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skipping the last leg of an international flight at IAD?

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skipping the last leg of an international flight at IAD?

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Old Jun 1, 2019, 5:57 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by nomad420
Having not cleared customs at IAD I assume they have a transient area where the OP would then be required to stay otherwise he would have to clear US customs and claim his bags then recheck them per usual (unless he dumps the run to YYZ).
You are describing "transit" which does not exist in the US. With some rare and inapplicable exceptions, this has not existed in the US since 1999.

All arriving passengers clear CBP which consists of immigration (passport) control and customs (baggage). Whatever the process for bags at a given airport, the passenger clears CBP, goes back through and security and then heads to the departure gate by whatever means is available.

The key point is that, with the possible exception of one NZ flight, all arriving passengers enter the US and then depart.
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 6:43 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Probaby not at this time. MIA is at I-to-I airport, IAD is not yet.
That's not what I understand. IAD, ATL, DFW, IAH, DTW, MIA all have I to I baggage transfer.
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 7:13 am
  #33  
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Originally Posted by JimInOhio
That's not what I understand. IAD, ATL, DFW, IAH, DTW, MIA all have I to I baggage transfer.
I can not find any reference to IAD having IHI. Additionally, at IHI airports, the IHI is only used for a few carriers, not all carries. The best I am aware, UA does IHI at only IAH (perhaps due to the lack of qualifying flights at most of the other IHI airports). If IAD offers this, it would be new.
The recent trial of Switzerland airports appears to be different from IHI as it was for Switzerland to USA travel via IAD.
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 7:21 am
  #34  
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Originally Posted by exwannabe
If doing it one time, no bags, and willing to accept a slight risk you end in YYZ instead, then no big deal.
That's a good summary but it got me thinking. In this type of scenario, the traveler would be arriving in Canada with no onward ticket. I know the risk of ending up in YYZ is pretty slight, but would a non-Canadian passport holder have trouble clearing Immigration in Canada (and possibly being sent back to Europe) with no proof of their intent to leave?
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 7:26 am
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Bear96
That's a good summary but it got me thinking. In this type of scenario, the traveler would be arriving in Canada with no onward ticket. I know the risk of ending up in YYZ is pretty slight, but would a non-Canadian passport holder have trouble clearing Immigration in Canada (and possibly being sent back to Europe) with no proof of their intent to leave?
That will depend on Canada's requirements for the specific traveler, e.g. citizenship, nationality, and residence. Might not just be time left on passport, but also a visa (or eTA if applicable) and possibly vaccinations depending on origin.

Wherever OP originates, UA will do a document check for both the US and Canada and OP won't be permitted to board his initial flight unless he is admissible to both countries.

HCT requires some pre-planning, some risk-taking, and attention to detail. Not a lot of sympathy on the air carrier end if you louse it up.
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 8:21 am
  #36  
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Originally Posted by Bear96
That's a good summary but it got me thinking. In this type of scenario, the traveler would be arriving in Canada with no onward ticket. I know the risk of ending up in YYZ is pretty slight, but would a non-Canadian passport holder have trouble clearing Immigration in Canada (and possibly being sent back to Europe) with no proof of their intent to leave?
Yes, there’s a potential risk; I’d guess that the risk is smaller for a US resident than it would be for someone who needed a visa to visit Canada. I’d recommend being honest: “I was trying to get a good price on a flight to DC, and it backfired. I’m planning to (take the train / buy a new ticket / rent a car and drive / whatever).”

