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Traveling with NEXUS without a Passport

Traveling with NEXUS without a Passport

Old Mar 27, 2015, 7:58 am
  #106  
 
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Originally Posted by SeriouslyLost
I don't thing you're getting what is being said. In your example a credit card is required for the rental part of the transaction, not the driving part. But that's not what you've been saying or what I've been responding to. If the law says X, Y, or Z is required for travel then an airline cannot extend the law and say that they will only accept X or Y. They can, to go back to your example, require a credit card to pay for the ticket because the law is entirely silent on that point.
It's actually exactly the same thing. The airline isn't saying that Canada won't admit you without Z (using your XYZ vs XY example above). The airline is saying that they won't _transport_ you without Z, and, unless the law prohibits them from refusing to transport you without Z, they're entitled to do that. Again, the law/TSA regs say that you need to provide TSA-qualified ID to pass the checkpoint. An airline is free to have different requirements (i.e. note from your third grade teacher) to let you actually board their plane.
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Old Mar 27, 2015, 8:38 am
  #107  
 
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The moment OP purchased tickets with PD he/she entered into an agreement to follow the COC which includes following PD's ID requirements as stated here: https://www.flyporter.com/Travel/ID-...nts?culture=en
This has nothing to do with being a Nexus member or not. You agreed to be transported by PD and they require seeing a passport. Done.
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Old Mar 28, 2015, 9:26 am
  #108  
 
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Today I successfully flew United Express from EWR to YYZ using only my NEXUS card.

United's checkin machines do not accept a NEXUS, I had to flag down an agent. She at first didn't think I could board without a passport, but when I mentioned the NEXUS is on United's list of approved IDs for international travel, she went behind the counter and double checked. She came back saying that yes, I am fine to fly with only a NEXUS on United. We went through the checkin process and she overrode the need for a photo of my passport, as the machine insists on, though we still did need to input the passport number and expiry date. She then entered my NEXUS pass id into her own computer to finalize my checkin.

I qualified for TSA Pre on my boarding pass as well. TSA accepted my NEXUS without a second glance. I was prepared to have to explain NEXUS to the gate agent when boarding, but she had also seen it and accepted it without issue.

So yes, on United and Air Canada, you can fly to/from YYZ and US airports with only your NEXUS.
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Old Mar 29, 2015, 5:54 am
  #109  
 
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Reply from Porter

Dear Mr. Numruk,

Thank you for your email.
We sincerely apologize for the difficulty you encountered at the airport regarding your Nexus and Passport.
The Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is not a US pre-cleared airport (such as Pearson) and consequently, the Federal Government and Security protocols we have to follow are different.
The current CBSA and Nexus policy you refer to is for airports that have US pre-clearance and Global Access approved airports. As Billy Bishop is not (yet) Pre-cleared or Global Entry approved, passengers travelling from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport are required by law to carry and show a valid passport.
We empathize with this situation on behalf of our travelers, however, we are required by law to validate all US bound passengers do have a passport - a Nexus card is not sufficient for a non-US Pre-Cleared/non Global Access airport.
We are actively in the process of gaining the requirements for US pre-clearance and we hope soon to be able to participate.

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you on-board again soon.

Sincerely
(Name redacted)
Manager - Customer Relations
Porter Airlines Inc.
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
Toronto, ON., M5V 1A1
www.flyporter.com
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Old Mar 29, 2015, 5:58 am
  #110  
 
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I replied to clarify that I was refused permission to board from EWR to YTZ where there is a NEXUS terminal, and not the other way around, but no reply yet.

For the record I'm not seeking any sort of refund out of this, I've merely queried Porter regarding their NEXUS policy with a view to pushing a bit of reexamination.

Last edited by numruk; Apr 2, 2015 at 6:28 am
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Old Mar 30, 2015, 9:22 am
  #111  
 
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Originally Posted by numruk
I replied to clarify that I was refused permission to board from EWR to YYZ where there is a NEXUS terminal, and not the other way around, but no reply yet.
Well now I am indeed confused (or quite possibly you are). Porter does not fly to YYZ at all. They only fly to Billy Bishop airport in Toronto. So either your airline or your destination are incorrect.
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Old Mar 30, 2015, 9:42 am
  #112  
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Originally Posted by n3xu5
Not true, at least in the USA, Canada and EU, no airlines can require a passport for a domestic flight.

