Int'l connection time at IAD
 

I'm arriving IAD from LHR and have a hair under 2 hours on the ground between planes. When I last arrived at IAD, I vaguely remember customs/immigration taking a long time. Is 2 hours enough of a window, or should I plan on missing my flight?

It's LHR-IAD-HPN, FWIW.

I routinely connect through IAD on my way home to NY. I have found the wait time for immigration/customs to vary greatly based on time of day, day of week, and time of year. I think that 2 hours is as short as I would cut it, especially if you have to move between terminals. Additionally, if you plan to check luggage you may have to wait for it and then re-check it if you get through immigration too quickly :).

IMHO I think that you will be fine...

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Washington, D.C. Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

I wouldnt risk it, Was stood in the queue for 3 hours once, the mobile lounges kept dropping more and more people into the hall, the queue wasnt going anywhere and when you get towards the front you can see airport employees literally throwing your luggage off the carousel and then kicking it into place where it sits unsupervised until you finall make it through the bottleneck

These kinds of anecdotes are the reason one needs to take everything they read here with a grain of salt.

Unlike pinkcat you will not be riding a moon buggy over too the main Arrivals terminal because you'll be clearing customs midfield (under the C terminal) before your connecting flight. While you may then ride a moon buggy over to the A terminal, it won't lead to the traumatic experience described above. Assuming you carry an American passport, immigration usually does not take 3 hours. I have passed through IAD immigration dozens of times and it has never taken me over 1/2 hour.

Absent unpredictable problems, 2 hours may be close, particularly if you check luggage, but I think it can be done.

Three hours is usually safe. Two or less and I'd be keeping alternative plans in mind often enough. One hour or less and -- if with checked luggage -- and odds are that during any busier time of the day it's just asking for trouble.

Good info, all. Thanks. I'm planning on doing all-carryon bags since I'll only be gone for 5 days. I'm staying with a friend, so I can always do laundry at his place.

I just remember coming back from TLV in Jan 2007 (TLV-VIE-IAD-ORD - C class on Austrian Airways is quite nice) and remember standing in line at customs (not passport control) for an inordinately long time. It might have been 30 minutes or less but it felt like a lot more. :)

I did this last year and got lucky with a held flight. I would not count on making it with less than 2 hours.

its true, I saw them do it, you can see the luggage carousel from the queue not saying they do it to everyones, they probably give the bags from the UK an extra shove

It's not the bag abuse I was referring to as unusual, it was the 3 hour queues for immigration (especially midfield).

I too have noted that the bag jockeys sometimes seem to take great pleasure in roughing up the luggage. As for a little extra bump for UK luggage, I wouldn't take it personally, I don't think most of those clowns could spell UK.