Rumour: US Customs preclearance for Sydney

[TheBOSman]

The previous US entry at BOS last Oct was:
CBP: Why are you here?
me: visiting friends and holiday
CBP: how do you know these friends?
me: Internet
CBP: How long have you known them?
me: 16 years
CBP: Visited them before?
me: yes
CBP: Where do they live?
me: <mention name of nearby minor city using local pronunciation>
CBP: <big smile> welcome to America.

For the help of others, here's a few in case you ever find yourself at Logan International Airport:

Worcester: Wuss-tah
Leicester: Less-tah
Leominster: Lem-in-stah
Scituate: Sit-chew-it
Gloucester: Gloss-tah
Billerica: Bill-rick-uh

Qualifications for trusting me: Do you really think someone who calls himself TheBOSman on the internet would pronounce Massachusetts place names wrong?

 

[kpc]

At Lax 2 weeks ago, was asked just one Q by Border Control: "What is the purpose of your visit to the US this time?" I answered : "Attending conference" - Passport stamped and he added "Enjoy your stay"

 

[get me outta here]

Thanks, interestingly those are more or less exactly the same pronunciations as the original place names in England, except I don’t know about Sit-chew-it.

For the help of others, here's a few in case you ever find yourself at Logan International Airport:

Worcester: Wuss-tah
Leicester: Less-tah
Leominster: Lem-in-stah
Scituate: Sit-chew-it
Gloucester: Gloss-tah
Billerica: Bill-rick-uh

Qualifications for trusting me: Do you really think someone who calls himself TheBOSman on the internet would pronounce Massachusetts place names wrong?

 

[flying_double]

Anyway, this person was confident about it....but who knows.

A confident American... well i’ll be damned

 

[adampenrith]

I am thinking the most likely plan for this is at Sydney West International - can be purpose built during construction - would certainly be welcome as you can just walk off the plane in the states

 

[Melburnian1]

Why Sydney and not Melbourne? Just a case of 'somewhere has to be first', or because it has far more nonstop flights to USA?

 

[dk4]

Why Sydney and not Melbourne? Just a case of 'somewhere has to be first', or because it has far more nonstop flights to USA?

I would surmise the recently foiled Barbie Doll plot at SYD T1 put Sydney Airport (and Sydney more generally) on the radar for US authorities.

 

[N860CR]

At Lax 2 weeks ago, was asked just one Q by Border Control: "What is the purpose of your visit to the US this time?" I answered : "Attending conference" - Passport stamped and he added "Enjoy your stay"

Very similar to my last experience;

"Purpose of your visit" - "just a training course"
"How long" - "about 5 weeks"

Stamp Stamp Bye-Bye

It's actually not as stressful an experience as it was a few years ago (even will a passport full of odd stamps).

 

[flying_duck]

Very similar to my last experience;

"Purpose of your visit" - "just a training course"
"How long" - "about 5 weeks"

Stamp Stamp Bye-Bye

It's actually not as stressful an experience as it was a few years ago (even will a passport full of odd stamps).

I wish. I always try to be up front and courteous. I handed over both passports as I couldn't remember which one they used when I checked in.

A confusing exchange ensued where the officer couldn't figure out why I had two passports but was only one person. "Travelling alone?" Yes. "Why do I have two passports" Because I'm a dual citizen "Who are you?" (gave my name, same name as in both passports) "but you have two passports".... Every time the series of questioning is left field, and different. Every time I visit, I always vacate when I say I will. I always do as I say I will. I'm always staying where I say I am.

I've applied for global entry on my UK passport because frankly, the hassle getting in makes me not want to go anymore. So fingers crossed it gets approved.

 

[drron]

Why Sydney and not Melbourne? Just a case of 'somewhere has to be first', or because it has far more nonstop flights to USA?

Maybe because SYD has UA,Delta,Hawaiian and AA flights.

 

[Himeno]

Why Sydney and not Melbourne? Just a case of 'somewhere has to be first', or because it has far more nonstop flights to USA?

MEL has up to 4 flights to the US/day.
SYD has up to 12.

I still don't see it happening while the requirements for preclearance mean the host airport is paying a large part of CBPs costs.

 

[Kremmen]

As I saw this because of US Immigration Preclearance Explained, I'll start with that.

airlines that fly to the USA from one of the above-listed airports enjoy a competitive advantage

Presumably, this advantage would be with people who've never tried it.

If a CBP preclearance were to be set up in Australia, it would be more like DUB, SNN or AUH.

i.e. Absolutely awful. I've entered the USA through HNL, LAX, SFO, SEA, ORD and IAD, as well as through preclearance at a few Canadian airports and at DUB. DUB was definitely the slowest of all. A slow, snaking line that filled a room as large as the whole check-in area of some small airports.

