bioyuki

Any recent updates?

Potentially flying BLR-AUH-SFO with a 2 hour layover in AUH from 12:25AM to 2:25AM. I'll be flying in J and have GE. Will I have time to shower at the lounge or will all the time be taken by this preclearance mess?

dtokuda

You may have time depending. I'd say the last two times it took about 45 minutes to get through the Preclearance security+CBP with Global Entry (I'm not counting the initial UAE security + passport check since you'd already be past that). There's a premium lounge AFTER preclearance in the gate area now but I haven't been to that one, so can't guarantee it has showers. You could probably get a quick one in if it does.

FriendlySkies

I would imagine the early boarding time is to get pax through as soon as possible, allowing for EY to have a close to on-time departure.

We went straight to the lounge after pre clearing, though I did sneak over to the gate for a few pics and they were not boarding. I think we spent a total of 25 mins in the lounge before they announced boarding.

Global321

You would think EY would walk their F/C passengers from the lounge through security(s) and immigration/customs right to the plane. Thai does it. Lufthansa does it.

And you would think EY would enforce the Business lines to make that quick.

If EY wants to show this as a benefit to passengers, especially USA passengers, then need to get there stuff together.

Calchas

Deleted

User Name

Traveling in July, I will have two separate bookings, so two different PNRs, both on Etihad in F:

SIN-AUH
AUH-JFK

Connection time about 3 hours from memory.

Was going to ask check-in agent at SIN to through-check bag to JFK.

Does the customs pre-clearence complicate matters in any way in this arrangement due to two separate bookings? (I understand they show you a picture of your bags, so hoping this process doesn't somehow dis-allow the through-checking on two individual bookings).

SeeBuyFly

As of 2 Jan, the GE machines were still (or again) non-operational, and I had to fill out a form.

I waited until 1 hour before the Chicago flight (last flight of the early a.m. group), and there were no other passengers left in the preclearance area. If I hadn't had to fill out the form, I would have passed through in 3 min (2 min for security).

SeeBuyFly

Irrelevant. Your bag can be checked though.

User Name

I'll be on the JFK flight departing at 02:55am. Based on a few posts I've read here it's generally better to leave the Premium Lounge later rather than earlier, so is an hour before scheduled departure about optimal in your view?

SeeBuyFly

All I can report is that one hour was more than enough time for the Chicago flight leaving 3:50am, and there was no one else in the lines.

For the JFK flight, you'll likely never encounter a completely empty preclearance area like I did, because the Chicago flight is later so the Chicago rush might begin just as the JFK rush is tapering off. (They print a boarding time 90 min before the departure time, and most people seem to take this seriously.) In short, I cannot tell you what an optimal time is. Homeland Security publishes historical AUH wait times somewhere on the web.

ketelone

Hi,
I wanted to get a quick answer regarding preclearance procedure in AUH airport.
If you have a connecting flight CCU-AUH-LAX on where AUH-LAX is on EY 171, on same AA redemption ticket (also both ccu-auh and auh-lax are on etihad)

1) Can you check your luggage through to LAX ?
2) What happens in AUH? Do you have to pick up your luggage from somewhere and then get it through US customs and recheck the baggage or they somehow take care of it.

My parents arrive at midnight and flight leaves at 8 am and don't want them hanging around the gate/lounge past preclearance area. Do you have to worry about your luggage misplaced if you dont go pick it up. I would rather have them hang out in the lounge till say 3 hours before departure and then make their way to immigration + customs .

Thanks !!

STBCypriot

1. Yes
2. You do not have to claim your luggage and recheck it. The customs official will have a photo of your bags on his screen to verify with you - it's pretty efficient if you ask me.

ketelone

Thank you STBCypriot. Appreciate your quick reply.

xobile

Just curious if anyone here would support a preclearance facility in AUH (or DXB/DOH) for another country that can have long lineups, India. Many connecting travelers take EY/EY/QR from North America and elsewhere to India (a vast majority of the travelers on North American flights are heading to the Indian subcontinent. Strictly based on flight traffic alone, the ME3 would seem to be prime candidates for Indian preclearance facilities. I realize there are other factors that would discourage this (as it seems only the US is the only country to operate preclearance facilities anywhere in the world), but I'm curious as to what everyone's thought on such a potential facility would be.

ashkale

Economics, cost of manning and operating an immigration personnel overseas is significantly higher than in India.