Halifax Airport US Pre-clearance Question

[beckyd13]

We have a direct flight (woohoo!) from Halifax to Orlando next month with Air Canada and I'm just trying to figure out where to go once we're in the Halifax airport. We've always had connecting flights in either Toronto or Montreal.

I plan to check-in online and pay any checked baggage fees online as well. Should I still go to the Air Canada kiosks to print my luggage tags? Or do I go directly to the US Pre-clearance section that's up those escalators on the left side of the terminal?

Sorry if this is a dumb question... I just want to look like I know what I'm doing when I get to the airport in a couple of weeks... lol

 

[charlie2]

I was wondering the same thing . But I don't think US pre -clearance opens till 5am at the Halifax airport ,and our flight leaves at 6:15am direct to Orlando , so I'm guessing that will be to late to Do pre -clearance .

 

[Starwind]

The airport website has a page on traveling to the US, which includes a step by step guide to what to do:

http://hiaa.ca/travel-checklist/travel-to-the-us/

QUOTE:

When you are travelling non-stop to the U.S., you go through the U.S. preclearance facility at the far end of the terminal building (see Frequently Asked Questions below). You will go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection prior to your departure from Halifax so you can get to where you’re going in the U.S. more quickly.

• Go to the far end (north) of the terminal building – simply follow the U.S. Pre-clearance signs displaying the American flag
• Take twin escalators to the second level
• Go to ticket counter and check baggage
• Go through pre-board security screening
• Proceed through U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• Once cleared, go to departure gates. You arrive in the U.S. as a domestic passenger

END QUOTE

They also have a FAQ about preclearance: http://hiaa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/FAQ-English-FINAL.pdf

From the FAQ:

5. What are the hours of operation?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection open at 5 a.m. and all passengers must be processed through by
4:30 p.m. (regardless of your flight departure time).



Also, an idea of what to expect:
http://hiaa.ca/2016/03/halifax-stanfield-speeds-up-u-s-customs-process/

Note the FAQ makes it clear all direct US-bound flights will preclear US customs. If Halifax is like Ottawa (whose preclearance opens at 430 am), they open early-enough to give people enough time to get through the process even if they have an early flight -- the FAQ recommends arriving 2 hours early, which mean you then have checking and security to get through before US preclearance.

SW

 

[beckyd13]

I was wondering the same thing . But I don't think US pre -clearance opens till 5am at the Halifax airport ,and our flight leaves at 6:15am direct to Orlando , so I'm guessing that will be to late to Do pre -clearance .

Are you flying on April 25 by any chance? That's the time my flight leaves, too. I read on older threads about the Halifax airport that people were able to go through pre-clearance with early flights.

And @Starwind ... I did already read the FAQ on the website, but it wasn't clear if I still go to the Air Canada kiosks to print my luggage tags first and THEN proceed to the US pre-clearance section. Or does the ticket counter in the US Pre-Clearance section provide the luggage tags... any idea about that??

 

[beckyd13]

 

[Starwind]

Are you flying on April 25 by any chance? That's the time my flight leaves, too. I read on older threads about the Halifax airport that people were able to go through pre-clearance with early flights.

And @Starwind ... I did already read the FAQ on the website, but it wasn't clear if I still go to the Air Canada kiosks to print my luggage tags first and THEN proceed to the US pre-clearance section. Or does the ticket counter in the US Pre-Clearance section provide the luggage tags... any idea about that??

I haven't departed from Halifax to the US so can't answer based on exxperience.

However, the WestJet page has a bunch of info for Halifax departures, with a section on US departures:
http://www.westjet.com/guest/en/travel/basics/check-in/halifax-terminal.shtml

QUOTE:
Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Where do I go?

Depending on your destination, we are located at two different areas of the terminal.

...

2. U.S. departures

WestJet is Located at the U.S. check-in area located on the second floor at the north end of the terminal (above arrivals). Please proceed here if your WestJet flight is:

Departing Halifax directly to a destination in the U.S.

