Clearing Immigration for US at Shannon
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Mucker Man
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You can now clear American customs in Shannon, but Aer Lingus are not offering the service yet, just the American Airline who fly from Shannon.
Joe Nonety
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Do you get delayed much having to clear immigration in the US?
How long is a piece of string
That's a question that's impossible to answer. You could walk straight through or you could queue for more than two hours. It depends on the airport, the time of day, how many staff are on, what flights have landed before you and how correctly the people in front of you have completed their paperwork.
I would always leave 2.5 hours to connect in the US from Ireland having cleared immigration here (unless you pre-clear customs in Shannon you have to collect your bags, queue to bring them through customs and drop off at the baggage belt - and then re-do security!) and would want at least another hour if you are going through immigration in the US.
Joe Nonety
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Ok I'll put it another way, has anyone been to the US since Aer Lingus stopped pre-clearance? If so, how long has clearing immigration taken on the US side.
Aer Lingus still pre-clear immigration for most of their flights (not Orlando and not their afternoon JFK flight) so you will still be quick through to your luggage when you get to the US. You still have to clear customs (unless with Delta via Shannon where you can pre-clear this too) - but that's just handing your 2nd form to the guard as you exit the baggage area. If you are not a flight that pre-clears immigration, shesells answer was not a smarty-pants one - it could be 10 minutes and it could be 2 hours. I got the afternoon Aer Lingus flight recently which didn't pre-clear immigration and there was no-one waiting at immigration - so first off our plane were first in line; I was about half-way back so about 15 minutes maybe. However, as I waited, what looked like 3 or 4 other planes arrived and the queue became massive - so if our flight was 20 minutes later, it could have been a 2 hour wait...
Pre-clearing customs might not seem like a big new advantage but the big upside is that it will allow the airlines to land at domestic airports and domestic terminals in the US rather than the International ones - it will be very quick to get through to landside then. I think this is why BA are hoping their London City to JFK via Shannon service will work - the speed through to Landside once in the US plus the handiness of London City for people based in the City should more than outweigh the delay in stopping off at Shannon to refuel.
Pre-clearing customs might not seem like a big new advantage but the big upside is that it will allow the airlines to land at domestic airports and domestic terminals in the US rather than the International ones - it will be very quick to get through to landside then. I think this is why BA are hoping their London City to JFK via Shannon service will work - the speed through to Landside once in the US plus the handiness of London City for people based in the City should more than outweigh the delay in stopping off at Shannon to refuel.
heading to buffalo in 2 weeks via jfk with aerlingus and jet blue... two seperate flights. aerlingus lands at 1pm officially and the jetblue one takes off at 3.59pm in terminal 5. will have precleard immigration in dublin so have to get the bags and check with jetblue and go through security again.... is 3 hours enough?? last checkintime with jet blue is 30mins before for domestic flights...
EvilDoctorK
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If you've pre-cleared it's loads of time (even if you hadn't it should still be plenty) .. Aer Lingus arrives in JFK at T4 and T5 is just next door ... you can I think walk from one to the other pretty easily or it's one stop on the monorail shuttle
EvilDoctorK
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I believe Delta pre-clears at Dublin ... but one of the more frequent Dublin - US travellers will I'm sure confirm.
Personally I would check-in online and turn up at the airport for 8.00 to drop off bags assuming you're checking bags ... plenty of time really in my view ... US pre-clearance doesn't take that long and there's nothing to do afterwards.
I flew Delta to Atlanta last year and did pre-clear in Dublin. We still had to complete customs and agriculture clearance and switch our bags there for our connection but it was very quick.
Sorry but 8.00 isn't nearly early enough! Delta do pre-clear but they also start boarding nearly an hour before flight time. Add in security and the queue for immigration...I would want to be there no later than 7 (having checked in online) and preferably earlier. US pre-clearance took us 45 mins earlier this year and 80 mins this time last year!
I'm flying Delta next week and will be at the airport at least 3 hours before the flight time.
