Connection thru Dublin, Ireland

[fh2000]

We recently flew from Rome, connecting thru Dublin, to LAX. This is the first time that I experienced a complex connection from a foreign airport. Basically, there are a number of checkpoints to go thru, including a US TSA security within Dublin airport.

The 90 minute connection time was promised by airline, but was barely enough to go thru all of the checkpoints. I was randomly selected by US TSA security for detail/thorough check, and that line moved every slowly. Wife was anxiously waiting on the other side.

When they are done with me, we had 2 minutes before the plane leaves. We ran over there and the door was closed. Agent had to call the plane and they reopened for us. If we missed it, the next flight is another 24 hours.

Once we landed in LAX terminal 2, there is no more custom to go thru. We picked up the luggage and walked right outside.

This is the first time that we experienced TSA checkout outside of US soil.

 

[Nemo2]

This is the first time that we experienced TSA checkout outside of US soil.

It's been standard at Toronto for eons.

 

[Aerides]

The 90 minute connection time was promised by airline,

90 mins is dodgy in any larger airport that you're not familiar with, and not one I'd want to count on for an international connection. It's not just Dublin, but any international hub. Heck, even some domestic airports can take up that time, and leave you with zero room for even minor delays.

 

[Go-NoGo]

90 mins is dodgy in any larger airport that you're not familiar with, and not one I'd want to count on for an international connection. It's not just Dublin, but any international hub. Heck, even some domestic airports can take up that time, and leave you with zero room for even minor delays.

True - 90 minutes that includes US Pre-clearance is cutting it close.
OTOH I have have connected many times at Munich with as little as 45 minutes to spare and it worked out very well (of course no pre-clearance at MUC)

 

[LRDave]

CDG and 90 minutes... I can almost guarantee you are screwed.

 

[6miths]

Yes that is tight. As Nemo2 says pre-clearance has been a thing in Toronto forever, in fact I can't ever remember it not being that way. Dublin is taking more traffic recently. Ethiopian now uses it as a refueling stop on their 15-hour Addis to Toronto flights on 787s. It is nonstop eastward but with the headwinds they can't make it on the westward return. They open the doors to resupply on the tarmac but no one deplanes. This is the only flight I have ever personally paid to upgrade to business class.

 

[COcheesehead]

We had 2 passport checks flying out of Lisbon. The 2nd was a surprise and made us almost miss our flight. Anything less than 2 hours overseas and I get nervous. I think in London I had to go through two different x rays as well.

 

[MichaelB]

We had 2 passport checks flying out of Lisbon. The 2nd was a surprise and made us almost miss our flight. Anything less than 2 hours overseas and I get nervous. I think in London I had to go through two different x rays as well.

We had two security checks, each with x-ray, in our stopover at Warsaw. Same happened a few weeks ago in Panama, and the line for the second security check with X-ray was at the gate, and took 45 minutes. Very slow and congested.

 

[ElizabethT]

That 90 minutes is NOT a promise! It's more of a 'Sure, 90 min. should work. IF everything goes to plan. And if not? Eh, there's always another flight.' Truly, the airline doesn't care. Frustrating, but true.

And it is the primary reason that if we are forced to have a transfer situation, we book with the same airline throughout. Too easy for one of them to attempt to pass the buck, otherwise, should something go wrong. And something will go wrong eventually.

 

[Bamaman]

We flew into Dublin Airport, and the authorities went out of their way to take pictures of my wife and me. Then before we got on a flight to London, they took our pictures again.

It could be that we have a facial recognition record in Interpol now.

Yep, you have to allow for enough time for enhanced screening. I'm also one that's destined to receive increased screen in foreign airports--of the random draw even.

 

[Chuckanut]

Dublin is a bit unusual in that it has a US Port of Entry area where, IIRC, you are on US soil legally, if not literally. Its a bit of hassle, but when you arrive in the USA you get off the plane and go home the same as with a domestic flight.

I believe I saw a sign welcoming me to the USA as I entered the area, and what appeared to be US military guards.

 

[gailwinters]

We had a similar experience when we flew into Amsterdam, with a 1.5 hour layover for our connecting flight to Budapest. We assumed we would go through customs in Budapest, but instead we went through in Amsterdam, since that was our entry point into the European Union. The line was very long and slow, but fortunately there was an official who pulled out all those of us who were catching the connecting flight and took us through an alternate line. Even then, we barely made our flight.

