They’ll have to go through US immigration but their luggage should go straight to LIR without them having to claim and drop off post-customs. One of the rare US airports where this is possible. I’ll let others chime in on the connection time but you can get an idea on the website awt.cbp.gov

I would say that without GE it would be a little tight (but likely doable), and with GE (and UK passports) it should be relatively easy IMHO.

And most schedules are somewhat padded to increase chances of "on time arrival" in case things go a little sideways ;)

I'll be doing something similar soon. Is it possible to use the bag drop at CBP exit for checked luggage, but still head to terminal B as you did to use clear/precheck security? Or in this case is it better to take checked bags over to terminal B and use the normal bag drop counter there?

Thanks,

Yes. The only issue is that sometimes the contracted baggage checkers might warn you if after leaving your bags you turn around and head out instead of continuing with the flow to go to security upstairs. My bags have never failed to make it to my flight in B. And schlepping bags landside on the basement Disney train is a major hassle.

It'd be a little bit awkward since you'll kind of enter the funnel for transfer TSA when dropping off bag but then have to pick a path back out of it. It is doable, though. Someone might tell you you're going the wrong way, but if you say you're going to terminal B to reclear I doubt you'd be challenged further.

(edit: beat to the punch!)

IAH Terminal C v D Security for Centurion?
 

FT Friends,

Still working on my expert qualification for IAH - would be grateful for your recommendations.

IAH-EWR (UA 1536, departing 0734) in F (also PM with CLEAR and Pre-Check). Monday morning, 21 Nov 22; no checked bags. Looks like this flight tends to leave from E and C gates, according to FlightAware.

Not sure if it matters, but we are returning a rental car, so we are flexible about where we are dropped off (I think?).

We can head to United Club or Centurion, but prefer Centurion. From looking at the FT Wiki, C North appears to be the general recommendation, but D appears to be way closer to Centurion. On the Monday before Thanksgiving around 0600, are we safer clearing security at C (I've not really had any meaningful wait there with CLEAR) or is D worth the risk? How is the dropoff traffic / incremental wait likely to be at D if we are in a rental car shuttle?

With thanks,

ABM

Thanks for the info. How bad are we talking for transferring bags landside? In my case I'd just have a single small-to-medium size (22-26 inch) bag.

From rental car facility or other drop-off, go to D. Closest to CL, avoids a lot of traffic hassle, and you might end up w/ a shorter walk to your gate from CL than from C. The last time I frlew from IAH-EWR, it was actually from D, but that's a rarity. C/D/E all connected airside.

The issue is the disney train is small and so can get crowded, so manoeuvring your bag onboard amidst other pax can be awkward. Then you also have to do a bit of up and down with it going to/from the train.

It's not the worst experience, just not ideal. I'd personally probably go for the dedicated recheck.

That will be no issue at all. I apologize for the alarm, my characterization was based on my experience, which has always been with a family traveling internationally with a cart full of heavy bags.

Flying LIR-IAH-SFO on December 26th. UA is offering me an 82 minute connection. My wife and I have GE, but will have checked bags. There are 2 other IAH - SFO flights later that evening, but we absolutely have to be at work on the 27th (I'm assuming 12/26 will be a heavy travel day). Is that 82 minute connection doable or too much of a risk? Thanks

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a404f5395b.png

Easily doable if inbound is on time, especially with GE. I would still probably take the middle of those 3 just for a little padding.

The Minimum Connection Time for UA-UA at IAH, I-D, is 1h20m. You’re at 1h22m. In other words, the connection is so tight it’s barely allowed.

Given the downside risk, I would book a longer connection.

I'd do that with no hesitation -- without checked bags. Th:eek:se bags could take some time to come out. But with two later flights that day I'd probably chance it even if I had checked bags.

The issue there is that the SmarteCarts are not allowed on the train. If you don't have so much luggage that you need a sherpa, it's not really an issue. I'm IAH-based, and use the train on every trip because of the parking garage / construction issues this year, and it's just not an issue. I travel with a full-size checked 4-wheel suitcase, and a carry-on that sits on top of it and slips over the suitcase raised handle, and have zero issues. I can see how in the above situation it would be inconvenient.

Not only is it not a problem in practice, there's actually no benefit whatever: the checked bags all get dumped into a central luggage system that's shared between the terminals (at least for UA flights) and then sorted for each departing flight.