Requirements for Travelers between US & the Western Hemisphere

What is the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative? The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will require all travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States. This is a change from prior travel requirements. The goal is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors. New Requirements for Travelers Between the United States and the Western Hemisphere   Travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada will be required to have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States.  This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports.   This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States.  Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement. Proposed Timeline for Implementation for Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Requirements The travel initiative requirements will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines.   The proposed implementation timeline is as follows: December 31, 2005 – Passport or other accepted document required for all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America. December 31, 2006 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada. December 31, 2007 – Passport or other accepted document required for all air, sea and land border crossings. Click here to read more about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative on the Homeland Security website.

Arrival Time & Gate Policies

Many travelers often don't realize how important it is to arrive in advance when catching a flight.  Failure to do so will often result in missed flights, frustration, and extra costs for travelers.  Below are some of the current airline arrival time and check-in policies.   

Be sure to ask your travel professional for more details about these policies at the time of your booking!

Airline Arrival Time Policy Gate Check-In Policy Standby Policy Continental Suggested airport arrival times vary by airport location, but can range from 90 minutes to 2.5 hours. Ask your travel agent for information about your departure airport(s) at the time of booking. Domestic flights: Baggage must be checked-in 30 minutes prior to departure and customers are required to be at the gate 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. International flights: Customers are required to be checked-in one hour prior to departure and at the gate 30 minutes prior to departure. Delta Domestic within the United States (including Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands) Passengers are required to check bags at least 30 minutes before departure (45 minutes for Las Vegas and Denver) For flights from San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport or St. Thomas Cyril E. King Airport passengers are required to check bags at least 60 minutes before departure Delta Shuttle: Baggage check-in must be complete 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure time International For travel to/from Africa, Asia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, India, Latin America, Mexico, and South America (and all other points outside the 50 U.S. States and the District of Columbia), passengers must be checked in at least 60 minutes before scheduled departure For travel from Bogota Columbia, Nassau Bahamas, Providenciales Turks & Caicos passengers must be checked in at least 120 minutes prior to departure. For travel from Tel Aviv Israel, passengers must be checked in at least 150 minutes prior to departure. Domestic (within the 50 U.S.) Customers are required to be checked in and at the gate at least 15 minutes before departure. For flights from San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport or St. Thomas Cyril E. King Airport Passengers must be checked in and at the gate 45 minutes prior to departure. Delta Shuttle® Must be at the gate at least five minutes before departure for guaranteed seating. International Passengers must be at the departure gate and available for boarding at least 45 minutes before departure. Customers with checked baggage must declare at check-in if they intend to stand-by for another flight. United Domestic Customers are asked to arrive 60 minutes before their flight if they are not checking bags and 90 minutes before their flight if they are checking bags International Customers are asked to arrive 2 hours ahead of flight time for international flights.  Domestic Reservations are subject to cancellation if the customer is not available for boarding at the gate at least 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time for travel between U.S. cities (Hawaii - 30 minutes), to/from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. International flights Reservations are subject to cancellation if the customer is not available for boarding at the gate at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.