Connecting in IAD Domestic to Int'l (and visa versa)
Aug 26, 2014, 7:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 164
Connecting in IAD Domestic to Int'l (and visa versa)
So I'm trying to plan our travels this winter, and I'm a bit concerned about connecting both ways at IAD
For our outbound leg:
We depart JFK on a JetBlue flight landing at 7:10
Need to connect to an Etihad flight to AUH departing at 9:30 PM
We will need to collect our bags, switch terminals, and check our bags for our international flight. That seems like it should be doable (albeit quite stressful/rushed) in the time we have, but I'd love some advice/opinions on how tight it will be.
For our return leg:
Arrive at IAD from DXB on an Etihad flight landing at 5:40 PM
Need to connect to a Jetblue flight to JFK departing at 7:44 PM
We will have to collect our bags, clear customs (we have global entry), change terminals, and check our bags in for the domestic leg.
Any thoughts on potential snags in our plans? Am I just risking too much with these connections (it wouldn't be a big deal at all to me if I didn't have to check bags, but that part scares me)
Thanks in advance - JP
For our outbound leg:
We depart JFK on a JetBlue flight landing at 7:10
Need to connect to an Etihad flight to AUH departing at 9:30 PM
We will need to collect our bags, switch terminals, and check our bags for our international flight. That seems like it should be doable (albeit quite stressful/rushed) in the time we have, but I'd love some advice/opinions on how tight it will be.
For our return leg:
Arrive at IAD from DXB on an Etihad flight landing at 5:40 PM
Need to connect to a Jetblue flight to JFK departing at 7:44 PM
We will have to collect our bags, clear customs (we have global entry), change terminals, and check our bags in for the domestic leg.
Any thoughts on potential snags in our plans? Am I just risking too much with these connections (it wouldn't be a big deal at all to me if I didn't have to check bags, but that part scares me)
Thanks in advance - JP
Aug 26, 2014, 8:12 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 164
Also, I wanted to confirm the requirements for timing of checked bags prior to departure.
For the Int'l flights, I believe it should be 60 minutes (which gives us 80 minutes to deplane, collect our bags, transfer terminals, and check in).
For the domestic leg, I believe I should be fine as long as we check out bag 30 minutes prior to departure. That would give us 90 minutes to deplane, clear customs/immigration, collect our bags, transfer terminals, then check in to our final flight.
Seems like a lot, but my other options involve an additional 4/5 hours of travel time
For the Int'l flights, I believe it should be 60 minutes (which gives us 80 minutes to deplane, collect our bags, transfer terminals, and check in).
For the domestic leg, I believe I should be fine as long as we check out bag 30 minutes prior to departure. That would give us 90 minutes to deplane, clear customs/immigration, collect our bags, transfer terminals, then check in to our final flight.
Seems like a lot, but my other options involve an additional 4/5 hours of travel time
Aug 26, 2014, 8:16 pm
#3
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outbound: I think this is risky in any case, but will be very dependent on day of the week; I'd have much less confidence in that connection working well on a Thu or Fri, since in my experience at JFK (all domestic DL in the last 6+ years) those evenings have consistently been more prone to long delays ... yes schedules are padded, but that padding doesn't account for 10 minutes in the alley leaving Terminal 2 and another 75 minutes in the conga line to Runway 22R
return: I think this is a crapshoot ... that said, in the past couple weeks I can only recall seeing a handful of other international carriers' flights (Brussels, Qatar, Air France) arriving around this hour, so I'm pretty sure it's a fairly low-demand time for customs and immigration
return: I think this is a crapshoot ... that said, in the past couple weeks I can only recall seeing a handful of other international carriers' flights (Brussels, Qatar, Air France) arriving around this hour, so I'm pretty sure it's a fairly low-demand time for customs and immigration
Aug 26, 2014, 8:29 pm
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 164
outbound: I think this is risky in any case, but will be very dependent on day of the week; I'd have much less confidence in that connection working well on a Thu or Fri, since in my experience at JFK (all domestic DL in the last 6+ years) those evenings have consistently been more prone to long delays ... yes schedules are padded, but that padding doesn't account for 10 minutes in the alley leaving Terminal 2 and another 75 minutes in the conga line to Runway 22R
return: I think this is a crapshoot ... that said, in the past couple weeks I can only recall seeing a handful of other international carriers' flights (Brussels, Qatar, Air France) arriving around this hour, so I'm pretty sure it's a fairly low-demand time for customs and immigration
return: I think this is a crapshoot ... that said, in the past couple weeks I can only recall seeing a handful of other international carriers' flights (Brussels, Qatar, Air France) arriving around this hour, so I'm pretty sure it's a fairly low-demand time for customs and immigration
For the outbound, we are traveling Tuesday December 23rd. Obviously that's a busy time for the airports.
