I haven’t flown to Canada in several months, and I haven’t noticed any technical issues with NEXUS kiosks. I’m not surprised that this excellent program is popular. With a trip across the border next week, hopefully there won’t be any delays. I never had to wait more than a minute to get to a NEXUS kiosk.
My occasional travel across the border made the NEXUS application very worthwhile, especially since it makes me eligible for PreCheck and Global Entry.
New benefits for NEXUS Members
Today I received a letter announcing some new benefits to the NEXUS program:
Dear NEXUS Member,
I am writing to personally thank you for being a valued member of the NEXUS trusted traveller program, which is administered by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Over the past few years, NEXUS has received tremendous interest and seen a marked increase in its membership as we approach the million member milestone.
In addition to the expedited clearance which has characterized the program, NEXUS members receive further benefits as a result of the Government of Canada’s Beyond the Border Action Plan, which include:
- Streamlined membership renewal process;
- Eight new NEXUS lanes at six of our major land ports of entry;
- Expanded Trusted Traveller Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) security screening lines in pre-clearance areas at major Canadian airports; and
- Expedited clearance through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre-Check lanes at over 100 participating U.S. airports for domestic, trans-border and select international flights.
In 2014, the CBSA will be replacing its airport kiosks with ‘next generation’ technology that will provide even faster, more reliable and more efficient services to facilitate your travel. Admittedly, our current technology has reached the end of its lifecycle. As a result, some of you may have recently experienced difficulties using the NEXUS kiosks, caused by outages at one or more of our participating locations. We understand that your time is important and that you expect a more efficient and smooth travel experience as a key benefit from the program. Should you encounter a non-operational kiosk at any time, please proceed to the CBSA Special Services Counter to continue receiving expedited clearance.
The NEXUS program will continue to represent a critical element of the CBSA’s commitment to delivering effective border management at Canada’s ports of entry. As we continue to modernize and improve the program, we look forward to providing you with the services you expect.
Yours sincerely,
Luc Portelance
I’m interested at what this next generation technology might be. I couldn’t find any additional information about it beyond this letter. Have you experienced issues with the current NEXUS kiosks?
Changes in pre-clearance areas for trans-border flights
There is currently a trial Trusted Traveler Traveller program at Toronto Pearson Airport for the US Pre-clearance area. I presume this is what is mentioned in the above letter. This seems to be quite similar to PreCheck in the US. I’m not going through Pearson on my next trip, so I won’t get to experience it. This seems like a big improvement for a typically busy screening area.
On November 13, 2013, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) began a pilot for a new, expedited screening line for NEXUS members. This line is located at the security screening checkpoint for flights to the U.S. in Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson International Airport. NEXUS members who participate in this pilot will be permitted to:
- Keep shoes, belts and light jackets on
- Leave laptops, large electronics, and compliant liquids, aerosols and gels in carry-on bags.
Security screening while traveling is never a pleasant experience. Trusted Traveler programs such as NEXUS and PreCheck help reduce some of the hassle. True enhancements (not the usual kind with most travel loyalty programs) to these programs are always appreciated.
