Washington D.C. (including Baltimore) - Customs at Dulles IAB or Concourse C

Hey guys long time stalker first time poster.

I'll go straight to it. I am traveling from Paris on Air france on June 19th, arriving a Dulles on 12:55pm and transferring to a United express (Skywest) flight to Colorado Springs. Will I be going through the International Arrivals Building or the small customs facility at concourse C. I wanted to drop off some one of my checked baggages to a friend at IAD?

If I am directed to concourse C will I be able to go back to the main terminal with my checked Luggages and check-in at the United counter when i'm done dropping my luggage off?

Thanks!!

Hey guys long time stalker first time poster.

I'll go straight to it. I am traveling from Paris on Air france on June 19th, arriving a Dulles on 12:55pm and transferring to a United express (Skywest) flight to Colorado Springs. Will I be going through the International Arrivals Building or the small customs facility at concourse C. I wanted to drop off some one of my checked baggages to a friend at IAD?

If I am directed to concourse C will I be able to go back to the main terminal with my checked Luggages and check-in at the United counter when i'm done dropping my luggage off?

Thanks!!

Welcome to FT!

Most likely since AF is in the B terminal you will go to the IAB. I flew back from SJO on Copa (who is in the B terminal) and we were directed on the moon buggy to the IAB. So if you wanted to drop off your checked luggage to someone you will just exit normally and just go up to the top floor of the main terminal and walk all the way to the east end where the United check in counters are.

Make sure you have enough time to do all of this. The lines at IAB can be 30 minutes -2 hours and if you have to meet someone to take your checked baggage you would have to add that time plus check-in for a different flight and go through security all over again will take time... which it helps if you are a Premier at United since you can probably go to the PremierAccess lanes and security in 35 minutes combined


Not trying to scare you but give you some info
On a side note: at IAD there are many departure banks between 11 and 6 PM so lines might be long.

Welcome to FT!

Most likely since AF is in the B terminal you will go to the IAB.

It has nothing to do with AF being in the B Concourse - it has everything to do with AF not being Star Alliance. ALL the international-arriving passengers on non-*A flights are processed in IAB in the Main Terminal. Internation-arriving passengers on *A flights in the A & B Concourses are split between the two Customs facilities - just like all the international-arriving passengers on UA.

Having said that, you can re-check bags and get your onward UA boarding pass just before you exit IAB. Look for that after you surrender your blue Customs form, go through an automatic door, and pass a currency exchange. (There should be no need to go to the UA ticket counter on the upper level at the far end of the Main Terminal.) You then exit into the domestic baggage claim area where you can give your friend anything you want before entering TSA security to go to your departure gate.

If AF tags it all the way through (likely) then you can recheck the bag that you want to keep before exiting the customs area. And if you have a UA BP (online or mobile checkin for example) then you can downstairs to the security directly from the baggage claim area after giving the bag to your friend. I suppose that they can also check you in (give you a BP) at the bag-drop in IAB as Annandaler points out, but maybe not since the majority of UA connection takes place at midfield and I don't think they can issue BPs over there.

Actually you can find check-in machines on the baggage claim level but you have to go down to the opposite UA end and head down toward the lower level exit.

At 12:55 pm things should be relatively quiet at IAB.

It has nothing to do with AF being in the B Concourse - it has everything to do with AF not being Star Alliance. ALL the international-arriving passengers on non-*A flights are processed in IAB in the Main Terminal. Internation-arriving passengers on *A flights in the A & B Concourses are split between the two Customs facilities - just like all the international-arriving passengers on UA.

Having said that, you can re-check bags and get your onward UA boarding pass just before you exit IAB. Look for that after you surrender your blue Customs form, go through an automatic door, and pass a currency exchange. (There should be no need to go to the UA ticket counter on the upper level at the far end of the Main Terminal.) You then exit into the domestic baggage claim area where you can give your friend anything you want before entering TSA security to go to your departure gate.

Thank you AM ANNANDALER and GNAGET, this definitely relieves some of my stress of flying. And all the hassle associated with it.