Two for the Price of One: Streamlined Immigration? Hmmm
In this epic…
- Two for the price of one? Or when two become one?
- Off to Manchester Airport on the edge of my seat…
- BA Domestic – BA1387 Manchester Airport to London Heathrow
- Heathrow Transit, American Airlines Flagship Lounge
- American Airlines – AA87 London Heathrow to Chicago, Main Cabin
- Streamlined Immigration?
- The Crowne Plaza O’Hare
- Evening adventures with the Sony A5000
- The Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Off to O’Hare, American Airlines Admirals Club
- American Airlines – AA1205 Chicago O’Hare to Boston Logan
- A Boston Omnishambles
- British Airways – BA202 Boston Logan to London Heathrow Terminal 5 in World Traveller Plus
- Transit and changes… from holiday to work, British Airways Galleries North Lounge
- British Airways – BA974 London Heathrow to Hamburg
- IBIS Budget St Pauli, Hamburg
- Trade Show 101 (or… don’t sleep on your glasses).
- Pounding the Halls of AIX – What you might had missed…
- A Walk around the Hamburg Dom
- Rushing back to Hamburg Airport
- British Airways – BA967 Hamburg to London Heathrow
- Homeward bound
- Mixing business with pleasure
As I wrote earlier – entry into the USA requirement seem to have been modified. For me as a returning visitor on an ESTA, I could utilise the Automated Passport Clearance machines.
And in theory – this is a good thing as it should cut down the time to enter the USA.
The first part is quite quick as the automated passport clearance machine part did its job, and I got my receipt to enter the United States of America.
Sadly, the next bit – the 20 minute wait to be seen was a lot more annoying. I used to be able to judge switchback waits to 10 minutes/per switch back. I’m now estimating about 5 minutes per switchback at Chicago O’Hare.
And yes – more queues.
And this is the problem with APC – The automated part is brilliant as it gets people through the initial screening process quickly. The problem is are never enough agents on the other end of the process to clear people in a reasonable time.
You just can’t win.
At least with the US immigration form is now combined with the customs form for some citizens – and that’s been a long time coming.
Less paperwork is good in the world.
With the long wait to be seen and cleared by the border agents, my luggage was merrily doing the rounds on the luggage carousal.
I picked up my bags, and headed to the less popular Customs clearance point (one customs point is always rammed solid at O’Hare… the other is comparatively quiet).
After handing over the APC form, I was let into the United States. Another semi painless immigration experience… just the usual wait to be screened.
It felt like 30 minutes was average to clear the queue – be it the APC method or the old manual ESTA clearance method.
It’s as if not a lot has changed on that front.
Welcome to Chicago!
I made my way through the crowds, and let my parents know I was in Chicago. That done, I headed to the taxi rank to take me to the first of the two hotels I would be using this trip – the Crowne Plaza O’Hare.
Working out your taxi fare – a science in itself. Depending if the driver decides your hotel is in Rosemont… or not.
Next: Crowne Plaza O’Hare
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