The CLE customs facility
 

How was the customs experience in CLE? I haven't passed through there on an international arrival in years. Were you the only flight (or were you there on a day the USA 3000 flight from CUN arrived just about the same time at CO 67)? How long did the process take?

curious also.... how were the loads?

I am curious also...I avoid the CLE customs and travel through EWR (yes I think CLE customs is that bad that I travel through EWR), however starting next week I travel to the UK every 4 weeks (promotion@work) and I started booking the CLE-LGW flights again after a 2 year absence from them.

I too was very curious about the immigration process in CLE since I have lived here most of my life and never experienced it before, but I just arrived on CO67 today and the process was OK. We were the only flight in -- 4 lines for US citizens and 1 for non. Took me about 5 minutes to see an officer and I was seated in the middle of the plane. I was selected for additional screening since I had just come back from a round the world trip. They quickly searched my bags and asked a few questions and was on my way. Seemed like I was the only one selected for additional screening.

The only annoyance with CLE is that you have to give them back your checked bags and collect it at carousel 7 and then you have to go through security screening again to enter the terminal (the only way). I probably had to wait about 10-15 min to get rescreened as I was now at the end of the line due to secondary. You exit around the A gates. The flight was about 75% full.

Ugh, I was afraid nothing had changed at CLE..my previous experiences with the customs officials there was they have only a few flights a day coming in so they like to justify their jobs by dragging ppl over for secondary inspections. I have never been secondary inspected in over 200 times at EWR/IAH/ORD but of the 3 times I tried Intl flights to CLE I have been inspected once. Pfft...I may end up rebooking through EWR based on your experience and the small baggage recheck operation at CLE.

The one time I was inspected, the passport stamp guy asked me "are you a US citizen", he was holding my US Passport and studied every page for 3-4 minutes....I told him, "Um, My passport is a US passport and it says I am a US citizen". Stupid question got a stupid answer...hence I got inspected.

Sadly the CLE customs facility is a dungeon and, IMHO, is well overdue for a replacement. It is still pretty quick, but it is dark, under equipped and annoying in that you need to recheck your bags and reclear security even if CLE is your final destination. But, thankfully, the new facility plans are complete and negotiations are under way to begin construction and the like. While it will not be done in time for the CDG flight, it will be well on its way.

When I passed through the CLE facility on Monday (8/13), we went through quickly, only waited a few minutes for our bags, but then had to put the back on a conveyor to get them out to Carousel 7 - which took much longer than it should have. The rescreening was an added hassle, and we opted not to bring any duty free in with us because of that, even though our final destination was CLE.

While it isn't an overly nice facility - it was pretty fast, and I'd choose a direct flight into CLE any time over a stopover at EWR and possible delays.

No complaints here... but I do look forward to a new facility connected to C, with a direct exit out of the airport.

You can't just exit the customs facility without rescreening even if you have no connecting flight?! :confused:

Correct.

That's just dumb. Do they warn people about this before they get onto the flight? Do they sell liquids in the duty-free cart?

I do not know if they warn people about it, but if you are terminating in CLE and bring liquids with you, you can just put them in your checked luggage after you clear customs, and re-check the bag to CLE before you clear security.

They do not "warn" you, but we were aware of it (thanks to previous posts on this board).

When we approached the gate, the FA announced that you could not take and "banned substances" through security - so I just assumed he was referring to bottles of water, etc, that you would have gotten on the plane.

I do think it might be worth announcing on flights from CLE-LGW - just so people are forewarned. Just like the 1-bag rule at UK airports... you kind of need to know that before you get to the airport :cool: