Is there really a "difference" between the Altitude and NEXUS lines? I put it in quotes intentionally - if they don't split until after you get past the huddled masses, then the split is theoretical, isn't it?

Well it depends on the setup.

YYZ domestic, it's a completely separate line, with it's own xray and metal detector. Although last time I was in it, even the regular line was moving faster :rolleyes:

At YYZ transborder, they seem to send passengers from some other line (Altitude? Regular?) to the NEXUS line if it's "too short", which is really annoying. It means you skip the first part of the wait, but the second part is still there.

Ever time I use a NEXUS security line, I tell myself "next time, I'm just using the priority line." But I always go back to NEXUS :p

Should not be a line with Nexus or Altitude today seeing as its Thanksgiving. Seems like in the Nexus line you can get some minor benefits like not taking shoes off if you think they will not set off the alarm.

Yes.

Major benefit is the Nexus line doesn't ever lead to a body imaging machine. Which means I don't have to risk a pat down since I always opt out of the imaging machine.

Oh - if I end up facing the scan somewhere, I always ask for the pat down. Last time someone said "it's just a scan, it's usually nothing", the next two years of my life were consumed with surgery.
Pat down is a free massage, good for the lymphatic system!

Since some of you likely use UA or US from BUF I am pleased to advise that there is now a TSA Pre-Check station at BUF and naturally as a Nexus trusted traveller you can access this like I did today. A breeze :)

There were a lot of people heading to the US yesterday. It was the first time I've known in advance of getting to the airport that I probably wasn't going to get an upgrade on that route.

And as far as I know, you always have to take your shoes off for a US-bound flight from Canada, unless either several agents have been mistaken, or they've changed something.

You are correct. The Nexus security line is not the equivalent of pre-check - you always have to take your shoes off. Also, I'm always made to take my laptop out of my sleeve at YYZ, which, even in non-pre-check lanes in the US isn't required.

Thanks Altaflyer.

That is indeed good news! I've had a number of very close calls with Greyhound or Megabus being almost 2 hours late...it's involved some sprinting in the past. This will help a bit.

Actually, you do not have to take off your shoes for domestic or international flights from Canada. You do have to take of your shoes for US flights. See the end of the page in this link. I think people automatically take off their shoes because they have been doing it for years and because some screeners ask everyone to take off their shows because most PAX do not know if their shoes have metal.
They do off course ask you to place your shoes in the bins for scanning if they have metal parts.
http://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/Page.as...ezBacs&lang=en

Applied for Nexus / Global Entry renewal 3 weeks ago, they took the money, but haven't heard back - is the US government silliness likely to be causing delays?

Yes and no--they've furloughed non-essential staff, so that could be affecting things, but even when the government was functioning at 100% (well, as if it ever functions at 100%, but that's a different topic), NEXUS applications were taking months. There are reports upthread of peoples' experience with the timeline for processing.

My renewal took from June 6th until Sept 19th to get approved (15 weeks), and my wife's from June 6th until Sept 26th, so I would anticipate a wait that is significantly longer than 3 weeks. I am not sure that US government furloughs are necessarily causing the delays - they were longer than expected even before this all started.

So true !!!

1. When to use nexus card: a) for GE to USA? b)check-in and boarding?
 

We went to USA last Friday. I entered the nexus card number (top left hand corner of the back of the card), on the AC web site, as I was doing the online check-in.

We had some difficulty with the YOW GE machines (which are the old machines; therefore, they do not read the nexus cards). When we went to the US pre-clearance officer, she stated that the GE is connected to passports, not to the nexus card! So, asked for our passports; she had to manually enter all the passport information into the computer. So she also asked us questions that we would normally be asked, if we did not use GE.

So, she recommended that in the future we enter our passport number when we check in, on a transborder flight.

However, AC has told us that if we use the passport information on the online check-in, and if we have to check our bags at the manned check-in counter, and/or we board the plane - we have to show the passport rather than the nexus card.

I thought that the nexus card can be used for all of the above steps, without having to (necessarily) use our passport?