What Is Nexus & Is It Worth It?

TTT 55 - NEXUS
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Hey everyone. Welcome back to Travel Tip Tuesday with the Travel Mug Podcast. So Meggan, since I just got back from Boston a few weeks ago. It was our first time using Nexus, and I wanted to share my experience with you and all of the lovely listeners out there.

Meggan: I would love to hear about it. Actually. 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. And then I wanna know what it's all about using it. So let's

Jenn: Wow. Right. So first of all, what is Nexus? So it is a trusted traveler program that allows quicker border crossings between Canada and the US. So to apply, you have to be a resident of Canada or the US. Or a Mexican national who is already a member of Mexico's trusted traveler program, they can apply as well. So the fee is 50 US dollars and once approved, the membership is good for five years. So I mean, 10 US dollars a year is really not that much.

Meggan: No.

Jenn: So applying so you have to apply online and send in copies of documents. I had to send in like proof of address. So our uh, we did like a mortgage paperwork. I just fill out my employment history. I had to send in passport info. It was a lot. I had to send in my marriage certificate because I've changed my name, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I first applied back in August of 2022, so that is over a year ago now. I didn't get my conditional approval until January of 2023, January or February. I think. 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. 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. I really don't know.

Meggan: Maybe though there was still a lot of Covid backlog at your time, but maybe

Jenn: friend my friend applied on the same day as I did, and she got her conditional approval in like a week.

Meggan: oh, it's the Jennifer Smith thing then.

Jenn: I think it's the Jennifer Smith thing. So yeah, that was that was annoying. So once you have your conditional approval, you have to schedule an interview uh, an in-person interview at a Nexus enrollment center. So the interview takes place with both a Canadian and an American, um, border security officer. So we did ours in Houlton, Maine. 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. And our interview had both of the officers present. In the same room. So it basically only the American one asked us questions and the Canadian one was sitting there. It was pretty quick and easy. 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. They fingerprint you, they take your picture. And then you're approved, you're good to go. You can also do them now at the Halifax Airport and other airports. 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.

Meggan: On the same day as you're traveling.

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you don't get to use ne Nexus on that trip, but you can, you can do it that way. So yeah, they, then they mailed us our cards, which I don't think maybe took a couple of weeks. So once you get your cards in the mail, you need to activate them and they give you the instructions how to do that. It is very important that you activate the cards.

Meggan: One would think.

Jenn: Yes. 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. So, Also very important. 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. So that enables you to use the TSA pre-check line. 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. So make sure you put in your number. When you're checking in for your flight.

So using the pre-check line means you don't have to take anything out of your bag. 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. So that was very nice. 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. And at a land border, there are sometimes nexus lanes to help you go through faster. 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. Sadly, our two closest land borders don't typically have Nexus lands open, but there's not usually a big wait either. So it's not.

Meggan: No, that's the advantage here. Like if you were somewhere like Windsor, Ontario or

Jenn: Yeah. Yeah.

Meggan: it would be super helpful, but I've never seen the Nexus Lane Open ever.

Jenn: No, I don't even know why they built one.

Meggan: I don't know why either. But usually, like you said, five or six cars, you're good to go.

Jenn: Yeah. 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.

I think this is gonna be really great. So Meggan, have you and Peter ever considered getting Nexus?

Meggan: We haven't, and the reason why we do of course travel a lot, but we never fly to the US. Like I literally don't even remember, maybe like 2017. I flew to Florida to see my mother for like a week when she was staying there over the winter. But I don't even know if Peter and I have ever flown to the US together

Jenn: Really? You've been to Vegas!

Meggan: Oh yes, in Vegas. That's true. Yeah. And like the last time we were in Vegas was like 2008.

Jenn: Right.

Meggan: So,

Jenn: Fair

Meggan: mean, I definitely see its benefits if you are a frequent traveler. It makes so much sense. And it doesn't sound difficult, but we've just never thought of it simply because we would never really use it. And like you mentioned, we do a lot of land crossings, , but there's never a line, a lane open for it.

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.

Jenn: Yeah, Orlando is insane, so I am looking forward to seeing how that changes our experience at M C O.

Meggan: Me too.

Jenn: All right, so that is all we have for this week. I hope you found it a bit helpful. As always, you can find us on our website travel mug podcast.com, and we're on Facebook and Instagram at Travel Mug Podcast. And we would love it if you would leave us a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. You can support us through buy Me a Coffee or share the show with a travel loving pal, and we will chat with you again soon. Bye.