maggot50

Trying to plan a flight I been given an option with a 2hr15 transit in this airport to make my connection. Is this long enough for customs blah etc I checked the airport and it appears it only has 1 terminal but to make a domestic connection does one have to go through security again?? Alternative is 7hr transit!

Thanks

zerlesen

It is possible for things to go so wrong that you can't make a 2 hour connection, but personally I'd give it a shot, assuming there's nothing in your US travel history that would tend to indicate a trip to secondary.

customsquestion

Where are you flying from and what is your final destination?

All arriving passengers once they clear immigration to get onto a connecting flight have to clear security so far as I am aware.

maggot50

London to Pittsburgh I thought if your connecting flight was in same terminal you wouldn't have to go through security again.

No don't have security issues

customsquestion

From london you can also fly into New York, Boston or Philly and get a short flight from their to pittsburgh. There are other options apart from DC. You could maybe look at using the pre clearance at Dublin flying london to dublin through immigration at dublin and then onto JFK, Chicago and I think Philly as well. If you preclear immigration at Dublin that might save some time you land as a domestic passenger

yellowroom

I've never got through immigration at Dulles in less than two hours from landing. This is due to the silly Mobile Lounge system they use for getting you from the plane to the immigration hall, and my flight always seeming to arrive at the same time as other flights from dodgy areas of the world. Means all the passengers ahead of me in the queue are grilled for 10 minutes at a time and it takes forever!

However, if you get a seat at the front of the plane and can get off first and there are no other flights arriving in at the same time you could probably do it in less than that time.

customsquestion

You can be through jfk in 45 mins to an hour again depending upon seat selection. If you get a seat close the front you will be infront a lot of the people on the plane at least. The Dublin pre clearance video says the whole thing can be done in 45 minutes to an hour at that location and that includes customs though I have never tried it.

MarylandNed

If you are entering the US at Dulles (or any other US airport), you have to clear US immigration after getting off the plane. After that, you collect any checked bags and go through US customs. If you have a domestic connecting flight, you take any checked bags to the "re-check" desk to check them in again for your onward domestic flight. Then you go through security again for the domestic flight.

2h 15m should be enough time assuming you don't get hauled in for secondary inspection. I recently flew from Cancun, Mexico to Baltimore via Charlotte and was hauled in for secondary inspection at Charlotte. I had a 1h 27m stopover and almost missed my connecting flight to Baltimore because of the secondary inspection.

Guindalf

No, you DON'T go through security twice unless you leave the airside area.

However, my last flight from London (through Dulles) landed about 20 minutes late and, because of bad weather, several international flights arrived at the same time. I missed my connection and had to wait until past noon the next day to get home. This involved a hotel stay at my own expense.

I had a 1:45 connection time, but it took over 2.5 hours to get through. There is a train system to get to the domestic gates after you've cleared immigration and customs.

scrubbedexpat099

My Brother came through Miami.

2 hour layover, took longer than that to clear immigration.

Tuesday.

MarylandNed

This is not true. International passengers go through TSA screening again at Dulles before getting a connecting flight.

http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/884.htm

After clearing U.S. Customs at Dulles, passengers must claim their checked luggage before proceeding in to the Main Terminal or to a connecting flight. All luggage in the U.S. Customs area is subject to inspection. To check-in luggage for a connecting flight, simply hand it to an agent in the baggage re-check area before exiting.

Passengers transfering to a connecting flight will need to clear screening by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA). If you cleared Customs from the C-Gates, you will go through TSA screening immediately afterwards then go up one level to the C-Gates Concourse. If you cleared Customs in the IAB, you will enter the Main Terminal where you can follow signs "TO ALL GATES" for TSA screening.


From http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/2540.htm

Passengers arriving on International flights will not ride AeroTrain because they must first clear U.S. customs.


This is the same process I went through earlier this week when I came through Charlotte from Mexico. I first cleared US immigration, collected my checked bags, went through customs, re-checked my bags at the "re-check" desk and then went through security to get to the gate for the connecting flight (mine was to Baltimore).

MarylandNed

But since you are entering the US at Dulles, you have to go through US immigration and then take all your bags (including checked bags) through customs. You'll drop your checked bags at the "re-check" area after customs and then go through security to get to the connecting flight. Read this: http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/884.htm

scrubbedexpat099

Last time I came through Dulles the queue for the TSA was the worst bit, Immigration and Customs was a breeze.

customsquestion

But not every airport has the internal train system to the immigration check point. At JFK the international flights land in the same terminal and you walk through a series of passageways with moving escalators to reach the immigration hall. If you use the moving escalators you can cover the ground quite quickly, quicker than those walking along the carpet. Chicago and Boston are the same so far as I am aware.

maggot50

update dulles was amazingly quick!! also for the first time ever for me immigration asked nothing i mean nothing! just right hand thumb thats it get out of here.