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What Is NEXUS & Is It Worth It - Travel Tip Tuesday · Travel Mug Podcast

• 0:00
  Hey everyone.
• 0:00
  Welcome back to Travel Tip Tuesday with the Travel Mug Podcast.
• 0:06
  So Meggan, since I just got back from Boston a few weeks ago.
• 0:12
  It was our first time using Nexus, and I wanted to share my experience with you and all of the lovely listeners out there.
• 0:22
  I would love to hear about it.
• 0:23
  Actually.
• 0:23
  I've been anxiously waiting to hear because I know of the experience of getting the card, which I'm sure you'll talk about.
• 0:31
  And then I wanna know what it's all about using it.
• 0:33
  So let's Wow.
• 0:34
  Right.
• 0:34
  So first of all, what is Nexus?
• 0:36
  So it is a trusted traveler program that allows quicker border crossings between Canada and the US.
• 0:45
  So to apply, you have to be a resident of Canada or the US.
• 0:50
  Or a Mexican national who is already a member of Mexico's trusted traveler program, they can apply as well.
• 0:57
  So the fee is 50 US dollars and once approved, the membership is good for five years.
• 1:04
  So I mean, 10 US dollars a year is really not that much.
• 1:09
  No.
• 1:10
  So applying so you have to apply online and send in copies of documents.
• 1:17
  I had to send in like proof of address.
• 1:20
  So our uh, we did like a mortgage paperwork.
• 1:23
  I just fill out my employment history.
• 1:25
  I had to send in passport info.
• 1:28
  It was a lot.
• 1:29
  I had to send in my marriage certificate because I've changed my name, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
• 1:34
  So I first applied back in August of 2022, so that is over a year ago now.
• 1:43
  I didn't get my conditional approval until January of 2023, January or February.
• 1:49
  I think.
• 1:50
  So it was... a while my husband and also some friends applied and they all got their conditional approval in like less than two weeks.
• 2:01
  So I don't know if it's because my maiden name is Jennifer Smith and it is just so common that maybe there was a lot to go through.
• 2:13
  I really don't know.
• 2:14
  Maybe though there was still a lot of Covid backlog at your time, but maybe friend my friend applied on the same day as I did, and she got her conditional approval in like a week.
• 2:25
  oh, it's the Jennifer Smith thing then.
• 2:27
  I think it's the Jennifer Smith thing.
• 2:29
  So yeah, that was that was annoying.
• 2:31
  So once you have your conditional approval, you have to schedule an interview uh, an in-person interview at a Nexus enrollment center.
• 2:42
  So the interview takes place with both a Canadian and an American, um, border security officer.
• 2:49
  So we did ours in Houlton, Maine.
• 2:52
  We just drove to the border, told them we were there for our Nexus interview, and you just go in a building that's like at the border.
• 3:00
  And our interview had both of the officers present.
• 3:04
  In the same room.
• 3:05
  So it basically only the American one asked us questions and the Canadian one was sitting there.
• 3:10
  It was pretty quick and easy.
• 3:12
  They tell you to bring a bunch of documents and I really don't think they looked at much besides our driver's license and our passport.
• 3:19
  They fingerprint you, they take your picture.
• 3:22
  And then you're approved, you're good to go.
• 3:25
  You can also do them now at the Halifax Airport and other airports.
• 3:30
  If you have an outbound US flight, so you do the Canadian part on the Canadian side, and then you do the American part when you're going through customs.
• 3:42
  On the same day as you're traveling.
• 3:44
  Yeah.
• 3:45
  Yeah.
• 3:46
  I mean, you don't get to use ne Nexus on that trip, but you can, you can do it that way.
• 3:52
  So yeah, they, then they mailed us our cards, which I don't think maybe took a couple of weeks.
• 3:57
  So once you get your cards in the mail, you need to activate them and they give you the instructions how to do that.
• 4:04
  It is very important that you activate the cards.
• 4:07
  One would think.
• 4:08
  Yes.
• 4:09
  So when you're booking your flight or checking in for your flight, you have to put your Nexus information, so your your known traveler number into the known traveler number spot.
• 4:20
  So, Also very important.
• 4:23
  So at the airport, when you print your boarding pass, or you have your boarding pass on your phone, it should say TSA pre-check on your boarding pass.
• 4:33
  So that enables you to use the TSA pre-check line.
• 4:37
  So it is my understanding that if your boarding pass doesn't say this, you can't use the line even if you have your Nexus card on you.
• 4:45
  So make sure you put in your number.
• 4:47
  When you're checking in for your flight.
• 4:49
  So using the pre-check line means you don't have to take anything out of your bag.
• 4:52
  We didn't have to take our laptop out, we didn't have to take our liquids out and we didn't have to take our shoes off, and we also had a shorter line.
• 5:01
  So that was very nice.
• 5:03
  When you're going through customs, you also have a. A shorter nexus lane to kind of fast pass your way through that as well.
• 5:11
  And at a land border, there are sometimes nexus lanes to help you go through faster.
• 5:17
  Everyone in the car has to have nexus, so if you're traveling with friends who don't have Nexus, you can't use that lane.
• 5:24
  Sadly, our two closest land borders don't typically have Nexus lands open, but there's not usually a big wait either.
• 5:31
  So it's not.
• 5:32
  No, that's the advantage here.
• 5:33
  Like if you were somewhere like Windsor, Ontario or Yeah.
• 5:36
  Yeah.
• 5:37
  it would be super helpful, but I've never seen the Nexus Lane Open ever.
• 5:41
  No, I don't even know why they built one.
• 5:44
  I don't know why either.
• 5:45
  But usually, like you said, five or six cars, you're good to go.
• 5:48
  Yeah.
• 5:49
  So although the application and interview process was a bit tedious, and I mean we did drive from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick or to Maine to do our interview, I do think the price is worth it and I think it will be especially great at busy airports like when we fly through Orlando MCO in February.
• 6:09
  I think this is gonna be really great.
• 6:12
  So Meggan, have you and Peter ever considered getting Nexus?
• 6:16
  We haven't, and the reason why we do of course travel a lot, but we never fly to the US.
• 6:21
  Like I literally don't even remember, maybe like 2017.
• 6:26
  I flew to Florida to see my mother for like a week when she was staying there over the winter.
• 6:30
  But I don't even know if Peter and I have ever flown to the US together Really?
• 6:35
  You've been to Vegas! Oh yes, in Vegas.
• 6:38
  That's true.
• 6:39
  Yeah.
• 6:39
  And like the last time we were in Vegas was like 2008.
• 6:43
  Right.
• 6:43
  So, Fair mean, I definitely see its benefits if you are a frequent traveler.
• 6:48
  It makes so much sense.
• 6:50
  And it doesn't sound difficult, but we've just never thought of it simply because we would never really use it.
• 6:55
  And like you mentioned, we do a lot of land crossings, , but there's never a line, a lane open for it.
• 7:02
  So I can see how it's gonna be super beneficial for you and can't wait to hear like once you use it at a truly busy airport.
• 7:08
  Yeah, Orlando is insane, so I am looking forward to seeing how that changes our experience at M C O.
• 7:17
  Me too.
• 7:18
  All right, so that is all we have for this week.
• 7:20
  I hope you found it a bit helpful.
• 7:22
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• 7:30
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• 7:35
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• 7:43
  Bye.