ilovetofly

Hello FTers,

Parents will be coming back from oversea and connecting domestic flight at DFW with checked bags. I am not sure how the process works.

I understand that they will clear immigration and customs at DFW. Do they need to check in their bags again for the domestic flight after clearing the immigration/customs?

They have about 90 minutes for the connection in late afternoon. Is it enough time?

I have done some search but only found those without checked bags. Thank you for your help. ^

travelnutz

Yes, they will have to carry their own bags thru customs and "check" them back in after going thru. Basically, hand their bags to the waiting agents. Is it on the same PNR?

carlyle

The new int terminal makes it even easier but your folks will claim their bags, then clear customs and then simply hand their bags back to aa at a point just past customs....we used to have to then go outside of scurity and back in but if they land in the new terminal with skylink they can just go right over to their gate in a, c or b and make their connection, the entire process is usually this quick:

10 minutes to get to bag area from plane (includes quick rest room break), 15 minutes to get bag, 5 to walk through customs and redeposit bag at re-cehck area, 3 minute walk to skylink and at most 8 minute trip to the gate, so 40 minutes at best, they have plenty of time

CA Platinum

Once your parents reach Customs at DFW they will have their passport checked by agents. They will then proceed to baggage claim (same level) and retrieve their luggage. They will then show their landing cards to another agent. After that point there is an area set up so that connecting passengers can drop off their luggage to their onward destination. Staff is waiting to take these bags. Your parents will then exit the customs area, clear security again as they proceed to the gate for their flight home.

ilovetofly

Yes it is the same PNR. Now the question is - they are travelling NRT-DFW-LGA

Are the bags only checked to DFW when they check in at NRT and then re-checked to LGA after clearing customs at DFW?

travelnutz

On the same PNR, baggage should be checked all the way to destination i.e. LGA not midway at DFW customs. So even though they must take their own bags thru customs, the luggage doesn't have to get re-ticketed (with new destination tags). Your parents can hand them over to the agent waiting behind customs and continue to the gate. It's an abbreviated check-in process.

ilovetofly

That is a great news to hear. Thank you all for your fast responses.

aamilesslave

Even if the flights are on different PNRs, you can typically have the agent thru-check them to your final destination. For example, earlier this year I flew BOM-ZRH-LAX on one PNR (an AA codeshare on LX, at that) and LAX-LAS on another. The agent in BOM was able to tag my bags all the way to LAS and issue my boarding pass for LAX-LAS.

ilovetofly

Just an update. Parents arrived tonight but no luggages. Could it be due to tight connection?

I am kinda embarrassed for being an AA advocate for such performance. They travel frequently on other airlines and never have experienced delayed luggages. Hopefully their luggages arrive soon.

snaker314

Flew into DFW from NRT on AA176 on 18 Nov. Getting through immigration was a breeze. Getting the luggage was not. It took about 1 hour before any bags started showing up on baggage claim. I thought my 1 hour 50 minute connection time was plenty but ended up hustling to make it. Unfortunately the rechecked bag did not.

I realize that this stuff happens now and then but we landed at 0930 and the international terminal was not exactly buzzing.

Anyone else experience these kind of issues at DFW or was this isolated?

Life_Platinum

I just went thru the new International terminal at DFW last week, and I and a lot of other passengers were angry about the delay in reclearing the TSA imposed electronic and personal checks. We must have waited in line for almost a half hour as the lines were lengthy from passengers waiting to get by the TSA checks and get to the gate. These lines snaked beyond the footpaths that were set up to have passengers zig-zag back and forth and extended out into the hallway. In fact, I almost missed by LGA flight, and I and others complained about the wait. One of the reasons it took so long was that all passengers were asked to remove their shoes, as we were told "it is the law". Luckily I did not have any checked baggage, and customs went very quickly.

Of the flights I had taken in the past two years, this was the longest line I encountered. I suspect that staffing will change when TSA finds scores of angry passengers missing flights because of the time required to pass their checks.

wsher

Many people missed their flights due to the 600-person line with only TWO inspectors stamping passports at DFW 2 -hour wait just in this line.

see http://sherwoodphoto.com/clients/DFW...tering-US.html