IAD Customs
 

Just connected in IAD on Sunday and the customs line was insane. It spilled out from the lanes they'd created with the velvet rope things (though of course not velvet rope...I don't know know what those things are called) and into the hallway.

We managed to slip through the crowd and into the poorly-marked Global Entry lane, where there was no line. I don't understand why CBP doesn't staff the customs lanes for the amount of passengers they get. They know how many people are coming and how many flights are scheduled - this shouldn't be rocket science.

Arrival Immigration/Custom services in most US airports have been crap lately. I have been mostly using ORD, and seen horrendous lines there as well.
As you allude, they know how many passengers will need to be processed, so must be overall staffing issues.

Thankful every trip for Global Entry!

homieland insecurity at IAD is just perennially awful at staffing during rush hour. I think they do it on purpose.....

This past weekend, ORD regular US citizens line was very fast for me — so fast that I skipped GE use and made it from arrival at T5 to plane gate at T3 in under 20 minutes while leaving GE members behind in the dust.

Such a MCT-busting self-connection at IAD? Between the logistics of moving about the airport after arrival on an international flight and having to suffer IAD customs’ game of the day, I’ll choose CBP at ORD.

If an arriving international flight has no gate listed is it safe to say that your plane is getting a hard-stand and the passengers are boarding a planemate direct to the IAB?