Automated Passport Control (APC)

[P800aul]

Hi

Just wondered if anyone had used the Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks in the US yet, and did they work for families with children under 18? Info on how quick / easy it was would be great.

Thanks

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/automated-passport-control-apc#

Regards

Paul

 

[Jon84]

I can't tell you on using with kids, but I have used them twice. You don't have a choice on using them, they ask you if you've been to USA within 2 years (regardless on how old your ESTA is and if you've used it before), and if you have, they try and get you to use the machines, but when that queue fills up they'll just move you to the counters.

First time, not so great, they were new and the staff didn't make it clear that the whole party had to go to one machine, we ended up in the big manual queue after, so it actually took longer. (The ticket has a big cross through the photo to say you haven't passed.)

Second time, we flew through. Did all our fingerprints and photos on one machine, went through so quickly it was great.

Side note: On the second time, the customs people (before the escalator up to the tram), were being slow, I don't know if that is a new thing for them to check more detail on the customs slips.

 

[disneyholic family]

from that link you posted, it would seem the APC can be used by anyone who has done ESTA and has visited the US at least once after 2008...

we've used the kiosks a lot, but we're americans....does it save time? i suppose...it depends which airport you're arriving at i guess...

are you trying to figure out how much time you'll need to make a connection?
even using the APC, we still have to wait for luggage and customs....that isn't any faster...

 

[Jon84]

but we're americans....does it save time? i suppose...it depends which airport you're arriving at i guess...

It saves time when there is a whole plane of tired Brits queuing up!

 

[disneyholic family]

It saves time when there is a whole plane of tired Brits queuing up!

but overall, i'm not sure how much time you save - you still have to wait for your luggage..
this is important if you're connecting....people shouldn't think that they can reduce from the 3 hour layover just because of the kiosks...

americans have always had less of a wait, but we still have to wait with everyone else for the luggage to make it to the terminal...
this is also an airport dependent issue - for example, JFK seems to send luggage by way of alaska before it reaches the carousel (i have never seen luggage come off more slowly than at that airport - except maybe barcelona)...

and then some airports have customs agents who joyously slow down people...
detroit is notorious for customs delays (the agents there target groups, especially asians, but not only)...
detroit has a green line/red line system (JFK doesn't)..
in detroit there is an agent who stands at the fork and points the direction you must go (with straight arms - go there...go there....amusing as long as you're sent the right way)...
i'm not going to make the SS comparison, but i have to say, i've chuckled with the thought every time i've gone through there...

 

[P800aul]

Hi

We'll we have ESTA and we've been every year since 2009 so I guess we'll get to try them ☺

We fly into Philadelphia and while we have a two hour window anything to relieve the stress of waiting to go through is welcome. The performance at UK airports is unbearable to watch sometimes and I wondered if the US was any different.

Thanks for the info so far still interested ref children under 18.

Regards

Paul

 

[disneyholic family]

Hi

We'll we have ESTA and we've been every year since 2009 so I guess we'll get to try them ☺

We fly into Philadelphia and while we have a two hour window anything to relieve the stress of waiting to go through is welcome. The performance at UK airports is unbearable to watch sometimes and I wondered if the US was any different.

Thanks for the info so far still interested ref children under 18.

Regards

Paul

phillie's pretty good for connections...
i can't remember how good or bad customs is there..
detroit is particularly bad because it has agents who target people both when they arrive from overseas and when they leave as well..
that is, planes that are headed for europe, agents sometimes stand in the jetways and pull people out of line to check how much cash they're carrying out of the US..
they are the scariest looking dudes you've ever seen....really look like stormtroopers, dressed all in black, with black boots....really...SS impersonators..
their favorite target are the planes headed for amsterdam, but they seem to focus on asians...i've only been pulled over once (out of zillions of flights to amsterdam)....if only i had the kind of cash they were looking for!!

 

[wayneg]

We have used them twice. 1st time took longer than the regular line. 2nd time exactly the same time, we walked past the family behind us to get our luggage. I am sure at times its saves loads of time but our experiences not great so far.

 

[Elise79]

We have used them in Orlando and it was quicker as there was already a line in the regular queue and we walked straight up to the kiosk. I didn't join the regular and line and waited to be asked - I just went straight to the machines.

 

[Jon84]

We have used them in Orlando and it was quicker as there was already a line in the regular queue and we walked straight up to the kiosk. I didn't join the regular and line and waited to be asked - I just went straight to the machines.

I think they play about with the layout, my friends said they went right in, but our last time in May we were all funnelled the same way and directed by staff

 

[wayneg]

I think they play about with the layout, my friends said they went right in, but our last time in May we were all funnelled the same way and directed by staff

It was 1 line for us then staff coming up and asking questions and pulling us out, trouble was we had already been in line quite a while so didn't save time.

 

[Jon84]

It was 1 line for us then staff coming up and asking questions and pulling us out, trouble was we had already been in line quite a while so didn't save time.

Yeah the entrance for the machines is too far along the main queue, so once it's backed up past the machines with people who can't use the machines, it slows everything down.

We've got Exit Row seats by the door to try and combat this!

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

I used them in Seattle in June and found it very fast - apart from my sheer incompetance at manageing to get my passport to scan.

I'm a bit worried as travelling with my BF next month - he hasn't been to America for a few years so I'm worndering id they will seperate us and make me use the machine and make him queue up.

 

[disneyholic family]

I used them in Seattle in June and found it very fast - apart from my sheer incompetance at manageing to get my passport to scan.

I'm a bit worried as travelling with my BF next month - he hasn't been to America for a few years so I'm worndering id they will seperate us and make me use the machine and make him queue up.

you don't have to be separated ...you can go with him, but probably he won't be able to go with you..

in the same way, we're americans, but our children's spouses are 'aliens'....so they have to go to the non-citizen line..
they cannot go with us to the US citizen line, but we can go with them to the non-citizen line...which is what we always do...

so all of us go to the non-citizen line so that we're not separated..

bottom line, you can go with your boyfriend, if he has to go to the regular agent desk..

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

you don't have to be separated ...you can go with him, but probably he won't be able to go with you..

in the same way, we're americans, but our children's spouses are 'aliens'....so they have to go to the non-citizen line..
they cannot go with us to the US citizen line, but we can
go with them to the non-citizen line...which is what we always do...

so all of us go to the non-citizen line so that we're not separated..

bottom line, you can go with your boyfriend, if he has to go to the regular agent desk..

Oh thats great - thank you!

 

[zavandor]

I used them and loved them, I went through in a breeze.

 

[P800aul]

Great info thanks guys

Regards

Paul

 

[Dippydawnie]

We used those with our 13 year old at Orlando in August. Don't think it saved much time due to the long Q just to get to the machines (3 english flights landed together-worst Q i have ever seen in the 16 years we have been going!). They were ok to use but then we had to stand in another Q to get the printout with our photo on it to be looked at by an immigration official anyway. When we flew back to Manchester there was no Q at the machines but you weren't allowed to use them if you had anyone with you under 18. Madness. Still all worth it for a Disney holiday.

 

[londontime]

We went through with our 5 and 3 year old. As some have said, the queue is bad just to get to the machines as you are in the tens a barrier queue anyway, and at the final run they split you off left or right dependant on which method you use. They are easy enough, but note you still have to be checked by a immigration official to double check.

 

[Pluto80]

Yeah the entrance for the machines is too far along the main queue, so once it's backed up past the machines with people who can't use the machines, it slows everything down.

We've got Exit Row seats by the door to try and combat this!

We found the same. We did it with our 5 and 9 year old in the summer, but there was an hour long queue before the queue even split, which made it a total waste of time in my opinion.