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Aruba TSA - departure info

jaym

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My wife and I leave for Aruba soon from U.S. We already registered online for ED Card so expect no issues upon arrival there. We are registered TSA Precheck since last trip to Aruba.

However, not sure about departure processing when we head back to U.S.
I heard that Aruba's airport does not have a TSA precheck line so we would need to remove liquids, shoes, etc. twice as we've done in past, Aruba Customs and U.S. re-entry check.
Can recent visitors that have TSA Precheck comment? Thanks for any info.
 

classiclincoln

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Aruba does not have Pre Check. I have never been to an island that does. So, yes, you do need to take off your shoes and remove your liquids & computers. The good thing is that you go through US customs in Aruba, so when you land in the states, it's a regular domestic flight.
 

sandkastle4966

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Be prepared for a 3 hour process on Sat / Sunday from entering the terminal to being at your gate. If its less then you can be pleasantly surprised. Weekdays plan on 2 hours.
 

dioxide45

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tsa precheck is domestic only
Yes, only available at domestic US Airports. Though you can use it when flying international from the USA.
 

Mr. Vker

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They do have Global Entry in Aruba when clearing US Customs/Immigration-but as others posted-no precheck for the TSA screening.
 

infamazz

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Be prepared for a 3 hour process on Sat / Sunday from entering the terminal to being at your gate. If its less then you can be pleasantly surprised. Weekdays plan on 2 hours.

Since they've installed the digital US passport/customs screening, the process has been cut in half. The past 3 times we've gone, we've arrived 3 hours early (weekends) to prepare for the wait and found ourselves sitting at the gate an hour after we arrived. However, that being said, I would not recommend pushing it to anything less than 2 hours, just to be safe.
 

dioxide45

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St Thomas & St Croix have TSA Pre check.
Since Aruba is the only Caribbean island (that is not a US Territory) that has US Preclearance. It would make sense that no other Caribbean country has TSA Pre Check. Technically Hawaii is also an Island and I am sure that they have TSA Pre Check also.:)
 

dioxide45

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Since Aruba is the only Caribbean island (that is not a US Territory) that has US Preclearance. It would make sense that no other Caribbean country has TSA Pre Check. Technically Hawaii is also an Island and I am sure that they have TSA Pre Check also.:)
I was wrong on this, looks like Nassau and Freeport Bahamas along with Bermuda also all have preclearance. Though no TSA Precheck.
 

PDX Matthew

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Last year we were at the gate one hour after arriving at the airport. They have US CBP kiosks that any US passport holder can use (possibly also GOES, NEXUS and SENTRI), that really speeds up the process. I don’t know about TSA Pre, but I’ve never found that much help anyway. Half the time when I’ve had TSA Pre I’ve had SSSS on my boarding pass.
 

dioxide45

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Last year we were at the gate one hour after arriving at the airport. They have US CBP kiosks that any US passport holder can use (possibly also GOES, NEXUS and SENTRI), that really speeds up the process. I don’t know about TSA Pre, but I’ve never found that much help anyway. Half the time when I’ve had TSA Pre I’ve had SSSS on my boarding pass.
They have four separate Global Entry kiosks. I did also look around for regular CBP kiosks but didn't see any, though they very well could have been there. On the SW flight to Aruba they did hand out return customs forms that no one asked for when we departed Aruba. We traveled through the special assistance (wheelchair) line and we didn't go to a kiosk or use our Global Entry since there was no line. The CBP officer took our photo.
 

PDX Matthew

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Just got back. We left on one of the first US bound flight of the day (JetBlue, JFK, 2:25 pm). We had to check out of the Marriott Aruba Surf Club at 10:00 am and went directly to the airport. At the airport we checked our bags and then went through Dutch emigration, through a first security screening, collected our bags, went through US immigration (there are kiosks for trusted travelers, but all those traveling together need to be trusted to use them). Then drop off the bags, go through the shopping arcade, then through a second security screening before going upstairs to the departure gates. The airport shopping is expensive - cosmetics, perfumes etc are cheaper at Macy’s.
 

dioxide45

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(there are kiosks for trusted travelers, but all those traveling together need to be trusted to use them)
I believe the kiosks are only for Global Entry, not just any trusted traveler program (like TSA Pre).
 

classiclincoln

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I read somewhere that they are upgrading Queen Beatrix airport so you only have to check your luggage once. I think the new system will be up and running by 2020.
 

Tamaradarann

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I read somewhere that they are upgrading Queen Beatrix airport so you only have to check your luggage once. I think the new system will be up and running by 2020.
Why would you have to check your baggage more than once. We usually check our bags when we get to an airport and don't see them again until we pick them up at our destination?
 

dioxide45

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Sorry, I wasn't clear. It's not that you check your bags twice, you put them through the TSA check twice.
I thought that you checked them at the counter, then you pick them up before going through CBP (immigration and customs) then you drop them again on a belt to go to their final destination?
 

LisaRex

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I just did this 2 weekends ago so you'd think I'd remember. It was a needlessly confusing process, which is only made easier if you just follow veterans who've done it before.

Here's a good summary of how the process works:
http://www.arubabound.com/getthere_early.htm

I will add that if you use Global Entry (which is awesome, BTW), you can bypass one of the longer lines. And you don't need to fill out a declarations form because it will ask you the questions at the kiosk.
 

Tamaradarann

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I just did this 2 weekends ago so you'd think I'd remember. It was a needlessly confusing process, which is only made easier if you just follow veterans who've done it before.

Here's a good summary of how the process works:
http://www.arubabound.com/getthere_early.htm

I will add that if you use Global Entry (which is awesome, BTW), you can bypass one of the longer lines. And you don't need to fill out a declarations form because it will ask you the questions at the kiosk.

We have flown to and from Hawaii a number of times. We pack very heavy with 4 checked bags. At first we would do as we do at other airports and take the lounge to the checkin counter for weighing. However, instead of them putting tags on the bags and taking them to put on a belt for the plane, they would then give them back to you to go to another line for them to be placed on another belt for the plane. Then on another trip we were greeted by a young man who checked us in, put tags on the bags at curbside and said he would take care of them from there. That was much better.

Can we do the same thing coming back from Aruba?
 

PDX Matthew

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We have flown to and from Hawaii a number of times. We pack very heavy with 4 checked bags. At first we would do as we do at other airports and take the lounge to the checkin counter for weighing. However, instead of them putting tags on the bags and taking them to put on a belt for the plane, they would then give them back to you to go to another line for them to be placed on another belt for the plane. Then on another trip we were greeted by a young man who checked us in, put tags on the bags at curbside and said he would take care of them from there. That was much better.

Can we do the same thing coming back from Aruba?
There is no curbside checkin at Queen Beatrix Airport.
 
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