flyingnomad

I’m scheduled to do the following connection at AUS with a connection time of 1h:48m

International arrival (AA) -> International departure (BA operated AA codeshare)

This will be my first ever I->I connection at a US airport (am familiar with why it isn’t really recommended due to having to clear CBP etc), and also haven’t been to AUS in nearly 20 years. I see the terminal building is still as compact as it was all those years ago, and one could walk from end to end in under 15? mins.

It is an AA issued ticket, so they clearly believe it to be within MCT, but I’m keen to hear from any fellow travelers who have more current experience / information:

A) what is the actual MCT for this type of connection (perhaps someone with ExpertFlyer access would be kind enough to check)

B) what are your thoughts on what the SCT should be? I have GE but will be travelling with a non-US companion who does not (and who is likely to check a bag).

C) Does CBP ever get particularly busy at AUS? My inbound is on a narrow-body from the Caribbean, so I imagine it will get processed relatively quickly?

Dave_C

This is the published MCT

Confus

You’ll almost certainly be fine. I’d have an acceptable alternative ready to pass to a rebooking agent in the event that your inbound is delayed (to avoid the panicked ‘eeek I don’t know’ when they throw something at you), but you’re unlikely to need it. And I’ve seen ground agents fast-tracking people through immigration in similar circumstances, if that provides any reassurance.

Hobbes01

Presumably you are not arriving from Aruba, Freeport, Nassau, or Bermuda, but if you are those airports all have CBP pre-clearance so you would not need to worry about clearing customs in AUS.

flyingnomad

thank you all for your input.

Hmm, so we are only 18 mins above MCT. Thank you for looking this up.

Thanks, that is good to know. Indeed, I’ve got the backup routing, but given the rather thin schedule out of AUS it will involve a AUS-DFW-LHR re-route if we want to get back to London the next morning. Need to balance that out.

Unfortunately not, that was one of the first things I checked when I saw the short connection - suspected it may be pre-cleared and hence a D->I connection.