Chicago O’Hare was the first airport in the USA to offer automated passport control terminals beginning in July of 2013. On our way back home from vacation we had the pleasure of experiencing those personally.

I really liked that! There are about twenty terminals in use, for US citizens only. You scan your own passport, the machine takes a picture of you; then you answer those yes/no questions from the current customs form. If you didn’t bring snails or pet cows, this can be done with one click of a button – the machine prints a receipt, and you’re done.

These APC terminals cut the wait down drastically! Two full jumbo’s had just landed, and we were all through immigration way before our luggage showed up.