KiloWhiskey1
Well Known Member
I’ve been researching and preparing for a Bahamas trip and while listening to a webinar another listener mentioned the FlashPass app as a user friendly way to submit eAPIS manifests. After the webinar I started the process of applying for all the required government permits, which include: two required radio licenses, the US customs decal, and then the eAPIS. By the time I got to the eAPIS website I’d had my fill of government online forms. I got through the gubment’s eAPIS process and even submitted a manifest for a dummy flight, but after entering just one flight with one passenger I was ready to find an easier way. I remembered the mention of FlashPass and decided to download the app to my iPhone. The app allows you to store all the required information needed for future flights in a very simple and user friendly way. After you do the setup it takes less than five minutes to submit your manifest (I just created one and it took 2 minutes 20 seconds, and that was just the second time using the app).
The other thing you’ll never get from the government’s website is personalized customer support. After submitting the first FlashPass manifest, I got a text from a FlashPass rep with recommendations on how to improve my submission. I had left the custom’s decal number blank because I hadn’t received it yet and she pointed that out. She also pointed out some of the important things to remember like calling US Customs one hour prior to arriving back in the US and where to find each Customs office phone number within the app. Lastly, she asked that I save her cell number for use anytime I needed further help with FlashPass. Five star service! I’d highly recommend FlashPass to anyone that’s planning flights from the US to the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, etc..
The other thing you’ll never get from the government’s website is personalized customer support. After submitting the first FlashPass manifest, I got a text from a FlashPass rep with recommendations on how to improve my submission. I had left the custom’s decal number blank because I hadn’t received it yet and she pointed that out. She also pointed out some of the important things to remember like calling US Customs one hour prior to arriving back in the US and where to find each Customs office phone number within the app. Lastly, she asked that I save her cell number for use anytime I needed further help with FlashPass. Five star service! I’d highly recommend FlashPass to anyone that’s planning flights from the US to the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, etc..
