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by OJFord 124 days ago
You can use eGates in the UK, same as me as a British citizen (as long as your passport's new enough, probably all of them by now) - that covers it doesn't it? Otherwise I'm not clear what 'pre-clearance' is skipping? Painless for me into Canada too.
3 comments
jen20 122 days ago
Americans can _often_ use eGates into the UK - but the same set of exemptions apply as to British citizens using them. For example, if you're traveling with children under 10, you can't.

However, as others have pointed out, this isn't what pre-clearance is. It's more akin to clearing French passport control and customs in Dover or rather than Calais, and can make the trip substantially shorter than it might be otherwise.

When I still lived in the UK, I found it quicker and more pleasant to fly from Heathrow (or Bristol) to Dublin and then on to the US having cleared immigration during the layover. It's also quite a bit cheaper when you fly from the UK in a premium cabin since Ireland doesn't have the egregious air passenger duties that the UK does.

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PygmySurfer 124 days ago
It saves you the hassle of going through customs when you land at your destination.
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lukeinator42 124 days ago
No, they mean we actually clear US customs in Canada as non-US citizens.
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OJFord 123 days ago
That's what I thought until they mentioned Dublin etc., what does US customs have to do with those in the first place?
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disgruntledphd2 123 days ago
The portion of Dublin airport that has flights to the US is officially American soil. You deal with customs in Dublin airport, and then arrive to a domestic terminal at your US destination. It's very helpful.
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OJFord 123 days ago
But irrelevant in terms of where you might go on holiday from Canada?
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stockresearcher 123 days ago
I was pointing out the convenience of the process that may cause Canadians to enjoy flying to the US on holiday.

If you fly from London to Manchester, what happens when the plane lands? You get up and walk away, right? If you fly from London to Dubai, wouldn’t it be nice if you could just get up and walk away once the plane lands? Aren’t you tired of waiting in lines and ready to just fall into your hotel bed? Canadians can do that if they are flying to Miami or Los Angeles, but not Cabo San Lucas.

You could do this too if you flew from Dublin to New York, but not if you chose London to New York or Paris to New York.

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