Minimum age to use self service immigration kiosks?

[TinselAngel]

Hi
My sons will be 14 and 17 when we travel to Orlando. Does anyone know if they will be able to use the self-service kiosks? Or will we have to go to the desks?

Thanks

 

[pickers1982]

Hate those desks they take so long!

 

[Elise79]

Originally they said no minimum age but there was reports of them sending anyone with under 18s to the desks.

 

[tinks_1989]

When we were there they were only choosing adults. We went to the desk but we were third online any way

 

[TinselAngel]

Originally they said no minimum age but there was reports of them sending anyone with under 18s to the desks.

Thanks - my two are very tall (the eldest will be 18 while we are away and is about 5'11, and the youngest is bigger than him) so I'm hoping they will steer us towards the kiosks thinking they are both over 18

 

[TinselAngel]

When we were there they were only choosing adults. We went to the desk but we were third online any way

Thanks - hoping that we will benefit from others using the kiosks even if we can't.

 

[2Tiggies]

When I posted on their FB page a couple of months ago they said 14. Do they not start to do the finger print scan from 14? Apparently you can still use the kiosks if you have children as long as you have an ESTA, but you will only partially complete the process and then finish off at a desk. I am going to give it a go if I can anyway just to see for myself how it works. I generally like self service anything when given the choice.

 

[wilma-bride]

I used the kiosks when I visited last month. Immigration was the quickest it has been in quite some time but we were the only flight landing then. As we were going through the line, they were asking if people in your party had visited in the last two years and, if the answer was yes, you were being directed to the kiosks. There was no mention of age but they were directing those with kids to the regular line.

We were through immigration in 20 minutes - but then had to wait over half an hour for the luggage

 

[2Tiggies]

We were through immigration in 20 minutes - but then had to wait over half an hour for the luggage

We have always been fortunate with speedy immigration, whether clearing at MCO or another US airport ..... but aside from once, we have always had to stand around for ages waiting for luggage. You can't win

Why do they ask if you've visited in the last two years, not whether you have visited before? Are they checking if you are still on the same ESTA as you used the last time perhaps?

 

[wilma-bride]

We have always been fortunate with speedy immigration, whether clearing at MCO or another US airport ..... but aside from once, we have always had to stand around for ages waiting for luggage. You can't win

You're right - but then it wouldn't have mattered even if the luggage was quicker as we then had a 30 minute wait for the (not so) Magical Express to leave

 

[TinselAngel]

Thanks all - hopefully it will be much quicker - our longest ever wait was our first time - over 2 hours after a five hour flight delay as well, so anything is better than that. Just read on another forum about someone getting in yesterday and doing immigration, bags, customs, collecting car and going to the loo all in 1 hr 15 mins. This guy was in row 60 of the Virgin flight that got in at 3:00 (presumably VS75 from Manchester), so not even first in the queue. I would be well pleased if we got through that quickly.

 

[Scrap_Vamp]

I used the kiosks when I visited last month. Immigration was the quickest it has been in quite some time but we were the only flight landing then. As we were going through the line, they were asking if people in your party had visited in the last two years and, if the answer was yes, you were being directed to the kiosks. There was no mention of age but they were directing those with kids to the regular line. We were through immigration in 20 minutes - but then had to wait over half an hour for the luggage

Was this visited Florida in the last two years or anywhere in the US? I've just got back from New York, and my MIL was in Florida about two years ago but for everyone else it has been three or more years, or not at all!