We are curious about something and wondering if anyone else has had this happen. We went to the USA over Xmas from YYC and had the usual security screening, including the "enhanced" electronic device screening - remove / display our laptop, phones and even our medical devices had to be removed from their cases and screened. I was even told I had "too many liquids" even though I took no more than I usually take. Anyways, on the way back from the USA it was a completely different security procedure - nothing came out of their bags or containers, not even our ziplock of liquids, didn't have to take our footwear off, security didn't even have bins to put anything in. We are wondering why the different security procedures? thanks.

I had the exact same experience in November coming back from Florida.

it can vary 100% depending on the border agent you get.. it can ve as intense or as breezy as they feel so fit. strange though as it would be of more sense to have same protocols

Security searches are conducted by the TSA, not border/customs officials.

I think the Americans are more concerned about who is entering their country. When checking in in a US airport, they don't care who is leaving and you don't go through Canadian Customs until you land in Canada.

Seriously I can’t say any of my experiences crossing the border has ever been the same! Sometimes I get the shabam and others I get waived through. No matter where I traveled in North America I was never able to predict what experience I was going to have. Policies literally change overnight and enforcement is totally subjective to the mood of the border guard. There is no rhyme or reason to it, it seems.

That's how it seems to me too! We were fully prepared in the US to start dragging out all our electronics, liquids, etc. etc. Then I wondered if it was country-specific - going to the US vs. going to Canada. It's so random!

the first time I went to the states they wouldn’t even let us bring GUM (ABSOLUTELY no food) on the plane going in but was not subjected to any major checks and was pretty much a breeze: However the trip home everything happened. First my bag was swabbed for explosives, had to take off my shoes empty my bag, etc. It was so bizarre. The next trip, completely the opposite. Other times I have come back from Mexico WAAAY over my limit for alcohol (and am honest about it) and don’t get a single duty charged and then one time I was 1 bottle over and had to pay $20! (Which is a lot for an already $100 bottle) still not clear how they determine this. But on a side note- when coming home we found statistically that if we catch a later flight and arrived after 11 pm-3am they seem to not give a damn about extra alcohol or tobacco and just wave you through if your honest.

Kathy we are super strict in Canada when travelling to the US because we are following their rules to entering their country. It’s because of the US that we have the enhanced screening procedure and that you have to remove shoes, etc. That’s their laws.

Dawna Are you referring to screening officers or customs officers?

not sure the difference? I find the experience both entering and leaving Canada to always be different. Regardless of if it’s Canada customs or foreign customs. Pretty much from the time I arrive at the desk to picking up my car is never the same.

Dawna screening officers are where you first enter, put your bags in bins and walk through the metal detector. Customs officers are at the counter afterwords where they check your passport and ask questions, etc. Either way, the whole process is meant to be random and different to keep everyone on their toes, not able to predict what will happen at checkpoints. If everything was constantly the same it would be easier make attacks/ bring something illegal or dangerous through.

Flew in and out of OKC 6 or 7 times over a 6 month period. Every time was different. Even with the same officers sometimes. I questioned it once... only once. Now I just smile and nod and follow directions.

yeah sounds like the thing to do lol

They must have put you in the TSA Pre Check line for whatever reason. You usually need to have Nexus for this where you input your Known Traveller number when you are checking in online but they can send you in that line without TSA Pre
on your boarding pass. When you are in the pre check line you don’t need to do any of the things you had to do on the way out and they don’t use bins to speed up the security process.

If there is a dog on duty to sniff luggage, can move very fast too

no doggie - probably just as well as I would have wanted to pet it (likely a no no).

The whole thing is to be random to keep everyone on their toes and not be able to predict what will happen at checkpoints. Same thing for the questions asked by Customs Officers in Canada or the USA. Never the same questions.

Yes 100000%

We are nexus but find in Canada the security routinely makes us open everything whether flying within Canada or to the US. This differs from the TSA precheck in the states. Not sure why they are so different.

we have a few trips coming up to the US & are thinking of getting our Nexus passes.

The last flight we took to US, they were going to put us through the Nexus line since noone was in it. But my boarding pass was the lucky winner of the SSSS random security check code, and Nexus doesn't bypass that.

Kathy it’s worth having if you travel enough

Jay so true!

How long does it take to get it Brenda our next trip could be as early as May but definitely we are going in July.

I would apply now, it can take awhile to get a appointment, but if you check cancellations or are willing to drive to another location you should hopefully get it done.

Calgary doesn’t have a true nexus Lane like they did in the old international terminal. Which is why liquids and stuff have to come out. It’s separated for nexus users, but not a true nexus lane.

Brenda hi - how do you check cancellations? I have an appt 3 months away but I'm travelling much sooner than that - thx

Lori on their website you can go in and check.

Bryanna true, but even in Vancouver the security screening is more rigorous than the American

Brenda because the us has mandated higher screening from countries into the us. Especially with all the electronics and things.

Bryanna even when flying in Canada only, so the Canadian protocol is different than the American regardless whether it is domestic or not. I would understand the reverse.

Me to same experience coming back after our cruise in December. Security can choose to do what they want and the rules have changed a great deal at the end of November as well

You can never prepare adequately, and you will always be wrong. This is deliberate, to keep everyone guessing and to put you at a psychological disadvantage when dealing with the personnel.

Yup. Well put.