 

[Chuckanut]

We had a similar experience when we flew into Amsterdam, with a 1.5 hour layover for our connecting flight to Budapest. We assumed we would go through customs in Budapest, but instead we went through in Amsterdam, since that was our entry point into the European Union.

+1 Same with me flying to Prague.

But, Amsterdam does have some advantages. I had flown into Amsterdam about 5 PM one day and found that I was booked on a flight home at 8:00 AM the next morning not 8:00 PM as I had thought. Foolish me!.

Without leaving the area for international connections, I got a room in a POD Hotel, had dinner at a airport restaurant and morning snack at a café and got on my plane. No security, no immigration, no hassle at all. It was all inside the International area. The Dutch are pretty sharp business people. Oh, free Stroopwaffles at the POD hotel.

 

[Souschef]

We had an experience some time ago. We had to make connections through Heathrow
to a flight to Moscow. When I questioned BA about there only being an hour between flights, they told me it would not be a problem.
All went until we hit security. There were only a few people ahead of us, and I politely asked to be fast tracked as we had a connection to make. Well, the "jobsworth" individual not only did not fast track us, but took everything out of my backpack and roll aboard luggage. I was absolutely upset, but knew better than to make an issue. We made the flight with minutes to spare (whew)

 

[Alan]

We flew into Dublin Airport, and the authorities went out of their way to take pictures of my wife and me. Then before we got on a flight to London, they took our pictures again.

It could be that we have a facial recognition record in Interpol now.

Yep, you have to allow for enough time for enhanced screening. I'm also one that's destined to receive increased screen in foreign airports--of the random draw even.

Don’t know about Interpol, but almost certainly in Europol

https://www.europol.europa.eu/

We went through US immigration when we flew back from Winnipeg, Canada.

 

[donheff]

I didn’t realize they do that in some foreign airports. I hope they have a Global Security shortcut if I ever go through one.

 

[Alan]

I didn’t realize they do that in some foreign airports. I hope they have a Global Security shortcut if I ever go through one.

Winnipeg has one, or at least had one about 3 years ago when we used it.

 

[cathy63]

I didn’t realize they do that in some foreign airports. I hope they have a Global Security shortcut if I ever go through one.

One thing I learned this year is if you fly to the U.S. through Vancouver (YVR), you need to show your Global Entry Card (or NEXUS card) in order to access the expedited security line. It is not sufficient to have TSA PRE on your boarding pass or to show your passport that is linked to your Global Entry registration; you must have the actual card in order to get past the Canadian security guard into the area where the G.E. kiosks are located. Luckily we had our cards because we'd been on a ship and they're also required at some sea ports, but there were some unhappy people behind us.

I don't know if other Canadian airports or Dublin have similar requirements, but it's probably a good idea to bring the card if going through U.S. immigration in a foreign country.

 

[braumeister]

The biggest thing about Irish airports (for me, anyway) is that you can get your luggage checked all the way through to your destination.

Avoiding the goat rope of "rechecking" after customs when landing someplace like JFK is a huge advantage.

 

[braumeister]

One thing I learned this year is if you fly to the U.S. through Vancouver (YVR), you need to show your Global Entry Card (or NEXUS card) in order to access the expedited security line. It is not sufficient to have TSA PRE on your boarding pass or to show your passport that is linked to your Global Entry registration; you must have the actual card in order to get past the Canadian security guard into the area where the G.E. kiosks are located.

THANK YOU for sharing that tidbit. We normally don't carry our NEXUS cards when traveling but we certainly will the next time we go through Canada!

 

[Retch The Grate]

Yup, you are going through US Customs and Immigration in Dublin, so you need to schedule the time necessary for that.

 

[Go-NoGo]

I didn’t realize they do that in some foreign airports. I hope they have a Global Security shortcut if I ever go through one.

Dublin and Toronto have Global entry..

 

[braumeister]

I think Cork and Shannon have the preclearance as well as Dublin. At least that's what they told us last month when we flew from Dublin.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Here you go: https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry/operations/preclearance

Ninety minutes would be plenty of time to make connections without the pre-clearance almost anywhere, in my experience. How much more time the preclearance adds is a crapshoot, but at least you get out of your home airport on arrival right away so imo preclearance is a really good thing.