robin1234

I have a complicated procedure, since my preferred international airport is over the border in Canada.

Enter Canada by car at Prescott, I show my enhanced NY Drivers License
Leave Canada at YOW, I show my US Passport
Enter UK at LHR, I show my British Passport
Leave UK at LHR, I show my US Passport
Enter Canada at YOW, I show my US Passport, and explain I'm in transit to US
Enter US by car at Ogdensburg, I show my enhanced NY Drivers License

Then get home and go through a mountain of junk mail.

celticgrid

Any particular reason you use three documents? I prefer to only have to keep track / security of a minimum of things such as passports.

My version:

Enter Canada by car at Lewiston, I show my US Passport
Leave Canada at YYZ, I show my US Passport
Enter UK at MAN, I show my US Passport
Leave UK at MAN, I show my US Passport
Enter Canada at YYZ, I show my US Passport, and explain I'm in transit to US
Enter US by car at Lewiston, I show my US Passport

Pulaski

He's a librarian, he likes keeping track of documents.

tonrob

There are no separate exit controls in the UK.

Wintersong

Not sure what you mean by 'separate' but there certainly are exit checks - airlines send information on each passenger to the Home Office.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...cks-fact-sheet

robin1234

Until recently, I had just one U.S. Passport, but on renewing my NYS drivers license recently, I opted for the enhanced dl that serves as a passport, for road crossings to Canada & Mexico. My reason was, we go to Canada, all the time, and this way I just show my dl which is always in my wallet anyway, no need to dig out my full passport. Of course, if going overseas, I have to carry my full passport anyway. As for British passport - maybe a luxury, but if I'm entering Britain I don't want to be showing a foreign passport & explaining myself to an official.

When I entered at LHR a couple of weeks ago, there was a prodigious line for the foreign, and no line to go through the automated entry system ....

robin1234

Yeah well that is in fact the real reason

Jerseygirl

We have NEXUS cards for entering the US and Canada. Arriving at the airport from overseas is a breeze...we more or less just walk straight through...same when we depart.

johnwoo

There certainly was when I entered through Manchester in 2012. There was an EU line and non EU line. The Non EU line being the shorter.
I see no advantage in a USC using a UK passport, other an emotional one, which I got over a long time ago.

Pulaski

He said exit controls. ...... I think the UK recently started tracking exits again.

johnwoo

Yes he did say exit, thank you for pointing out my mistake.
Of course anyone that has ever traveled by air would know that there are no exit lines. Passport have always been checked at the check in counter.
Don't a US resident UK citizens have to show their green cards at check in? it's been a while since I had a green card.

mamasue

Everything Asg says.

tonrob

I had quoted both you and Pollyanna when I made that comment.

Pollyanna had used the word 'separate'. You had said that you believed that the exit record was provided by the airline and not border agents.

My intent was to provide the correct info to Pollyanna and also confirm your belief.
Incidentally there is no passport check at security in most circumstances at many UK airports.

The advantage is (can be) speed. Hit the UK border at, say, LHR at a good time/day and your EU passport gets you through the eGates in 20 seconds vs. a 5 minute wait to see an agent in the non-EU queue. Hit the border at a bad time and you're through the eGates in 10 minutes vs. an hour or more in the non-EU queue. If you visit forums like Flyertalk you'll see that 'bad days' are more and more commonplace due to increasing traffic and staffing issues.

Secondarily, you remove the risk of being interrogated regarding why you're trying to enter the UK, length of stay etc. Might matter for regular visitors, those whose visits include work, uncertain/flexible plans etc.

Steve_

Yeah this, the only point you use your British passport is at the POE in the UK. One time I did quizzed as to where I was from and they looked up the flight information to confirm it, but there is no other way to do it. You have to use your US passport at check-in in both directions because you can't do ESTA and in like manner, Canadians have to use their Canadian passport because we can't do ETA.

Ives

So, just to be clear, I should enter our US passport info on the airline's website, right? I need to enter it at least 72 hours ahead of the flight.