Check-in at Bermuda (BDA)?

Old Apr 1, 2018, 7:26 pm
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Check-in at Bermuda (BDA)?

I checked in for our flights leaving Bermuda tomorrow with DL and was rudely surprised to find a warning that we must present ourselves at the check-in counter a minimum of 60 minutes before our flight for document verification, according to the text printed on our boarding passes. Even worse, when I re-read the check-in time page, I realized that I had missed BDA when I looked at it before booking the tickets (it's not listed as "Bermuda", but as "St. George, Bermuda") and that there it says 90 minutes, even with no bags.

I know there's CBP pre-clearance at BDA and presumably that has something to do with it, but Canadian airports also have pre-clearance and aren't subject to any extra time requirement, other than YQR, nor is any doc check required before getting to the gate. Neither AA or B6 seems to enforce any abnormal check-in procedures at BDA either.

Can anyone shed any light on (a) whether the limit is the 90 minutes from the website or the 60 minutes mentioned on our BPs and (b) whatever the limit is, how rigidly DL enforces it?
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Old Apr 1, 2018, 9:16 pm
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You have to clear US customs before getting to the gate anyway, so it'd be a stretch to get to the airport less than 60 minutes before departure. Their security teams are not particularly consistent either, so I recommend leaving some time.

As to strictness - its a pretty 'rules focused' island so I wouldn't push it.
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Old Apr 1, 2018, 9:35 pm
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IIRC, there is a stop on the check-in computers at 60 minutes that won't allow bag tags or check-in for international flights.
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Old Apr 2, 2018, 7:58 am
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Correct. They are very strict. And, remember, the key is to be at the counter BY 60 minutes before the flight. Not in line at 60 minutes. If you get to the counter within 60 minutes, you are at the mercy of the agent if anything can be done.
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Old Apr 5, 2018, 9:25 pm
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Thanks for the replies, although it seems there was some confusion with regards to my initial question.

I had already done OLCI and had printed BPs, but those BPs specifically stated that documents must be verified at the check-in counter at least 60 minutes before the flight. That was the confusing part.

So here is the situation:
  • The DL website is wrong with regards to the 90-minute check-in cutoff. The cutoff is 60 minutes. The redcoat at BDA said that at 60 minutes, they're locked out of the computers and couldn't even help you if you wanted. And yes, that's obviously 60 minutes at the counter, not being in line 60 minutes before.
  • The doc check language on BPs printed during OLCI is wrong. There is no requirement for a doc check prior to entering the CBP facility or going through security; doc check can be done at the gate, although they prefer to do it prior to boarding rather than during.

There was no line at CBP or security when we were there on Monday, but I have no idea what that's normally like, but there are Global Entry machines, so less than 60 minutes could easily be possible barring a big line at post-CBP security.
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Old Apr 6, 2018, 10:42 pm
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60 minutes might be legal, but it might not prudent at BDA.
Earlier this week, when taking a DL flight out of BDA, there was no CBP line, but the security was using only one machine so the line was long. There's no pre-check, no priority, etc. so no way to bypass it (unless, possibly, if you are in a wheelchair).
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Old Apr 8, 2018, 6:55 am
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Originally Posted by Spent_All_My_Miles
60 minutes might be legal, but it might not prudent at BDA.
Earlier this week, when taking a DL flight out of BDA, there was no CBP line, but the security was using only one machine so the line was long. There's no pre-check, no priority, etc. so no way to bypass it (unless, possibly, if you are in a wheelchair).
This reminds me of the flights from St. Croix and St. Thomas. The Virgin Islands is part of the United States as a U.S. territory, but stupidly not part of the U.S. customs zone. As a result, you have to clear customs (not immigration) before the TSA checkpoints at STT and STX. You don't need a passport, but a driver's license takes considerably longer to clear. Before the hurricanes in September, if you were flying out during peak season there could be a significant delay in getting through the customs checkpoint. I always gave myself 2 hours, which was OK at St. Thomas because there were some shops and a bar to kill time. But the St. Croix airport had absolutely nothing to do if you got there too early.

Aruba also has pre-clearance U.S. customs and immigration, which actually wasn't a problem. The real problem there was the AUA security checkpoint.
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Old Apr 8, 2018, 9:18 am
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What was "rude" about how you learned of this? It's simply a website and a BP.

The DL website clearly states that T-90 is the deadline for baggage. T-60 is the deadline for document check. Also, note that the gate deadline is T-45 at BDA. I am not certain about whether the counter can waive the T-90 bag drop deadline, but I do know that the system shuts down at T-60 and if you are not processed, you will not be. That is largely because the counter staff are the departure staff and need to be up at the gate and downstairs for boarding by T-45.

The process is a quite strict. Not only do you have pre-clearance by CBP, but BDA security rules are tougher than the US, there are not that many lanes and the lines can be quite slow. Finally, because of the layout of the airport, there are at least two more brief document checks, sometimes three, between the gate and the aircraft. All of this is required so as to permit the aircraft to arrive in the US and clean and thus not require connecting pax to clear TSA.

For all of this, it is really pushing it to arrive anywhere close to T-60 (or T-90) with bags. I would give yourself an extra 30 minutes for both deadlines.
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