Does the 3 hour early recommendation apply if your initial flight is domestic but you’re connecting to an international one?
IE. I’m flying from OKC to Houston and from Houston to Vancouver. Do I really need to get to OKC 3 hours early?
My guess would be no, but make sure there is plenty of time in Houston to go through any processing they have.
When I flew from Montreal to Boston last November, I showed up nearly three hours early–and spent two hours sitting in the departure lounge. On the return trip, from LGA, I was there two hours early and spent only an hour in the departure lounge. Things may have picked up since then, though.
If it is on one ticket, OP just needs to make it to the next gate. They will likely be called up to the podium for a document check before boarding starts.
Make sure that you complete ArriveCAN before you leave Houston (up to 72 hours before arrival).
The minimum time you need is based on
(a) the length of wait to check in
(b) how much time it takes you to get from check-in to the gate
(c) how much time it takes for your checked bags to get from check-in to aircraft
(a) would depend on the setup at the check in desks and how busy the airport is, something you’re probably familiar with. Is your paperwork is definitely all in order for the international flight? You will definitely need to go line up and talk to a human at the airport in the check in process, not like some domestic flights where you can use a machine or preprint your boarding pass.
In your case, (b) would be no different from a domestic flight.
With (c) you will be checking your bag through to the final destination, so is a bag checked through to Vancouver likely to attract greater scrutiny? I don’t see why, other than for reasons that you yourself might be aware of - given your longer trip, are your bags unusually large, do they contain anything unusual that might be more likely to cause your bags to be pulled out for visual inspection?
The time it takes to go through TSA screening varies a lot by time of day. Some airports have web sites that give estimates.
If you were going through Newark, I’d say get there a day early. Worst airport in the country for TSA, both in terms of time and rudeness. And I don’t say that lightly, but I use many many airports in the country and Newark is never good.
It may depend on where you go through customs. Last time I was in London I went through customs in London and landed at a domestic gate when I arrived and walked off like any other domestic flight.
I do not think that is very common though.
The TSA lines in OKC are usually pretty short and we’re TSA precheck so I don’t anticipate any issues there. There’s only one terminal so getting to the gate in OKC has never been an issue. Of course, IAH is a whole different matter. Our layover is 2.5 hours so my plan is to go to the gate, check in, and then head to the United lounge.
I’ve got everything done in the ArriveCAN app and have my “receipt.” (Not sure why they call them receipts. I didn’t pay anything.)
Usually the most critical thing with international flights is the return, where you must pick up your checked bags where you first land in the U.S., go through immigration & customs, then recheck your bags and go back through security to your ongoing domestic flight. I think 2 hours is the absolute minimum for any ongoing domestic connection from an arriving international flight.
But Canada is an exception, because U.S. CBP has preclearance at the Canadian end.
US preclearance in Vancouver is great. Wife and I have returned through there to a number of different US airport. You’re basically a domestic flight to the US. Customs/Immigration is already done.
If you are talking pre-clearance for entry into the US, it wasn’t London. Dublin is the only European pre-clearance facility. Canada has the most plus about 10 others.
So do I do anything different to go through pre clearance or does every American (or everyone for that matter) going from Vancouver to a US destination go through it?
I think it has to be everyone - otherwise you’d have people pre- and post- customs clearance mingling on the plane. And I think part of the benefit is that you disembark at a domestic gate, so your domestic connection is much easier.
Everyone flying from Vancouver to the United States goes through pre clearance. You must pass through it to get to the gate.
The same is true for all the major Canadian airports: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto Pearson, Ottawa, and Winnipeg.
Two other airports are planned to have pre clearance, but don’t yet: Quebec City and Toronto Billy Bishop. So if you’re on one of the few direct flights from Quebec City to Chicago, say, you go through customs in Chicago with all the other international passengers.
I speak as one who has taken transborder flights from Canada to the US many dozens of times.
This was 2012(ish). Being ten years ago I do not remember specifics but I do remember going through customs before arriving in the US. When we landed in Chicago we were at a domestic gate. I remember I was a little bummed I was not in the newer (relatively) international terminal.
I did not go through any customs/immigration in Chicago. I walked off the plane like any other domestic flight.
The biggest question is whether on the connecting flight you have to exit security and re-enter. But then, the people issuing the tickets should have allowed a long enough layover.
If your first flight is domestic, presumably you are accompanying people who are only flying domestically, so the 2-hour thing should be good- assuming the airport is not crazy backed up. The only distinction is the check-in clerk may want to see your passport before they issue the set of boarding passes.
Going to Turkey via Chicago, we had to exit the domestic terminal go to international, and re-enter security. Ditto coming to Toronto going to USA, and picking up luggage for customs, then to a connecting flight. But US customs is in Toronto or Vancouver etc., while Canadian customs are also in Toronto Vancouver or wherever you arrive in Canada. Most US airports AFAIK tend to have one large security zone you stay in - unless like JFK or Newark you have to go from Terminal to terminal, but usually you’re in the same terminal on the same airline. Most of O’Hare is one big security zone except some other international that isn’t going to Canada.
I uploaded our passports in the United app and have been issued boarding passes already. But I assume that someone in Houston (and probably OKC) will ask to see them.
I appreciate all the quick responses. Our first flight is at 3:30 today.