transportprof

You should be able to make a direct international arrival to US connection at YVR if you have got yourself checked in and have the ongoing boarding pass. I'd print this out in hard copy to avoid any surprises with your mobile phone.

With no checked luggage, you should be through US pre-clearance in 10 - 20 minutes, unless there is a huge influx from Asian arrivals at mid-day. I am not sure that GE will save you any time on international to US pre-clearance. It would save you time if you had to clear into Canada and then go through US pre-clearance as a departing passenger.

nk15

Thanks. I am reading the "US to US" connection YVR passenger guide linked below and it seems to indicate that I have to clear into Canada and re-enter, now I am a bit concerned...Do flights from the US clear immigration together with other International flights or separate? I hope I don't get stuck in a crazy long immigration line and I can use GE kiosks in and out of Canada...
Passenger Guides | YVR

bocastephen

You will arrive as an Intl arrival, but follow the signs for USA Departures (do NOT enter Canada), and enter a separate pre-clearance area. There is no GE here, and the lines can get long, but 20 minutes max to get through preclearance and their security should be enough time.

Make sure you are already checked in, with boarding pass in hand, for your outbound flight.

Under no circumstances should you be going downstairs to enter Canada unless you are completely unable to check-in for the international flight in advance and get a boarding pass.

Also keep in mind, checked bags will severely complicate this, requiring you to enter Canada and check-in at the airline counter unless you can convince the airline agent at your point of departure to check your bags through

nk15

Ok thanks, will do this, this is USA-YVR-USA, and will only get a carry on, and print all the boarding passes in the US. Good point about if I cant check in online for the second ticket I have to enter Canada I guess. Are you sure that they won't let me through the transfer point without the boarding pass for the outbound, but with the printed reservation only (if I cant check in)?

bocastephen

They won't let you into the preclearance area without a valid boarding pass for a flight that day.

nk15

Ok, I will try to check in in the US for the second ticket, although there is a chance that they won't let me, as the second ticket is international/TPAC so they have to check visa eligibility so I may end up having to go landside in YVR.

transportprof

Per the YVR web site, it looks like the following airlines pay for the enhanced clearance bypass that allows international arrivals to pre-clear directly into the US departures concourse, without clearing Canada border services first.
Since United doesn't pay, you'll have to clear into Canada, unless you are on an Air Canada operated code-share into YVR.
Expect a 30 - 45 minute transfer depending on the volume of (mostly Asian) arrivals trying to get into Canada at the time you arrive.

So your GE will be helpful on the US pre-clearance, but not on the arrival into Canada. There are kiosks for US and Canadian citizens, and then you have to queue to be questioned by a CBSA officer. Be sure to have your onward boarding pass in hand for this stage.
Then, once you've left the Customs Hall, race up one level and proceed directly to US departures. There, you'll show your GE card to get the equivalent of Pre-Check, and then use GE kiosks to complete your US pre-clearance after going through security.

nk15

transportprof

You would have to get past a physical person who is trained to only let connecting pax from the airlines that have paid for the Canada customs bypass transfer through. They will determine your arriving airline and send you back down to the Customs Hall which is a common facility for all pax arriving who clear into Canada.

It will be busy in the Customs hall, but you shouldn't need more than 15 - 20 minutes to clear into Canada, and then another 15-25 to pre-clear back into the USA.

Jacketwatch

Quick question. We are US citizens with global entry. Next year we will fly on AC from DEL-ORD with a stop in Vancouver where I was told we have to go thru US C/I. My question is do the global entry lines in Vancouver so we can take advantage of it as we do in ORD or do we have to stand in line with everyone else?
Thank you.
Larry

sannmann

UA_Flyer

Jacketwatch

Very good! Thank you!

findark

Global Entry is of limited use because you still need to go through transfer security, for which there is no benefit and it can be painfully slow.

Jacketwatch

OK. Thank you.