For the return, we are traveling on Sunday January 4th. Again, another VERY busy time for traveling.
The things going in our favor are that we're traveling from IAD>AUH in F, and for IAD>JFK, we arrive in J. We also have global entry.
Additionally, we live in NYC and if I get the sense that there are major flight delays on the 23rd, I'd just jump on an Amtrak train down to DC, or even rent a car and drive.
Not sure if I'm just trying to convince myself here or what, but figured that extra info might help
Aug 26, 2014, 8:30 pm
#6
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B6 interlines with EK. Presuming that you are one ticket, your bags will be checked through from JFK to AUH and you will walk airside between your B6 and EK gates. If there is lousy weather and you choose to Amtrak to WAS, make sure that B6 cancels the xJFK segment or your entire ticket will be cancelled.
On the return, you will briefly reclaim your bags at Customs, drop them, head back through security and off to your B6 gate.
If you are on separate tickets, this is a problem. Particularly on the outbound where you are pretty much out of options if your B6 flight is late and you no show for your EK flight.
On the return, you will briefly reclaim your bags at Customs, drop them, head back through security and off to your B6 gate.
If you are on separate tickets, this is a problem. Particularly on the outbound where you are pretty much out of options if your B6 flight is late and you no show for your EK flight.
Aug 26, 2014, 8:33 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 164
B6 interlines with EK. Presuming that you are one ticket, your bags will be checked through from JFK to AUH and you will walk airside between your B6 and EK gates.
On the return, you will briefly reclaim your bags at Customs, drop them, head back through security and off to your B6 gate.
If you are on separate tickets, this is a problem. Particularly on the outbound where you are pretty much out of options if your B6 flight is late and you no show for your EK flight.
On the return, you will briefly reclaim your bags at Customs, drop them, head back through security and off to your B6 gate.
If you are on separate tickets, this is a problem. Particularly on the outbound where you are pretty much out of options if your B6 flight is late and you no show for your EK flight.
Aug 28, 2014, 2:54 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Even if on separate tickets, you might be able to get your bags checked through - I'm not an expert on that so check with the airlines.
But I am an expert on Dulles. Etihad passengers pre-clear US CBP before getting on the plane (like most flights from Canada to the US) - so the Etihad arrival at IAD is treated as a domestic arrival. (I believe they now have Global Entry at that pre-clearance facility.) At Dulles, Etihad uses gate A14 and jetBlue uses gates around B66 - those gates are at opposite ends of the same physical building - perhaps a 12 minute stroll between gates.
If the bags are checked through, you should have no problem at all with these connections. If you have to claim checked bags and re-check them at Dulles, you might have a problem - especially on the return. Etihad checked bags arrive on domestic arrivals carousel 11 and it is a huge scrum there with not enough room for all the people, greeters, and bags.
Hope this helps.
But I am an expert on Dulles. Etihad passengers pre-clear US CBP before getting on the plane (like most flights from Canada to the US) - so the Etihad arrival at IAD is treated as a domestic arrival. (I believe they now have Global Entry at that pre-clearance facility.) At Dulles, Etihad uses gate A14 and jetBlue uses gates around B66 - those gates are at opposite ends of the same physical building - perhaps a 12 minute stroll between gates.
If the bags are checked through, you should have no problem at all with these connections. If you have to claim checked bags and re-check them at Dulles, you might have a problem - especially on the return. Etihad checked bags arrive on domestic arrivals carousel 11 and it is a huge scrum there with not enough room for all the people, greeters, and bags.
Hope this helps.
Sep 1, 2014, 7:54 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 164
Thanks for all the input thus far. I figured I should provide an update (with our current thought process/planning):
I booked Jetblue flight 1407 from JFK > IAD on 12/23. The flight is scheduled to land at 7:07 PM.
We are connecting to Etihad flight 103 from JFK > AUH scheduled to depart at 9:50 PM (My initial post stated 9:30 PM which was wrong).
This (in theory) gives us 2 hours and 43 minutes to get our bags and check into our Etihad flight.
Should there be any potential for flight delays, my wife and I booked an "insurance policy" with Amtrak for $98, so we could jump on a train from Penn Station NYC arriving at Union Station at 6:25 PM (3.5 hrs before our flight). I understand there will be traffic getting to IAD, but it's hard to imagine that a 3.5 hr buffer wouldn't give us enough time to make it for check in.