My 11 month old has a medical device, clear plastic, very visible/obvious that nothing can be concealed. They swabbed her hands "to bring Canadian guidelines into sync with Europe and the USA" right....

Wow incredible. Sorry to read this ):

It's not a huge deal, but honestly, what are they expecting to find on a baby?

Erin Right???

I agree Erin, but some people use babies as a guise. Your post touched home as being off topic, my son whom did a tour in Iraq and on a patrol a lady pushed a baby carriage into the path of a 20 vehicle convoy. The reaction of the lead driver was to stop, backing up a 20 vehicle convoy which then came under attack from various buildings, henceforth thereafter there was no stopping when this occurred a number of times afterwards. My son doubts that a baby was ever in a carriage when this tactic was used, but irregardless the value some people use can be appalling.

I totally get what you are saying Jim, but this was Calgary airport, not Iraq. Out of curiosity I did ask if they swab people's hands in wheel chairs and they said no.

Erin I agree, people are people though

I work at yyc. We have to swab any medical devices and search and swab wheelchairs, if the person stays sitting in the chair, they get a swab as well. We are all just doing our job. Calgary is the base for our company and we have a lot of strict oversight.

What is the purpose of swabbing a medical device? Because you are not legally allowed to ask a person to remove it and cannot x-ray it? Also they did not actually swab her device, just her hands.

Erin exactly, we can’t ask anyone to remove a medical device and yes it depends on which device, either swab of device or swab of person with device.

The rules for swabbing said things have changed many times, and are becoming more strict as time passes because of incidents happening all over the world, I’m sure

Must share wonderful security experience in Manchester on Dec 30th. Went thru security and forgot I had water in a bottle that was in a zippered water carrier. When the security agent took bottle out he asked if I wanted the bottle and I said yes, so he took the bottle and emptied and returned to me
. Most agents would have just thrown it away - too bad, so sad.

U.K. are far more advanced in security procedures than the U.S./Canada, they’ve been dealing with terrorism for hundreds of years, so they don’t waste time on the obvious.

It's likely security is adjusted to where threats are expected at that time.

I always get the feeling that the States doesn't want anything coming into their country, but are happy to let the rules slide when sending people out.

With travel to the ISA, it is a transboarder flight. Even tho we are traveling to a different country, it isn’t really viewed as “international”
When we fly from USA to Canada it is considered a domestic flight, and that’s why you don’t clear USA customs before you leave. Just when you enter Canada.
Domestic procedures are followed in these cases.

I think because Canada doesn't station or post security in foreign airports to screen and does so upon arrival, where as often the US has security posted internationally. If you land in the US from a country that doesn't use US security at the airport you get screened upon arrival, if you went through US customs boarding you simply walk off the plane and grab luggage.

Lethbridge used to fly international to the US and I always went through immigration and security upon landing, whereas outta Calgary it is completed prior to boarding.

I've only witnessed one person whom was swabbed test positive for explosives, flying outta Great Falls and thought holy cow, she's on our flight, a nice elderly lady and sitting across from her during her extra screening it was due to her using hair gel she put on in the parking lot prior to security and not washing her hands afterwards!

I once had a positive test when swabbed. Turns out it was some kind of hand lotion that they were handing out samples of in the airport. The agent said they had had a lot of positives that day.

Because the US is becoming a totalitarian government which is attempting to isolate itself so it can control its citizens better...thus making it more difficult to cross the border and ensure others dont bring in anything to influence their tactical stripping away of citizen's rights. But hey, that will also soon change for Canada since Trudeau is giving US border agents increased powers on Canadian soil.

What type of increased power?

He is giving them the same powers tgey gave in the US so US border agents will have the ability to search without warrents, seize property without adhering to Canadians rights, all of this on Canadian soil, he is setting a dangerous precedence with the US, after giving them increased powers...it could open the door for the US to challenge territorial borders based on Immenent Donain within their constitution and Canada could find itself embroiled in challenges to its sovereign rights. Stupidity to allow the US greater powers on Canadian soil.

How about its all about your safety while flying?! There's very good reasons for all that they do and because of what they are doing, planes are not being hijacked or blown up. How about a little gratitude.

I'm very grateful. Just wondered at the differences.

Sorry that is fair. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority has strict guidelines that all checkpoints must follow. On top of that the US Government has placed mandates that have to be followed by all countries with flights going directly into the US. It is the US that has a strict rule that passengers remove their shoes when flying to the US with the few exceptions of Nexus security lines. Please also note that in the Nexus agreement, that card is to expediate only through Customs, not Security. If there is a Nexus line in a Security Checkpoint, that is just a bonus and not an entitlement.

Agreed, last flight from Vegas I didn't have to remove shoes, belt, hat, etc. but did get my iPad and cellphone swabbed! Lol

Tracey YES

Canada border security are pretty random, the guys are usually polite -just hope you don’t get a female when you’re coming back!

Land border is much nicer than airport.

I had the crappiest day at Couttes with a female officer because I dared to ask her for help to fill in a form for commercial import, on an ancient PC.
She told me ‘Quote’ “show attitude to ME and I’ll make your life as difficult as possible”!
All I did was ask for help- the male
Officer on duty before her couldn’t have been nicer! I do believe being a mean and nasty piece of s***t is a qualification for the job! I was back and forth for work to and from the US, so knew pretty much the ropes.