BenA

Ok, this morning, not so pleasant. The kiosks were up and running, but the fluorescent shirted agents guarding them this morning wouldn’t let us in at all and directed us to the obscenely long queue despite *significant* begging and pleading.

Their rationale was ridiculous: you can only use the kiosks if you don’t have a form completed. Because Mrs. BenA had the classic immigration form in her passport and visible, they forced us into the main line. We watched only one or two people use the kiosks while we waited - everyone else was rejected.

Given that most of the time at the inspection desk is spent scanning the passport and entering information off the form, this seems... shortsighted.

Eastbay1K

T1 or T2?

BenA

bigpapa7272

is it better to fill out immigration form online and print it out, use the paper form provided on the plane or try to use the kiosks? i will be arriving mex on delta and connecting to an aeromexico flight to HUX and have an hour and 20 minutes between flights

JDiver

Atbthis time, I’d arrive with a filled out printed form and try using the kiosk. Unfortunately, the kiosk supervisors seem to not really know what they’re doing and arecreported to arbitrarily determine who uses the kiosk.

RFNJ

Agree with JDiver. I have been using the kiosks since last year. I have never been turned away, but once (when there were only the two kiosks) they were not working. So I have made it a habit to fill out the forms on the plane as a backup plan. I find the kiosks a little slower than Global Entry (you have to fill out all your info at the kiosk, vs. Global Entry has some preloaded). So if I enter immigration and there is no line, I just use the form and a real person, not the kiosk. But that is rarer than hen's teeth.


Has this happened to anyone else? Never have I had this happen - no review, no stamp, always just waived through. My last trip was end of April, so maybe things have changed.

EDIT: I reread and think that the kiosks that BenA is mentioning are different from the 2 viajeros confiables (Mexican Global Entry) kiosks on the left. The viajeros confiables program is similar in nature, requiring application and interview. But that would explain the review/stamp process he went through and that I don't.

Eastbay1K

Seems to be correct. There are a number of machines in the center that aren't Viajeros Confiables terminals. I've never seen them used.

BenA

Yes, the kiosks in the center are not Viajeros Confiables kiosks - they are standard passport control form kiosks that require no prior registration. They're exactly like the general traveler kiosks in many US and Canadian airports, of the sort YVR pioneered. Unlike Viajeros Confiables, you still need to speak with an agent to get your receipt reviewed and your passport stamped. It mostly saves the agent time processing your paperwork, because all the data entry part is already done by the kiosk. (Which is why I'm really confused why they aren't making use of them!)

Thunderroad

I've read through some recent pages, including information on the kiosks, but am still a bit confused about what kinds of lines my wife and I could expect to encounter under the following circumstances and whether we can rely on the kiosks being available. By way of background, we have a very long line for our transit SFO-MEX-MED last year. I'm wondering if we could expect the same if we're not in transit but are actually arriving in MEX and then departing the next day...and I have a related question. So...

1. We might be flying LAX-MEX on Alaska next week, arriving at about 4:30 pm, and departing the next morning on Lufthansa at 10:30 am. How bad might the lines be arriving and departing? FWIW, both flights would be mid-week.
2. We will be flying FRA-MEX on Lufthansa in mid-July, arriving at about 6:30 pm on a Friday and leaving Saturday on about a 6:30 pm flight MEX-SFO on Aeromexico.
3. How long will it take us to taxi into and out of town, given the above flight info? We'll likely be staying in the Polanco neighborhood.

FWIW, we'd just have carry-on luggage and we'd be in business or first class on all the flights. I don't expect that class of service would make any difference re immigration, but mention it just in case.

Thanks for any help!

Eastbay1K

I've had T1 arrivals in the afternoon take the better part of an hour, or no more than 15 minutes for immigration. I've never suffered much in the security line department (twice in the past year @ T1, maybe 6 to 8 times @ T2). I can't speak for LH check-in.
Note that although you plan on hand luggage only, @ T2 (AM) you might find that the security people won't let you through without an AM hand-baggage tag. You can also expect the bags to be not only sized, but weighed. Just be prepared.
I'd expect your ride to the hotel to take approximately 45 minutes. It will take between 20 minutes and 2 hours. I usually leave the hotel about 3 to 3.5 hours before flight time. It rarely takes an hour. But I've had some nightmarish traffic in that city, where it has taken a half hour just to go a couple of blocks.

Thunderroad

Thanks very much for this very useful info. This does sound kind of daunting. But I appreciate the input.

Thunderroad

Thanks for this useful info. Since I've only been through MEX once, and that was transit, I wanted to try to be clearer on the kiosk process. My wife and I will be arriving in T1 on LH at about 6:30 pm on a Friday evening and (having decided not to head into town) will stay at the Courtyard Marriott at the airport before flying on to SFO on Aeromexico the next day. (We're USA passport holders with just carry-on bags.)

In any event, my questions:

1. In walking to the end of the hall, will we be bypassing the regular immigration lines to access the kiosks? Or do those lines start only after we've gotten to the kiosk area?
2. Is the system such that we show our passports to some immigration representative to access the kiosk area?
3. Since we're not very familiar with MEX, any other info on how to find the kiosks - or is it pretty clear where they are (and what is APAC, by the way?).

Thanks for any help.

NickSATX

My wife and children are flying SAT-MEX-BOG on AM arriving/departing T2. In the past they've had an overnight layover and had to clear customs and recheck luggage. This time around they have a 1:45 connection and per AM CS they will not need to collect & recheck their bags. Would appreciate confirmation from anyone with a recent experience & similar itinerary (USA-MEX-COL).

YHVH

Damn near got stuck in Mexico City last week because google maps kept trying to take me to terminal 1 instead of t2, thank goodness i made it back to America

RFNJ

Nick - I think they will still have to clear immigration/customs (for carry on) at T2. All international flights funnel to the same point at immigration, so they will want to fill out the forms, and hold onto them and they will be asked for upon departure. If AM says your bags are going through, they are going through (searched for customs electronically/random behind the scenes). This is a newer policy and might still be in the process of rollout, so just have your family confirm again on check in at SAT. I think 1:45 should be sufficient time. However - they will go through a security screening after customs and into departure level, so usual restrictions (liquids, etc) apply. So hold off on any duty free purchases until you are in T2.

Same will apply on return - immigration/customs/security.