If this was to happen this Melbourne Flyer would find a new love for departing out of Sydney.

Given the extra couple of hours you'd need, there would no longer be any morning flights that would safely connect to the morning departures from SYD, so you'd need to fly up the night before, blow a whole lot of time and money for a SYD hotel, and then be up really early. No, thanks!

Then, once you are through preclearance into the US zone, you've got no access to the usual lounges, shops, etc, just to whatever special things are in the US zone.

I could understand ten years ago how people might think the grass on the other side of the fence is greener, but since the US implemented kiosks, customs and immigration has become quick. I'd way prefer to spend 20 mins at the arrival end than have to set aside an extra hour or two at the departure end.

 

[Comoman]

As I saw this because of US Immigration Preclearance Explained, I'll start with that.


I could understand ten years ago how people might think the grass on the other side of the fence is greener, but since the US implemented kiosks, customs and immigration has become quick. I'd way prefer to spend 20 mins at the arrival end than have to set aside an extra hour or two at the departure end.

Agreed - I was out last week at DFW within 15 mins of leaving the aircraft. Plenty of kiosks, no queue for the stamp and my bags were waiting.

 

[CaptJCool]

36 months to go before anything happens. (Unless it started in 2016)


Perhaps Badgers Creek ?

 

[harvyk]

<snip>

Given the extra couple of hours you'd need, there would no longer be any morning flights that would safely connect to the morning departures from SYD, so you'd need to fly up the night before, blow a whole lot of time and money for a SYD hotel, and then be up really early. No, thanks!

<snip>

I suspect that they would re-time flights to allow for connections from other ports, since I believe a good percentage of pax on such flights do connect from other ports.

Some do go up the night before (and I've certainly done so in the past), but most I would imagine would still want to simply board an early flight from their home port and connect to the international flight on the same day.

Whilst yes, it's BNE not SYD, when I was on QF15 last year and it was delayed 27 hours, QF gave us a hotel for the night. One of the surprising things was just how many pax required a hotel for the night. It would have easily been 50% of the plane. Yes not all have traveled interstate, and there would be a good proportion who simply would have too far to drive rather than fly, but still it was a large percentage of people who where not local.

Also they don't need to leave as early in the day as they currently do. For a while QF had a flight which left SYD at around 5pm and arrived at LAX at 2pm. I loved this flight as it was more natural times for sleeping, there was no OMG'clock start, and I didn't end up in LA at stupid o'clock in the morning then waiting all day before I could check in at my hotel to get some sleep.

 

[TheBOSman]

Don't forget that MCT would be significantly reduced at the arrival airport in USA, facilitating shorter connections. At LAX, TBIT is directly connected to T4, so connections to AA would be easy enough. And at DFW, even easier at Terminal D. I believe AA has domestic-domestic MCT at DFW at 40 minutes as an example, compared to international-domestic MCT of 1:25. At LAX, I believe that MCT is 1:50 or 2:00 I-D, a domestic-arriving QF flight to AA MCT could probably be 50-60 minutes without much issue (I'm accounting for the size of a fully loaded A380 which can affect things), maybe even 40-45 minutes.

 

[Ekka]

Great to see President Trump looking after Australia!

Are you being critical of a democratically-elected President, perchance?

 

[Kremmen]

I suspect that they would re-time flights to allow for connections from other ports, since I believe a good percentage of pax on such flights do connect from other ports.

I guess they might move them a little later. I'd vastly prefer afternoon flights too, but there's no evidence that it might happen, given how seldom they do that now

Don't forget that MCT would be significantly reduced at the arrival airport in USA, facilitating shorter connections.

I don't understand why you'd think this is positive. The MCT on the previous stop in SYD would have to increase by at least as much. Net saving of nothing. (And are you really in a hurry to be on another plane, especially given that it'll be way less comfortable than the incoming international one? My priority on arrival into LAX is to have a shower.)

 

[TheBOSman]

I don't understand why you'd think this is positive. The MCT on the previous stop in SYD would have to increase by at least as much. Net saving of nothing. (And are you really in a hurry to be on another plane, especially given that it'll be way less comfortable than the incoming international one? My priority on arrival into LAX is to have a shower.)

Oh, trust me, I don't think it is a good idea for SYD. I wouldn't want it.

Admittedly...the USA is obligated by multiple treaties to allow me (back) in, and I have Global Entry (via NEXUS), so my perspective might be different than others .