MtbbikeVanlife

So... Soon to be booking flights to Richmond, Virginia, to look for commercial premises.

There are no direct flights to Richmond from Manchester (or anywhere else in the UK), so we'll be arriving at a hub (probably Philadelphia) and then catching a second flight to Richmond.

My question is.... How much time should we allow for the connection ?

We would have to pass through immigration at the hub (?) and then get to a different part of the airport (at Philadelphia, Terminal A to C). I am assuming that check in luggage would NOT have to be collected until arrival at Richmond.

Shopping around, I can see flights that leave 90 minutes between flights - travelling around Europe this would be plenty of time !

Thanks.

Carl.

HarryTheSpider

Hi Carl,

As I read things, you are travelling by air to the US, and your final destination is to the US. There are no flights direct to your final destination, so you'll be flying in to a hub somewhere, and then on to your final destination.

I'm pretty sure you have to collect your luggage at your point of entry or POE in to the US - and that will be at the first place you land in the US. You will have to collect your checked in luggage, take it through customs & security etc, and also do your immigration stuff here at this time too.

Then you'll be able to head over to the appropriate gate to catch your onward flight.

On this basis I would allow at least 3, if not 4 hours between the time you land at the POE and the time your onward flight departs to Richmond.

If you are coming from outside the EU in to the EU at say, London, and then flying on somewhere within the EU, I'm pretty sure you have to do something similar.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure we'll both find out very quickly - this forum is home to many well informed people!

Cheers

Harry

meauxna

I agree with Harry; you go through Immigration and Customs on your first US stop (or at a preclearance facility, which you are not using).

When you deplane, you go through Immigration first and then you collect your luggage. Go through Customs and there will be a place to drop your bags for onward travel; you'll note that your bags will have been tagged through to your final destination.

90 minutes is probably not sufficient. Normally international arrivals are in one terminal building, domestic in another so it can be quite a hike between them, with a pass through security again (can be time consuming).

Hubcaps

How many of you are there? All passports have to be stamped and the forms filled in for everyone which can take some time.

We didn't have to go to secondary, the guy at the immigration booth did our entry visa things and with 4 of us it took about 30 minutes, this was at Newark. But of course it's all going to depend on the size of the lines, who stamps your visa etc. If flights are an hour and half apart I'd try for 3 hours, gives you time to catch your breath and walk to the complete opposite end of the airport if needed. You might also get asked to open your bags at customs too (we didn't but they did ask what was in a box we had - my iMac).
We also needed to go through passport control and security again to get our connecting flight and this took about another hour because of the queues.

We had 3 hours between our connecting flight and made it with about 20 minutes to spare.

Malashaan

If you're going through Philadelphia then just book some flights and hope for the best. I've never ended up on the "correct" flight out of that damn place in 4 attempts!

Seriously though, you should probably leave 3 hours or so. I've got through in under an hour (that time my onward flight was cancelled entirely) but it's taken me 3 hours as well. One positive I've found is that apart from a bit of vacillating they are generally fairly helpful and efficient and booking you on a new flight within a few hours of the intended one. One time I actually arrived before scheduled after such a rebooking.

penguinsix

Hi,

I think 2 hours is considered the minimum time between flights involving an international connection at most airports in the US. I've seen people do a 90 minute one but they were US citizens traveling with no bags. I would personally aim for maybe 3 hours or so, depending a bit on the airport. Some US airports have separate terminals for international flights such that landing at one requires a tram or a bus to another for the continuation of your flight (sometimes even including a return through the security lines).

Philly is a relatively small international airport. I think I was in and out of their international section in about 20 minutes. It really wasn't a bad line. However, on that flight there was a 'person of interest' who was removed from the aircraft by a SWAT team when we landed so we had to wait on the tarmac for about 20 extra minute while they sorted that out. Doubtful you'll have that experience but it does go to show that anything can happen.

As others have mentioned, generally you claim the luggage on the 'airside' of the airport, i.e. within the secure bubble after immigration but before Customs. You then go through 'nothing to declare' or whatever and often there is a 'drop' on the other side where you put the luggage directly back into the sorting system and it goes to your next flight. Just follow signs and directions. However, at some airports, you take the luggage with you, leave the international terminal (and the security bubble) and then report to the domestic terminal, rechecking bags and re-entering the security line (more time). Can be annoying.

On other matters, consider the airport IAD (Washington Dulles) or BWI (Baltimore-Washington). Dulles is a major hub and has four different airlines servicing London (i.e. more flights = lower prices, sometimes). BWI is a hub for Southwest so pretty cheap flights domestically, and not as big so generally a bit easier to get through customs.

I would try to avoid arriving late on a Sunday night, or late any night as there seem to be fewer people working at the immigration desks off hours.

Good luck.

MtbbikeVanlife

Thanks for the info....

Looks like I will allow a 4 hour connection time (at least on the first trip) - I'd rather have my colleagues moan about the long wait than missed flights !

Is there a need for a similar time on the return trip ? And once we check inbags at Richmond, do we have to collect them again at the connecting airport ?

Thanks.

Carl.

traceym

Normally on the return flight you check your bags and don't see them again until you get to the UK, so you can do a shorter stop over, but as others have said some airports have a bit of a hike from one terminal to another (ie Chicago you have to catch a train between terminals.) Look up the airline and the airports you're using they normally have a list of what flights go from what terminal that should help you work it out.

helwardman

At Newark, I've managed to get through immigration, collect my bags, go through customs, recheck my bags, go through security, find the gate for the onward flight and get to that gate all within a total time of approximately 40 minutes (on several occasions).

It helps if you are first off the plane and walk briskly (or run) to immigration, that way you are front of the line. For me, the longest wait in the process has been getting back through security.

SultanOfSwing

Don't forget that the incoming flight to Philly (or whichever the 1st stop ends up being) could also be delayed for any number of reasons, from problems at the departure airport to weather at Philly, or being put in a holding pattern or anything.

I think your idea of allowing for a 4 hour connection is a good call. When connecting internationally I try to leave at least this. Domestic connections I can do quicker.

Of course, at the other extreme was when I was first moving out here, I connected to O'Hare in Newark. Got through immigration and security with about 2-2.5 hrs to spare and my flight was promptly delayed by 2 hours due to thunderstorms in the area!!

Damned if you do and damned if you don't . . .