Along with all airlines operating cross-border flights, Kenmore Air is subject to a set of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations known collectively as the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). APIS requires that prior to boarding any international flight, Kenmore Air transmit to CBP and receive a positive vetting response from CBP for the identity and citizenship information of every passenger and crew member aboard the flight. This information consists of full legal name (including middle name) as it appears on your passport, date of birth, citizenship, country of residence, passport number and expiration date, and passport country of issue. In addition, for non-U.S. citizens entering the United States, additional information on “person status” is required — specifically, where the passengers are staying in the United States or connecting flight information if they are in transit to another country through the United States.
The need for Kenmore Air to get CBP’s OK on all transmitted passenger information before boarding international flights and the potential for flight delay if any of the transmitted information is missing or inaccurate are the reasons for Kenmore Air’s 45-minute check-in requirement for international flights. This time is required to enable CBP to respond to any last-minute changes to our flight manifests, such as no-show passengers. Without extending our check-in time, we would have inadequate time to meet CBP’s reporting and vetting requirements, with the potential that flight departures could be significantly delayed. We apologize for the inconvenience.