U.S. Preclearance at Dublin Airport

Old Jun 6, 2009, 4:45 pm
  #16  
 
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Immigration DUB to PHILLY to Orlando

Hi guys,

I'm actually a little worried about my trip to the US in Oct 09. I've booked flights with Tour America to fly from Dub to Orlando via Philly.

I was in Orlando in 2005 & flew home with Continental via Tampa. My green waiver visa form was misplaced from my passport & therefore i had nothing to hand in when returning home. All i was told that to board the plane & i may have trouble returning ( wow that was great help )

I have now booked to go back to Orlando, but i am flying from Dub.
Flights are with US Airway at 11.15 via Philly with only a 2 hour stop over.

Can anyone help on what immigration will be like, where is this done, is 2 hours enough time etc. I'm getting quite scared now, to a holiday i was supposed to be looking forward to
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 5:06 pm
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Originally Posted by mel1982
Hi guys,

I'm actually a little worried about my trip to the US in Oct 09. I've booked flights with Tour America to fly from Dub to Orlando via Philly.

I was in Orlando in 2005 & flew home with Continental via Tampa. My green waiver visa form was misplaced from my passport & therefore i had nothing to hand in when returning home. All i was told that to board the plane & i may have trouble returning ( wow that was great help )

I have now booked to go back to Orlando, but i am flying from Dub.
Flights are with US Airway at 11.15 via Philly with only a 2 hour stop over.

Can anyone help on what immigration will be like, where is this done, is 2 hours enough time etc. I'm getting quite scared now, to a holiday i was supposed to be looking forward to
Since Dublin does US preclearance, when you land in Philly it will be a simplified process. 2 hours is time a-plenty. I'd get to Dublin a little early if I were in your shoes. 2 hours is enough time in Philly even for a standard intl arrival.

Last edited by etch5895; Jun 6, 2009 at 6:57 pm Reason: Clarify
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 5:43 pm
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Originally Posted by etch5895
Since Dublin does US preclearance, when you land in Philly it will be like a domestic arrival. 2 hours is time a-plenty. I'd get to Dublin a little early if I were in your shoes. 2 hours is enough time in Philly even for a standard intl arrival.
Do you mean all flights from Dub will have pre-clearance? I thought US Airways dont, you have to fill in the green waiver form & go through immigration in Philly??
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 5:43 pm
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Originally Posted by etch5895
Since Dublin does US preclearance, when you land in Philly it will be like a domestic arrival. 2 hours is time a-plenty. I'd get to Dublin a little early if I were in your shoes. 2 hours is enough time in Philly even for a standard intl arrival.
Are you absolutely sure where US Airways flight incoming from DUB-PHL will not able re-clear at Immigrations & Customs?
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 6:01 pm
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I haven't personally flown the DUB-PHL route, but Dublin offers US CBP preclearance. You may do well to call US Airways in Ireland and verify this.

http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/ir...d-immigration/

This site says that immigration is done in Dublin and customs in America. In any case, the portion you are concerned with (the green waiver form) will certainly be handled by the immigration preclearance folks in Dublin. So, if something goes wrong, at least you are still in Ireland and not stuck in Philadelphia.

In any case, clearing customs without queueing up in an immigration line should still take well under two hours, especially coming in on the smaller jet (the US 757).
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 6:22 pm
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Originally Posted by etch5895
I haven't personally flown the DUB-PHL route, but Dublin offers US CBP preclearance. You may do well to call US Airways in Ireland and verify this.

http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/ir...d-immigration/

This site says that immigration is done in Dublin and customs in America. In any case, the portion you are concerned with (the green waiver form) will certainly be handled by the immigration preclearance folks in Dublin. So, if something goes wrong, at least you are still in Ireland and not stuck in Philadelphia.

In any case, clearing customs without queueing up in an immigration line should still take well under two hours, especially coming in on the smaller jet (the US 757).
i've just checked that link & it says Dub will only offer pre-clearance from 2010. I'm travelling this Oct 09. What would happen if i missed my connecting flight due to queue's or issues at immigrations/customs at Philly?
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 6:56 pm
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Originally Posted by mel1982
i've just checked that link & it says Dub will only offer pre-clearance from 2010. I'm travelling this Oct 09. What would happen if i missed my connecting flight due to queue's or issues at immigrations/customs at Philly?
It should say you will clear immigration in Dublin and customs in Philadelphia until 2010, when DUB will offer both services at the same time. Any questions regarding immigration should be handled in Dublin. When you get off the plane in PHL, you bypass immgration and go straight to baggage claim, claim your bag, and clear customs (in most cases, hand over your sheet, enter the airport proper, re-check your luggage, and proceed through TSA security). I've never been stopped by customs coming into PHL.

