

Why does YVR have to be so stupid sometimes?

I agree with going outside which to me is self evident of how much of a fail the transborder transfer is at YVR.

What I really wish is that the security could get aligned so that we would not have to go through security a second time. Then the internal transfer might make sense. Especially for those with no checked bags.

Security at YVR, in general, is also stupid and inneficient like a donkey with diarrhea. Transborder security at YVR of course, takes the cake since the stupid and inneficient NEXUS security line of 5 people is slower than the pleb line of 30 people.

Then the fact that as a NEXUS holder you still have to talk to INS officials at Primary and answer any set of questions they ask, rendering most of your NEXUS membership quasi useless. The special side line to do the NEXUS machines isn't that much faster than going into the pleb line since you still have to talk to someone.

YVR sucks. Well, ok... it's kind of homely and warm. Has nice $20 bill (from the Journey Series) statues. But other than that it sucks. Now I like YYZ better.

There are no NEXUS machines at YVR transborder.

Not having to repeat security for transborder would be fantastic but don't think it will happen. Works the same in Europe and Australia -- clear customs and redo security if connecting. It would also be good when entering Canada from the US if one could clear customs and stay in the secure area and not have to repeat security (especially after a long trans-Pacific flight). Air Canada used to have ground crew posted in the transborder area who could be consulted if problems arose. Now, there doesn't seem anyone to speak with anywhere up there. Very frustrating, especially if time becomes an issue and connecting to a once-a-week flight.

At YVR transborder, you clear security then proceed to US CBP.

In theory you could dump 'secure' people into the US customs-hall from elsewhere.

I think the primary concern is that security for US flights is a little different (shoes off etc.) so you'd have to bring "flying to the USA rules" to all of Canada if you wanted to do this.