Back to the TSA list, I never really noticed that if you are a US citizen without passport or driver’s licence, you don’t have a lot of other options to travel by air domestically. Is this the reason why some people think they need a passport to take a domestic flight? At least in Canada everyone has a… health insurance card.
Note that compared to other countries (and conditional on socioeconomic status, education, income, age, etc.), relatively few USA citizens have passports.

TSA is required to accept nondriver state ID cards (essentially licenses to drink but also used for check cashing, hotel check in, voting where photo ID is required, etc.), passport cards, GE cards, probably NEXIS/SENTRY too, and IIRC military ID. They should also accept government employee ID cards as they're government issued photo ID, but this is likely to cause delays at most checkpoints.

I always travel with my passport and use it as ID because my driver's license contains my home address. I don't think it's a good idea to show my home address to random TSA minimum wage employees who are aware that I will be away from home. For that matter, it's not necessarily wise to show one's home address to some random bartender or store clerk IMO.

Last edited by MSPeconomist; Mar 30, 2015 at 9:49 am Reason: shorten quote
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Old Mar 30, 2015, 11:14 am
  #113  
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Some comments:

(1)While TSA is supposed to accept GE Cards as ID, there have been posts on FT stating that they didn't--until a supervisor was called.

(2)I believe from posts in the AA section, if you are on an international itn (with the first segment domestic), you are supposed to show a pp to GA when you board the domestic.

(3)I don't bring my pp for an ALL domestic itn. My DL has only my first and middle name's INITIALS, every now and then when I show my DL, TSA will ask to see SOMETHING with my full first name (a CC, for example) [my BP has my full first name].

(4)Aren't AMERICAN INDIAN tribal ID cards supposed to be accepted as ID for all domestic air travel?
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Old Mar 30, 2015, 12:00 pm
  #114  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Note that compared to other countries (and conditional on socioeconomic status, education, income, age, etc.), relatively few USA citizens have passports.

TSA is required to accept nondriver state ID cards (essentially licenses to drink but also used for check cashing, hotel check in, voting where photo ID is required, etc.), passport cards, GE cards, probably NEXIS/SENTRY too, and IIRC military ID. They should also accept government employee ID cards as they're government issued photo ID, but this is likely to cause delays at most checkpoints.

I always travel with my passport and use it as ID because my driver's license contains my home address. I don't think it's a good idea to show my home address to random TSA minimum wage employees who are aware that I will be away from home. For that matter, it's not necessarily wise to show one's home address to some random bartender or store clerk IMO.
Here's the exact list off of the TSA website:

Acceptable IDs for screening purposes include:
U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents, and DoD civilians)
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) for the sole purpose of identification
Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
HSPD-12 PIV card
Airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation Worker Identification Credential

Note: a weapon permit is not an acceptable form of identification.


I'll have to say I've had trouble....well at least minor issues.....even using some of the supposedly approved forms of ID. For instance, I had a retired military ID, figured it was good, and used it a couple of times without issue. Then all of a sudden I had two or three TSOs questioned it to the point a supervisor had to step in and clear me. Finally one of them explains that my ID didn't have an expiration date....it isn't like I'm going to become unretired anytime soon.....so the military wasn't putting one on the old style ID cards. Now that's been fixed as the new retired ID is actually a non-chipped CAC with an expiration date on it. The other form I had trouble with was my concealed weapons permit. Those are now listed as specifically not acceptable but I don't think it was always that way or at least the first few times I used it the TSO was clueless and let it go. Got it and I don't use it any more but funny thing is at least in Texas those are harder to get than a drivers license with a lot more background checks, etc. The third form is my GE card. Yes, they'll accept it but they're not for whatever reason fond of them....guess they don't have much information on them. Doesn't help that, and I think it was reported here on another thread, that at least one TSO didn't recognize it as a US issued ID. I actually don't use it often, in fact only tried after I got it just to see if the GE card would work, and the last time I pulled it out for a TSO actually muttered "ugh" under his breath.
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Old Mar 30, 2015, 12:42 pm
  #115  
 