Also, by the time the passenger got to Canada, they’d already have known for some time that they were going to end up there. Presumably, they could have bought a ticket home by that point.
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 9:24 am
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
I can not find any reference to IAD having IHI. Additionally, at IHI airports, the IHI is only used for a few carriers, not all carries. The best I am aware, UA does IHI at only IAH (perhaps due to the lack of qualifying flights at most of the other IHI airports). If IAD offers this, it would be new.
The recent trial of Switzerland airports appears to be different from IHI as it was for Switzerland to USA travel via IAD.
According to our government (see Appendix III, starting on page 91):

https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/683801.pdf

Details for IAD are on pages 96 and 97.
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 9:36 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by JimInOhio
According to our government (see Appendix III, starting on page 91):

https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/683801.pdf

Details for IAD are on pages 96 and 97.
Do you know which carriers are part of the program at IAD?
Not aware of any reports from UA flyers reporting IHI availability at IAD (but some have mention it at IAH) and google search does not provide any information on IHI at IAD. IAD's website does not mention IHI.
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 9:40 am
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Do you know which carriers are part of the program at IAD?
Not aware of any reports from UA flyers reporting IHI availability at IAD (but some have mention it at IAH) and google search does not provide any information on IHI at IAD
I don't and all I know is the GAO report lists these by terminal, not simply by airport. As you probably noticed, the I to I baggage transfer is listed for both IAD main terminal and midfield terminal. That doesn't mean UA has to use it but why else would it be there for the midfield terminal?
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Old Jun 1, 2019, 11:11 am
  #40  
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GAO simply reports to Congress. While accurate at a given point, it is not a good resource for what is currently in play at any location.

Programs such as this are piloted and discontinued regularly. The place to check this is with CBP. Even there, that means finding someone who is knowledgeable and helpful.
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Old Jun 2, 2019, 11:49 am
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by Often1
You are describing "transit" which does not exist in the US. With some rare and inapplicable exceptions, this has not existed in the US since 1999.

All arriving passengers clear CBP which consists of immigration (passport) control and customs (baggage). Whatever the process for bags at a given airport, the passenger clears CBP, goes back through and security and then heads to the departure gate by whatever means is available.

The key point is that, with the possible exception of one NZ flight, all arriving passengers enter the US and then depart.
I am well aware of this and am old enough to remember some of the old pre "1999 exceptions" such as MIA. I posted this in response that some of the replies to the OP question that seemed to imply a "transit" area existed and was somewhat surprised having not used IAD as a gateway from travel abroad that one may now be present there. But thanks for the clarification and not really surprised to hear none existed at IAD.
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Old Feb 11, 2020, 9:52 am
  #42  
 
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Skipping United Airlines Flight last

I live in DC and GF live in NYC. Yesterday, we bought tickets for Amsterdam Flight on United Airlines website as follows:

SWISS Airlines: EWR to AMS

United Airline Flight: AMS to IAD (with 7.5 hour layover in DC) to EWR

Can I skip my last segment IAD to EWR since it more practical to stay in DC then waiting for connecting after 7.5 hours?

Will I able to checked bags for DC flight?

Tickets to DC flight are more than double. Please let me know if I should cancel this itinerary since it is less than 24 hours or its worth taking a risk?

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 11, 2020 at 5:06 pm Reason: moved to relevant thread
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Old Feb 11, 2020, 10:09 am
  #43  
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Fortunately, the flight you want to skip is your first flight after entering the U.S. Standard procedure at U.S airports on entering the country is to clear immigration, collect bags from the carousel, clear customs, and re-check bags at a bag re-check desk immediately after that. Many people whose travel ends at IAD walk past the bag re-check without stopping. You will look exactly like them. Just keep walking. Nobody will inspect your bag destination tags to see that they eventually go to EWR. Nobody will even look at you twice.
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Old Feb 11, 2020, 10:17 am
  #44  
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The OP should be aware, though, that if the AMS-IAD flight is cancelled -- for whatever reason -- UA's obligation is to get him to the NYC area, not to Washington, DC.
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Old Feb 11, 2020, 5:02 pm
  #45  
 
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I'm not an expert but I understand IAD has a separate mid-field terminal customs and baggage recheck for passengers making connections on UA and *A flights, so checking luggage may be a concern in this situation.

See here for more details:
skipping the last leg of an international flight at IAD?
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