FT Guest xyzpdq

What is the minimum connection time at IAD going from International to Domestic?

Flying in from LHR connecting to MCO. Schedule change means a connection time of 65min, which I find very tight. It is on one PNR - but is it actually a legal connection?

Tried a search here, at UAL and at IAD but in vain.

Thanks

Braniff

Good luck. Immigration/Customs is hell at Dulles when every single flight from Europe seems to arrive at exactly the same time. On a recent trip, we were kept waiting upstairs for 20-25 minutes as the inspection facility one level below was over capacity. Perhaps you can have a United employee speed you through...

EricH

That is tight, especially if you're coming in mid-afternoon. Check to see if there are later flights, because you may need one.

cblaisd

You can find some earlier wisdom (25 threads' worth) if you do a search of thread titles only with the keywords (putting them in quotes is essential) "Connection" "IAD"

FT Guest xyzpdq

thanks. I have been through IAD quite a few times and would not bet on this connection - but I was asking for the legal minimum connection time which I can not seem to find. I doubt the new schedule is actually legal - hence the question.

flip927

Unfortunately, I went through IAD yesterday(Sunday). It took me 80 minutes from the time I stepped off the plane at C2 to the time I got to my gate at D29, which is the furthest away in the United terminal. The line in customs arrival was the longest and slowest I've ever experienced. Disneyland moves faster. I carried on, although every flight's luggage was already unloaded. All United's flights seem to land at the same time. After you clear customs, the security line into domestic was 20 minutes long. I was the last person to board and was nervous as they usually close the doors 10 minutes before take off and I got there just about that time.

robandmichele

i agree, very tight. but you could make it if you come off first (business or first) and do not have checked baggage (which at LHR means you only have one tiny carryon).

or you're running late, you could just leave your checked luggage to karma and whiz right through customs.

honestly, i would leave 90 minutes.

nov11

I believe the legal connecting time is 1 hour (which I think it's almost impossible to do at IAD). I was offered a 63 minute connection through IAD (LHR-IAD-LAX) once and I decided against it since it arrives during the afternoon peak arrival (plus the 967 flight to LAX is the last flight in the evening prior to the 9 pm ex-IAD flight).

I had a 2-hour connection at IAD once and I barely made it - and my flight was one of the first few to arrive at IAD!

1015-1k

I hesitatingly accepted a 1hr 8min connection last month. A couple UA staff confirmed that it was 'legal' (so i bet 1-hr is the legal cutoff). I had doubts after seeing the early morning line (@~7am), but made it with time to spare even with a checked bag. Deplaning from C-class, the checked bag was the biggest hold-up.

djohannw

I'm in a similar boat with a connection of 75 minutes on LHR-IAD-MCO for September currently. Called Unted about that when I noticed the short time between flights and was at first told that MCT would be 90 minutes, so when pointing at my reservation the agent suddently produced "Well, as it's still bookable this way, it must be an exception and as such still a legal connection - nothing we can do about it..."

Not really happy about this being a non-resident and traveling with our three-year-old, but I had no chance to make amendmends to my reservation without paying the $200 or so change fee...so I will probably hope for the great service of the UA ground staff to get us to Mouse-Town on a later flight...

Greetings - Dirk

thyeri

I would like to fly YUL-IAD-MUC.
There is no US customs at arrival in IAD because it is made in Montreal.

What is the minimum connection time in that case?
47 minutes is not enough right?

Always Flyin

In response to the OP, UA-UA minimum international to domestic connection at IAD is 65-minutes.

@thyeri: assuming that is treated as a domestic to international connection (UA-UA) at IAD, the minimum connecting time is 35-minutes.

thyeri

It would be AC-UA...

al613

How much is minimal domestic connection?

Pingtung

The OP's flight is not coming in during the afternoon rush.

I think there's a decent chance you will make it if the schedule holds. It looks like you'll be getting to IAD at 11AM and Immigration/Customs is usually quiet at that hour, I only know of two other flights that gets in around then, the ANA flight from Narita and the Korean flight from Seoul.