Latest News

Vancouver International Airport recently introduced a new program to speed up the security screening process by allowing travellers to reserve a spot.

Photo by Hannah Scott

Airport introduces new reservation program for security screening

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 2:46 PDT, Thu October 13, 2022

—

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) recently introduced YVR EXPRESS, a new program that allows travellers to reserve a spot at the security checkpoint ahead of their flight.

The express bookings will provide a more balanced flow of passengers through security screening at YVR, helping reduce wait times for security checkpoints and creating a more predictable experience for both passengers and staff.

“Innovation continues to be one of our greatest tools to deliver an exceptional experience for our passengers at YVR. We are thrilled to launch YVR EXPRESS, a free digital platform, to help passengers move through security screening more efficiently,” said Robyn McVicker, vice-president of passenger journey at Vancouver Airport Authority. “We continue to work with our airport partners to make improvements at YVR and are pleased with the level of collaboration to offer the option of advanced booking for security screening to our passengers.”

YVR partnered with Copenhagen Optimization and CLEAR to customize the program and worked with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to support implementation. CATSA is the federal crown corporation responsible for all passenger security screening and YVR is committed to supporting the flow of passengers through this critical process.

Through YVR EXPRESS, travellers add their flight information and the number of people in their party. The system automatically displays open booking times to choose from. Once a slot is selected, a QR code is sent via email for the travellers to present to airport staff at the security checkpoint within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

YVR EXPRESS is free to use and currently available for travel to the U.S. with flights scheduled between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the airport’s E gates. Travellers can schedule their appointment to enter security screening up to 72 hours ahead of their flight’s scheduled departure time or when they arrive at the airport, until 90 minutes before flight’s scheduled departure time.

“Working with our partners, we aim to expand YVR EXPRESS to our domestic and international security checkpoints at the airport over the coming months so that all travellers at YVR have more control over their travel journey,” said McVicker.

Over the past several months YVR navigated various operational challenges amid increased travel demand and post-pandemic labour shortages. From January compared to August, daily passenger volumes increased approximately 170 per cent at the airport.

To learn more about YVR EXPRESS and to book a spot for security screening for travel to the U.S., visit YVR.ca/express.

For additional efficiencies when travelling to the U.S. from YVR, US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) has introduced Mobile Passport Control, an app that will speed up the journey to the U.S. from YVR.

Mobile Passport Control (MPC) is a new app from US CBP that allows travellers to submit information digitally prior to moving through the border process, helping speed up the departures experience from YVR for those travelling to the U.S. The MPC app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play and Apple App store.

Travellers returning to Canada from the U.S. or another international destination are reminded that while ArriveCAN is no longer mandatory, passengers can use the app to digitally submit their customs declaration in advance, helping save time through the border clearance process.