Author: DCTA

a close-up of a passport

Why you should get NEXUS now!

What is NEXUS? NEXUS is a bilateral immigration and customs program between Canada and the United States. Any person who gets NEXUS is auto-enrolled in Global Entry (but people who register for Global Entry aren’t auto-enrolled in NEXUS.) With this program, you receive a number of benefits: you bypass all lines for customs/immigration at both Canadian and US points of entry, including the US pre-clearance facilities located in Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, and Winnipeg. Moreover, because NEXUS members are also Global Entry members, they have fast-track access to pre-clearance facilities in Aruba, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Shannon, Dublin, and Abu Dhabi. Clearance works by providing your biometric information to a computer system located to the side of immigration, and the system identifies you and clears you automatically. You rarely need to speak to an official, which makes the process of immigration/customs clearance that much easier. Moreover, you receive priority access to a number of security lines (i.e. you use the crew line, or a special line dedicated to NEXUS members), and you’re auto-enrolled in the TSA Pre✓ program

Converting Aeroplan points into US Airways Dividend Miles

Though Aeroplan points are great, they still incur significant fuel charges (which are avoidable), and some of their redemptions aren’t the greatest. One great opportunity to use Aeroplan points is to convert them into US Airways Dividend Miles (USDM). Though USDM will soon be disappearing as the merger with AA continues, the program is still going. I suspect that any remaining points in a USDM account will convert to AA points when the programs merge.

a table with food on it

Trip Report: An Empty Lufthansa First Cabin and Too Much Champagne

Alas, all good things must come to an end – I had to go home. Originally I was booked on UA F leaving from LHR. I decided that was too boring of an option, so I switched my flights as such: LHR-FRA LH C/FRA-YYZ F/YYZ-YGK Y. So, that’s London-Frankfurt-Toronto-Kingston (ONT).

This summer I was studying at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England. This is where I studied: