Originally Posted by
BigFlyer
Whether pre-clearance is potentially good or bad depends on whether your destination is at the place where you enter the US, or you are connecting at a US airport.
If your final US destination is your airport of arrival in the US - then preclearance sucks. Without pre-clearance, you do not have to budget extra time for US customs/immigration. You land in the US, you go through the formalities, and you are done.
With pre-clearance, you have to get to your departure airport early so as not to miss your flight - but, you don't know how long pre-clearance will take, so you have to leave extra time, which means that you spend time waiting in your departure airport after clearing that you would not spend if you did not have to worry about pre-clearance.
The only folks who have a potential advantage are those who are connecting in the US, as they can schedule a shorter connection time.
That may be your opinion - it certainly is not mine. How many hours of my life have I spent in interminable queues, being barked at by tin pot officials. Even as crew we would be kept waiting. I have pre-cleared now probably a dozen times in Shannon and once in London when they were experimenting with the system in 1988 (I think). It is wonderful - you wait of course - but that is before you have flown for hours. Since most people on this Board seem to be entitled to a Lounge - and would have gone there either, I cannot see the problem there either. If you are a person who leaves everything until the last minute, then tough. Moreover, it means that everyone will have been seen by the Border patrol who will check everybody thoroughly before we fly off across the Atlantic.
The best I have left until last. You arrive at your destination and you just leave. I love it and hope that it will be adopted in the UK, and the EU. the sooner the better.