Security screening for direct U.S. bound flights is adjacent to U.S. check-in.

End quote


based on the combo of airport info and westjet info, it looks like the checkin kiosks for US departures are in the US checkin area which is right by US security.

Hopefully someone who has done it can provide additional information.

Also, calling the airport and asking them might get you the info you need. I have done that for changing in Toronto before and got better info than my airline gave me

SW

 

[Tinkershelly]

Go directly to the US departures level on the second floor, everything you need to do will happen there. There are check in desks and kiosks to print off your boarding passes and luggage tags there. You then give your checked bags to the screeners. Fill out the US Customs declaration form and go through security, then to US Customs and Immigration where they take your declaration card, scan your passport, give you a short interview and then you're done. Head over to the departure area and have a coffee while you wait to board your flight. There is only one way to go once you give your checked bags to the screeners so don't worry about getting mixed up or doing things in the wrong order, just follow the crowd.

 

[beckyd13]

Great! Thanks so much everyone! This answered my question exactly... wasn't sure if they would have ticket counters on the second floor! Didn't think to look on the Air Canada website, but if West Jet has ticket counters up there, I'm sure Air Canada does too. Yay! Only 24 more days until our trip ... now that it's April 1 I get to say we're going to Disney World THIS month! hehe

 

[Minniemoo15]

Yes - go right upstairs as ticket counters for all US departures are there. Air Canada US departures check in lines can get long first thing in the am, just an FYI.

I was wondering the same thing . But I don't think US pre -clearance opens till 5am at the Halifax airport ,and our flight leaves at 6:15am direct to Orlando , so I'm guessing that will be to late to Do pre -clearance .

You will still go through pre-clearance. We flew out of Halifax on our way to WDW 2 weeks ago (height of spring break, mind you)- our flight left at 6am. We got to the airport at 415, checked in (upstairs), went through security, then had to wait for customs to open at 5. There was a very big line, as there are a lot of 6am US flights. By the time we got through (around 5:30am) we had to go right to our gate and our plane was already boarding. I still can't believe they only open at 5am when it is such a busy time to travel.

 

[beckyd13]

Thanks for the confirmation @Minniemoo15 ... Agree that's ridiculous that they wouldn't open earlier... Especially during high traffic times like March break... Oh Nova Scotia though... Behind in everything it seems! Hopefully Late April won't be AS busy as March! I plan to leave Truro around 3am so that should give us lots of time

 

[Minniemoo15]

Thanks for the confirmation @Minniemoo15 ... Agree that's ridiculous that they wouldn't open earlier... Especially during high traffic times like March break... Oh Nova Scotia though... Behind in everything it seems! Hopefully Late April won't be AS busy as March! I plan to leave Truro around 3am so that should give us lots of time

Have a great trip!! I wish it was me going, lol!

 

[Canadian Disney Mom]

Thanks for this! I am flying to FLL on Friday out of YHZ and was not aware there was pre clearance.

 

[charlie2]

Are you flying on April 25 by any chance? That's the time my flight leaves, too. I read on older threads about the Halifax airport that people were able to go through pre-clearance with early flights.

And @Starwind ... I did already read the FAQ on the website, but it wasn't clear if I still go to the Air Canada kiosks to print my luggage tags first and THEN proceed to the US pre-clearance section. Or does the ticket counter in the US Pre-Clearance section provide the luggage tags... any idea about that??

No, we are flying April 23

 

[shameless3]

I frequently go through per-clearance and it depends upon the time of year and the airline if you can go through with early flights. Went with Sunwing one year and they made up go through domestic terminal and screen when we arrived in MCO. Last year I flew to Thailand (via Newark) and my flight went out at 6:15 a.m. They had everyone check in at the international terminal, go through security screening and then wait until 5 a.m. when US customs opened before proceeding to the gate.

 

[CanadaissofarfromDisney]

What everyone said. Got to go from Halifax to LaGuardia then to Orlando but you get to go up the escalators. I always wondered what was up there. Then I got to go up. Enjoy the few from up their!