If for whatever reason you are held up by customs in PHL, US [U]should[U] place you on a later flight with no fee, so long as you played by the rules in re customs. Should is the key word here. I think of PHL as a small 'big' airport. 2 hours is plenty.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/c..._locations.xml

Last edited by etch5895; Jun 6, 2009 at 7:02 pm Reason: Add link
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 7:07 pm
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Originally Posted by etch5895
It should say you will clear immigration in Dublin and customs in Philadelphia until 2010, when DUB will offer both services at the same time. Any questions regarding immigration should be handled in Dublin. When you get off the plane in PHL, you bypass immgration and go straight to baggage claim, claim your bag, and clear customs (in most cases, hand over your sheet, enter the airport proper, re-check your luggage, and proceed through TSA security). I've never been stopped by customs coming into PHL.

If for whatever reason you are held up by customs in PHL, US [U]should[U] place you on a later flight with no fee, so long as you played by the rules in re customs. Should is the key word here. I think of PHL as a small 'big' airport. 2 hours is plenty.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/c..._locations.xml
whats the difference between immigration & customs.
where can you see that you clear immigration in dub & customs in philly

Last edited by mel1982; Jun 6, 2009 at 7:12 pm
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 7:19 pm
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Originally Posted by mel1982
whats the difference between immigration & customs.
In the simplest terms possible.

Immigration lets you in the country

Customs lets your belongings in the country
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 7:25 pm
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Originally Posted by mel1982
whats the difference between immigration & customs.
where can you see that you clear immigration in dub & customs in philly
From the original link:

"Currently, Dublin and Shannon have US immigration checkpoints for outbound fliers. However, passengers still have to go through customs once they reach the US."

In simple terms, this means you show your passport and forms in Dublin, and they clear you at that point to enter the US.

Get on the plane and enjoy your flight.

When you land in PHL, you will proceed to baggage claim, get your bag, and proceed to the customs officer at the exit. Surrender your card and proceed into the USA. You may get your bag inspected by customs, but most likely not.
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 7:27 pm
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Originally Posted by mel1982
whats the difference between immigration & customs.
where can you see that you clear immigration in dub & customs in philly
Also, think of it like you are entering Europe. You first pass through passport control (immigration in the US), and then get your bag and proceed through the green or red channel (customs). Not really that different.

In your case, you will be going through passport control for the US in Ireland, and then the second portion in the US at your first stop. In Orlando, you will pick up your bags and proceed out of the airport without having to think about any other formalities.
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 7:33 pm
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Originally Posted by etch5895
From the original link:

"Currently, Dublin and Shannon have US immigration checkpoints for outbound fliers. However, passengers still have to go through customs once they reach the US."

In simple terms, this means you show your passport and forms in Dublin, and they clear you at that point to enter the US.

Get on the plane and enjoy your flight.

When you land in PHL, you will proceed to baggage claim, get your bag, and proceed to the customs officer at the exit. Surrender your card and proceed into the USA. You may get your bag inspected by customs, but most likely not.
thanks so much for your help on this. i received an email from the travel agent i booked with & this is what it says on the information sheet

Due to congestion, US immigration services in Dublin Airport only serve certain
flights. Clients with onward connections in the US ought leave sufficient time
to clear immigration upon arrival in the US if travelling on the following flights
which are not being precleared in Dublin
American Airlines to Chicago Aer Lingus to Dulles
Aer Lingus to San Francisco Aer Lingus to Orlando
Aer Lingus Flight 109 to JFK Continental Airlines Flight 127 to Newark
US Airways to Philadelphia
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Old Jun 6, 2009, 7:45 pm
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Originally Posted by mel1982
thanks so much for your help on this. i received an email from the travel agent i booked with & this is what it says on the information sheet

Due to congestion, US immigration services in Dublin Airport only serve certain
flights. Clients with onward connections in the US ought leave sufficient time
to clear immigration upon arrival in the US if travelling on the following flights
which are not being precleared in Dublin
American Airlines to Chicago Aer Lingus to Dulles
Aer Lingus to San Francisco Aer Lingus to Orlando
Aer Lingus Flight 109 to JFK Continental Airlines Flight 127 to Newark
US Airways to Philadelphia
That is unfortunate. I still think two hours is plenty of time in PHL, and I would also think that US will rebook you on a later flight if you are held up at the border. My last international arrival into PHL took about 45 minutes, and most of that time was waiting for my bag to get from the plane to the luggage carosel. I also think your travel agency would not have booked you on a flight if they thought you would not make the connection. I usually fly into Charlotte, NC, where the border formalities usually take about 20 minutes in all, but the airline will not allow anything less than a 1 1/2 hour connection from international to domestic.
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Old Jun 7, 2009, 2:44 am
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I have done LHR-PHL-MCO (PHL-MCO on WN) and allowed 4 hours, even with walking to terminal E it took under 2 hours, hope this is of some use as a comparison
connecting in PHL is absolutley the cheapest way to get to MCO from the UK/ROI
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Old Jun 7, 2009, 4:47 am
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I flew on DL in April and the US flight to PHL departed right next to us.

Unless gates have changed since April I'd guess you preclear immigration in DUB.
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