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Originally Posted by Randyk47
I actually don't use it often, in fact only tried after I got it just to see if the GE card would work, and the last time I pulled it out for a TSO actually muttered "ugh" under his breath.
I've definitely had them not know what a GE card isI for some reason figured that they might prefer that to a Canadian DL for a domestic flight. My Nexus card photo looks like it was taken with a webcam from the mid-1990's by a bad photographerI don't think they would be thrilled with that.
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Old Mar 30, 2015, 12:48 pm
  #116  
 
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A couple of years ago, I had issues getting them to accept the GE card (typically because the ID checker had never seen one before) - haven't had a problem since late 2013, if not before.
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Old Mar 30, 2015, 1:25 pm
  #117  
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Originally Posted by numruk
I was flying YTZ - EWR round trip. I'd already flew into EWR with a NEXUS pass only, accepted both at check-in and at the gate in Toronto, which is why I will admit one point: I was unaware that Porter official policy is to insist on a passport.

The GE machines do in fact allow you to clear without a passport, or any documentation actually, if you press the button on the screen that says "Trouble reading travel document", then fill out your name and birthdate. It looks you up and you do your fingerprints and you're through just fine and dandy. So I got into the United States just fine with only my NEXUS. The problem arose when trying to leave, as the human element insisted very rudely on a passport only. I believe the exact words were, "NEXUS is Canadian, we don't accept that here in America". I guess that it's issued by the US Government is above their pay grade.

Anyhow, flying from YYZ to EWR on Air Canada I'm able to clear pre-screening with only my NEXUS, I am not asked for a passport by anyone. Likewise, the gate agent explicitly invited everyone to show "a passport OR a NEXUS card" when boarding was announced on the PA.

Flying Can-US on Air Canada from YYZ using only a NEXUS is completely, 100% okay and endorsed by AC, both on their website and in person. I'll be travelling with them in the future.
I'm surprised this worked on the outbound. I've been stopped boarding with Nexus at YTZ and asked for a passport. I would have surmised they're more aware of their rule there than at the outstations.
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Old Mar 31, 2015, 4:10 pm
  #118  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
They should also accept government employee ID cards as they're government issued photo ID, but this is likely to cause delays at most checkpoints.
I have never had a problem with my PIV-II card. It is a standardized format, listed in the approved ID list, and is the exact same thing as what's hanging on the TSA TDC lanyards, so they know what it looks like.

Edit: I actually have the experience of having to turn down airport employee discounts at the airport concessions on a regular basis since they think my PIV-II badge makes me an airport employee. That's usually a reminder to me to take off my lanyard and put it back into my bag since, by sheer force of habit of 23 years of wearing the thing, the default action after taking it out is to put it around my neck.

Last edited by RandomNobody; Mar 31, 2015 at 4:17 pm
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Old Oct 24, 2015, 8:28 am
  #119  
 
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Entering the USA by Air with Global Entry/NEXUS

i am a canadian citizen

passport will be in the hands of an undisclosed consulate in a different city.

can i enter the usa by air through the cdn pre clear with just my global entry/nexus card?

cannot find a clear answer to this anywhere.

thanks
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Old Oct 24, 2015, 9:33 am
  #120  
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Originally Posted by phbl
i am a canadian citizen

passport will be in the hands of an undisclosed consulate in a different city.

can i enter the usa by air through the cdn pre clear with just my global entry/nexus card?

cannot find a clear answer to this anywhere.

thanks
Probably not; I know that under similar circumstances (and being unable to get home due to Sandy) Delta wouldn't let me fly to Canada with a NEXUS card without my passport.

For a definitive answer, ask your airline if they'll let you fly.
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