V-Flyer

My husband and I are flying UC to LHR- BOS on Boxing Day. We last were in the USA in Dec 2013...and entered the USA via the Queen Mary 2!

I have already completed and had approved our ESTAs. And (as stated above) have visited the United States on at least one occasion after 2008.

We haven't used Automated Passport Control (APC) process before. I have already had a look at the very helpful video that MCO provides to show how to use it

But I would be interested to hear recent real passenger experiences of the APC process at BOS Logan.

Any information/advice would be gratefully received!

Cheers

Andy

Devon Bloke wrote:My husband and I are flying UC to LHR- BOS on Boxing Day. We last were in the USA in Dec 2013...and entered the USA via the Queen Mary 2!

I have already completed and had approved our ESTAs. And (as stated above) have visited the United States on at least one occasion after 2008.

We haven't used Automated Passport Control (APC) process before. I have already had a look at the very helpful video that MCO provides to show how to use it

But I would be interested to hear recent real passenger experiences of the APC process at BOS Logan.

It worked for us last New Year. I can't remember whether it was the first visit on a new ESTA though....(thanks for reminding me - I need to check my ESTA status...)

worked for me - but then got forwarded to immigration for the usual questions. where you visting, how long, where your staying, where you travelled from, etc.
Kind of hard to look at the camera only & not look at the screen - so you end up with a photo that does not quite match the passport (guessing the software uses some sort of wire mesh & pin points features like eyes, ears, mouth, nose, etc. - & then see if they match).

Anyway.. no problem using them & it saved tons of time queuing through normal passport control.

Thanks for your replies. We've used the automatic systematic Heathrow when returning from Europe with no problem. But my husband is something of an I.T. Luddite and swears n cusses fit to make a trooper blush when dealing with the self-service check outs at Waitrose! Just hopping the same thing doesn't happen at Logan

I can't comment on BOS but I used it at MIA last night and was out in minutes !!if you get an X on your receipt you have to go and see an official and repeat the old face to face process even thought you've done it all already ( those getting an X on their receipt seemed to be random).
DL

I got an X on mine at MSP last month but that was because the scanner has problems with my finger prints. The officer dedicated to dealing with the APC terminals knew from his screen that what the issue was and the only questions I had were more general chit chat rather than repeating the ones on the terminal.

Devon Bloke wrote:Thanks for your replies. We've used the automatic systematic Heathrow when returning from Europe with no problem. But my husband is something of an I.T. Luddite and swears n cusses fit to make a trooper blush when dealing with the self-service check outs at Waitrose! Just hopping the same thing doesn't happen at Logan

The US machines are easy enough to use but it's a far more involved process than using the UK ones where you just scan your passport and scowl at the camera.

The US ones also ask questions and take your fingerprints before spitting out a receipt which, if it doesn't have a big X on it, you take to an agent for a quick check and stamp in your passport. If you do get the dreaded X you have to queue to see an agent for a standard immigration check.

DragonLady wrote:I can't comment on BOS but I used it at MIA last night and was out in minutes !!if you get an X on your receipt you have to go and see an official and repeat the old face to face process even thought you've done it all already ( those getting an X on their receipt seemed to be random).
DL

The first time I used one of the machines was in Pre-clearance in Dublin earlier this year and I got an X on the receipt. The official there (because there wasn't three plane-loads of passengers waiting to be processed) took time to explain why. He was able to tell me that I had last entered the USA via Vancouver and that it was the first USA entry on a new passport. The alignment of fingers wasn't quite right and didn't match. He took another reading and told me I would have no further problems in going through Immigration in future. He was right. On my recent trip to New York, even though on a new ESTA, I sailed through using the machines.

If I recall correctly, as with the UK machines you have to press on the back of the passport to get it to read properly and I think you can do more than one passport / person at a time.

On arrival at SFO the other evening I didn't notice any of the machines as thank goodness I was the first into an empty ( not for long) immigration hall!
Had a bit of trouble getting the screen, which in my opinion needed a good disinfect, to read my fingerprints. With only hand luggage I was through in record time.
On a different tack coming back through SFO today with VA to San Diego I was directed to the TSA Pre cleared line. This meant no need to remove shoes, belt, jackets, computer and liquids from cases!
Just wondering if their computers have recognised me as a v-flyer?