EvilDoctorK
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I know many people like to turn up early ... but in my experience the busiest time in Dublin Airport is the morning rush which runs from about 6.00 until about 7.00 in terms of getting through security (everyone going for the early morning departures which take off between around 6.00 and 7.30) ... after that in my experience it gets a good bit quieter ... if you turn up 3 hrs before a 9.30 flight you'll only get caught up in this mad rush (and possibly Delta checkin won't even be open anyway)
In general I've never turned up 3 hrs before my flight (indeed I don't believe I've never turned up at Dublin much more than an hour before my flight) and I've never missed a flight (in Dublin at least )
As I've said before on here ... when people turn up at the airport early because it's busy this just become's a self fulfilling prophecy really as the airport then becomes full of people waiting around for their flight.
And while Delta may start boarding the flight 45mins / 1hr before it actually leaves you don't have to get on then .. you'll be sitting on the thing for long enough
In general I've never turned up 3 hrs before my flight (indeed I don't believe I've never turned up at Dublin much more than an hour before my flight) and I've never missed a flight (in Dublin at least
)As I've said before on here ... when people turn up at the airport early because it's busy this just become's a self fulfilling prophecy really as the airport then becomes full of people waiting around for their flight.
And while Delta may start boarding the flight 45mins / 1hr before it actually leaves you don't have to get on then .. you'll be sitting on the thing for long enough
As a very frequent traveller I know how busy the airport is early but you definitely need to leave the recommended 3 hours for a trans-Atlantic flight. US immigration queues can be very long. As for security..I normally use the priority line (perk of being a frequent flyer and having status with the airline even for economy flights) but still have been under pressure to make my flight because of the immigration queues (which normally start upstairs before the entrance to the immigration area then snake down the steps and up and down the immigration hall).
Has anyone traveled to the US lately, on Aer Lingus, and cleared Immigration?
Aer Lingus do not help themselves or the public, instead of making it clear that "Customs" and/or "Immigration" pre-clearance is still available, they say nothing (that I can find) on their website.
Talking to a human at Aer Lingus is impossible; all attempts lead back to Customer Relations, which will only accept queries by Fax or letter.
I have faxed Aer Lingus and am awaiting a reply.
I contacted DAA, who inform me that Aer Lingus passenger CANNOT avail of either Customs or Immigration clearance at Shannon or Dublin.
So, I amd confused. Please help.
Aer Lingus do not help themselves or the public, instead of making it clear that "Customs" and/or "Immigration" pre-clearance is still available, they say nothing (that I can find) on their website.
Talking to a human at Aer Lingus is impossible; all attempts lead back to Customer Relations, which will only accept queries by Fax or letter.
I have faxed Aer Lingus and am awaiting a reply.
I contacted DAA, who inform me that Aer Lingus passenger CANNOT avail of either Customs or Immigration clearance at Shannon or Dublin.
So, I amd confused. Please help.
The majority of the early morning US bound flights will pre clear immigration in Dublin. Customs is still done stateside. Think the Aer Lingus flights that dont clear immigration here are the 4pm NY flight, the Orlando flight and possibly the San fran flight.
There is specific question being addressed. Can Aer Lingus passengers clear Immigration at Shannon?
A lot of the responses are addressing the Immigration-Customs preclearance, which we know AerLingus has opted of until T2 Dublin is completed.
What I and others are trying to establish is, is the old Immigration pre clearance at Shannon (and Dublin) still available to Aer Lingus passengers?
Has anyone traveled with AerLingus out of Shannon since August and cleared Immigration in Shannon?
A lot of the responses are addressing the Immigration-Customs preclearance, which we know AerLingus has opted of until T2 Dublin is completed.
What I and others are trying to establish is, is the old Immigration pre clearance at Shannon (and Dublin) still available to Aer Lingus passengers?
Has anyone traveled with AerLingus out of Shannon since August and cleared Immigration in Shannon?