what time to arrive at AUA prior to departure - with global entry and TSA pre check
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
what time to arrive at AUA prior to departure - with global entry and TSA pre check
I like to live (somewhat) dangerously. How close to my flight time can I arrive at AUA for a Monday 5:45 pm departure to the US? I have global entry (which I think will allow me to use a kiosk?) and TSA pre check. We will not be checking bags. And can we just do online check in for our flight, or do we need to stand in a physical line for check in?
Thanks!
Thanks!
#2
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA, onePass
Posts: 317
Travelove.......there is no Global Entry or TSA when leaving AUA......
The following link very well sums up the departure process......the one thing in your favor is you will be departing on a Monday....so maybe won't need 3 hours but def 2 to 2 and hours.....
http://www.arubabound.com/getthere_early.htm
Been going to Aruba for 16 years.....leaving in 3 weeks...
The following link very well sums up the departure process......the one thing in your favor is you will be departing on a Monday....so maybe won't need 3 hours but def 2 to 2 and hours.....
http://www.arubabound.com/getthere_early.htm
Been going to Aruba for 16 years.....leaving in 3 weeks...
#3
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Upper midwest
Programs: Delta Pb Medallion
Posts: 608
Not sure about pre check but wouldn't matter. No good at Aruba security (first longest line) and C&I backup causes a steady trickle to US security such that I don't think that part ever gets backed up.
#4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: continental united starwood hilton marriott
Posts: 339
they have the computer system for US immigration, it is for everyone's use.
It does speed up the process.
Airport check in for your flight is not speedy but on a Monday should not be bad.
2 hours should be more than enough
It does speed up the process.
Airport check in for your flight is not speedy but on a Monday should not be bad.
2 hours should be more than enough
#5
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Nomadic
Programs: A Few Here, A Few There
Posts: 76
You still have to first clear Aruba customs (automated kiosk) then their security. Then US Security (no precheck) then US Customs (yes there is Global Entry).
#6
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Midcontinent
Programs: AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 82
This is not quite an exact answer to this question (though I can confirm that there is no pre-check but they do have Global Entry kiosks, as of February 2020), but thought it would be useful information to add as this was one of the threads I read when trying to plan our return from Aruba.
The advice per the airport website and travel blogs and FT threads is "arrive 3 hours ahead of the flight". And I am sure that is good advice most of the time. However, based on our experience there is a wrinkle. We were flying back on the 9.25am AUA-MIA flight, which is the first US-bound flight of the day, indeed the only US-bound flight leaving in the morning. The hotel concierge recommended that since it was the first flight of the day we could allow 2.5 hours before the flight. So we duly arrived at the airport just before 7am.
There was a long line already for check-in, but we had priority so not so much for us. We were done in 10 minutes and then began the series of hurdles to get through to get to the gate (Aruba Immigration, Aruba Security, Bag Claim, US Customs/Immigration, TSA). This is where we discovered something: US Customs and Immigration does not open until 8am.
The bottom line here is we had the better part of an hour to kill.
Now, had we got there later, we would have been at the back of the line to get into US Customs/Immigration when it opened, so I wouldn't necessarily tack on a whole hour's delay, but if we did it again, and if we were again on this sole early morning flight, we would definitely plan to be at the airport more like 7.45am (assuming priority check-in, and subject to exactly when the airline cuts off check-in).
The advice per the airport website and travel blogs and FT threads is "arrive 3 hours ahead of the flight". And I am sure that is good advice most of the time. However, based on our experience there is a wrinkle. We were flying back on the 9.25am AUA-MIA flight, which is the first US-bound flight of the day, indeed the only US-bound flight leaving in the morning. The hotel concierge recommended that since it was the first flight of the day we could allow 2.5 hours before the flight. So we duly arrived at the airport just before 7am.
There was a long line already for check-in, but we had priority so not so much for us. We were done in 10 minutes and then began the series of hurdles to get through to get to the gate (Aruba Immigration, Aruba Security, Bag Claim, US Customs/Immigration, TSA). This is where we discovered something: US Customs and Immigration does not open until 8am.
The bottom line here is we had the better part of an hour to kill.
Now, had we got there later, we would have been at the back of the line to get into US Customs/Immigration when it opened, so I wouldn't necessarily tack on a whole hour's delay, but if we did it again, and if we were again on this sole early morning flight, we would definitely plan to be at the airport more like 7.45am (assuming priority check-in, and subject to exactly when the airline cuts off check-in).
#7
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Programs: CO Million Miler now Lifetime UA Premier Gold, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hertz Five Star, Global E
Posts: 32
This is not quite an exact answer to this question (though I can confirm that there is no pre-check but they do have Global Entry kiosks, as of February 2020), but thought it would be useful information to add as this was one of the threads I read when trying to plan our return from Aruba.
The advice per the airport website and travel blogs and FT threads is "arrive 3 hours ahead of the flight". And I am sure that is good advice most of the time. However, based on our experience there is a wrinkle. We were flying back on the 9.25am AUA-MIA flight, which is the first US-bound flight of the day, indeed the only US-bound flight leaving in the morning. The hotel concierge recommended that since it was the first flight of the day we could allow 2.5 hours before the flight. So we duly arrived at the airport just before 7am.
There was a long line already for check-in, but we had priority so not so much for us. We were done in 10 minutes and then began the series of hurdles to get through to get to the gate (Aruba Immigration, Aruba Security, Bag Claim, US Customs/Immigration, TSA). This is where we discovered something: US Customs and Immigration does not open until 8am.
The bottom line here is we had the better part of an hour to kill.
Now, had we got there later, we would have been at the back of the line to get into US Customs/Immigration when it opened, so I wouldn't necessarily tack on a whole hour's delay, but if we did it again, and if we were again on this sole early morning flight, we would definitely plan to be at the airport more like 7.45am (assuming priority check-in, and subject to exactly when the airline cuts off check-in).
The advice per the airport website and travel blogs and FT threads is "arrive 3 hours ahead of the flight". And I am sure that is good advice most of the time. However, based on our experience there is a wrinkle. We were flying back on the 9.25am AUA-MIA flight, which is the first US-bound flight of the day, indeed the only US-bound flight leaving in the morning. The hotel concierge recommended that since it was the first flight of the day we could allow 2.5 hours before the flight. So we duly arrived at the airport just before 7am.
There was a long line already for check-in, but we had priority so not so much for us. We were done in 10 minutes and then began the series of hurdles to get through to get to the gate (Aruba Immigration, Aruba Security, Bag Claim, US Customs/Immigration, TSA). This is where we discovered something: US Customs and Immigration does not open until 8am.
The bottom line here is we had the better part of an hour to kill.
Now, had we got there later, we would have been at the back of the line to get into US Customs/Immigration when it opened, so I wouldn't necessarily tack on a whole hour's delay, but if we did it again, and if we were again on this sole early morning flight, we would definitely plan to be at the airport more like 7.45am (assuming priority check-in, and subject to exactly when the airline cuts off check-in).
Excellent information for sure as we leave in a few weeks for AUA. I also learned of GE kiosks at AUA and am so very happy to have them available. We will only have roll-a-boards with printed boarding pass or on the airline app so hope to not have much of a wait even though we fly out on a Saturday. We will still plan on the three hour prior to departure show at the airport and head to the Priority Pass lounge to spend extra time.