The only real way we can get screwed is if we decide to take the Jetblue flight, everything looks good the day of leading up to it, then our flight somehow gets delayed once we're actually at JFK. If that happens, not sure what we would do, but that's the [calculated] risk we're taking
On the way back, our flight (EY 131) is scheduled to arrive at 5:40 PM. We booked a $150 pp Accela to Penn Station NYC (which is a 10 minute cab ride from our apt) at 8:00 PM. I think the timing should be fine for that as well, and we actually get home at a similar time compared to the Jetblue flight departing at 7:44 PM that I suggested initially.
Took a bit of work, but I think I'm more comfortable now with our flights/transportation.
I booked Jetblue flight 1407 from JFK > IAD on 12/23. The flight is scheduled to land at 7:07 PM.
We are connecting to Etihad flight 103 from JFK > AUH scheduled to depart at 9:50 PM (My initial post stated 9:30 PM which was wrong).
This (in theory) gives us 2 hours and 43 minutes to get our bags and check into our Etihad flight.
Should there be any potential for flight delays, my wife and I booked an "insurance policy" with Amtrak for $98, so we could jump on a train from Penn Station NYC arriving at Union Station at 6:25 PM (3.5 hrs before our flight). I understand there will be traffic getting to IAD, but it's hard to imagine that a 3.5 hr buffer wouldn't give us enough time to make it for check in.
The only real way we can get screwed is if we decide to take the Jetblue flight, everything looks good the day of leading up to it, then our flight somehow gets delayed once we're actually at JFK. If that happens, not sure what we would do, but that's the [calculated] risk we're taking
On the way back, our flight (EY 131) is scheduled to arrive at 5:40 PM. We booked a $150 pp Accela to Penn Station NYC (which is a 10 minute cab ride from our apt) at 8:00 PM. I think the timing should be fine for that as well, and we actually get home at a similar time compared to the Jetblue flight departing at 7:44 PM that I suggested initially.
Took a bit of work, but I think I'm more comfortable now with our flights/transportation.
Sep 2, 2014, 4:52 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2004
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I'm very confused here. Shouldn't your second paragraph quoted above read EY 130 (not 103) from IAD > AUH (not from JFK). Am I missing something in your explanation?
Sep 6, 2014, 5:16 pm
#14
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Your return back-up makes no sense. If you want to catch a train at 8 pm then you better be in the cab by 7 pm and you will be dashing to get on the train. In a best case scenario stepping off the plane no later than 6:30 pm. More like 6:15 pm.
On the other hand, it has been established that your bags interline so with pre-clearance they will go straight to Jetblue. If your Ethiad flight is delayed then you will be able to catch Jetblue as long as you get off the plane by 7:15 pm. Then your bags might not make it, but you will be able to catch the flight. It's actually an ideal connection......
I don't know anything Amtrak but if the train tickets are non-refundable then it's certainly a waste.
On the other hand, it has been established that your bags interline so with pre-clearance they will go straight to Jetblue. If your Ethiad flight is delayed then you will be able to catch Jetblue as long as you get off the plane by 7:15 pm. Then your bags might not make it, but you will be able to catch the flight. It's actually an ideal connection......
I don't know anything Amtrak but if the train tickets are non-refundable then it's certainly a waste.
Sep 7, 2014, 12:00 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Posts: 4,101
Even if on separate tickets, you might be able to get your bags checked through - I'm not an expert on that so check with the airlines.
But I am an expert on Dulles. Etihad passengers pre-clear US CBP before getting on the plane (like most flights from Canada to the US) - so the Etihad arrival at IAD is treated as a domestic arrival. (I believe they now have Global Entry at that pre-clearance facility.) At Dulles, Etihad uses gate A14 and jetBlue uses gates around B66 - those gates are at opposite ends of the same physical building - perhaps a 12 minute stroll between gates.
If the bags are checked through, you should have no problem at all with these connections. If you have to claim checked bags and re-check them at Dulles, you might have a problem - especially on the return. Etihad checked bags arrive on domestic arrivals carousel 11 and it is a huge scrum there with not enough room for all the people, greeters, and bags.
Hope this helps.
But I am an expert on Dulles. Etihad passengers pre-clear US CBP before getting on the plane (like most flights from Canada to the US) - so the Etihad arrival at IAD is treated as a domestic arrival. (I believe they now have Global Entry at that pre-clearance facility.) At Dulles, Etihad uses gate A14 and jetBlue uses gates around B66 - those gates are at opposite ends of the same physical building - perhaps a 12 minute stroll between gates.
If the bags are checked through, you should have no problem at all with these connections. If you have to claim checked bags and re-check them at Dulles, you might have a problem - especially on the return. Etihad checked bags arrive on domestic arrivals carousel 11 and it is a huge scrum there with not enough room for all the people, greeters, and bags.
Hope this helps.
