Passengers flying from London Heathrow to Dallas – Fort Worth on American Airlines flight 51 and taking a connecting flight no longer walk to immigration, pick up their bags at customs, drop them back off to re-check them, and go through security again.
- Instead, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will set up immigration for them at the gate.
- Passengers will clear right there and walk straight into the terminal without going through security. They were cleared by security in London and that’s considered sufficient now.
- Checked bags will be transferred to the passenger’s connecting flight for them.
This started Thursday, and the test is expected to expand to additional flights, make things far better for passengers, and “cut connection time by more than half.”
While passport control is set up gateside for this flight, it’s only for connecting passengers and not for anyone actually ending their journey in Dallas. Here’s the internal memo from American Airlines explaining this process.
Back in January, passengers traveling on eastbound flights from Atlanta and Dallas connecting in London were able to skip security at their connection and proceed directly into terminal 3 or 5, heading to the lounge or gate for their next flight.
This actually makes London Heathrow more desirable as a connecting airport, even having to bus between terminals. My record there is three buses and 95 minutes though I’ve also had to do two buses and a train between connecting flights (and, in each case, still having to clear passport control and security).
It’s great to see an expansion of ‘One Stop Security’ to westbound flights from London to the U.S. Historically, for the most part, U.S. airlines aren’t well set up to segregate international and domestic passengers – they usually co-mingle in the same terminals, and arriving international passengers could just exit the airport into the U.S. if they weren’t forced to go through customs and immigration immediately.
Setting up gateside immigration, and transferring bags, is an interesting solution. We’ll see how well this scales, but I look forward to trying it on my next London – Dallas flight. It’s almost enough to make me want to hop on the 8:30 a.m. departure from Heathrow instead of one of American’s four later flights to Dallas.
Meanwhile, American was also the first to trial international remote baggage screening for its Sydney to Los Angeles flight starting back in April, where passengers on that service connecting beyond Los Angeles don’t have to pick up their bags at customs and walk them through to re-check them.
Those passengers do have to clear immigration and go back through security, however, as ‘IRBS’ is not part of the ‘One Stop Security’ program. London – Dallas is, indeed, the first westbound flight that’s part of that program.
Can’t believe TSA is becoming so proficient and streamlined……what is the world coming to ?!?!
Making history, eh? Wait till you learn about ‘Pre-clearance’ like from Canada (YYZ, YUL, etc.), Dublin, Aruba, and even Abu Dhabi… I know, ‘nuance’… Sure, this is a good development for some folks like LHR-DFW-AUS passengers (wonder who that might impact…)
This would affect my choice of airline if I were flying the route.
@1990, not that big a fan of pre-clearance. Most pre-clearance areas are tiny and cramped, with miniscule lounges. Plus, at least from Toronto, it seems to direct you to LGA!
It would be different if I were transiting on from the US site, though.
AUH is different, it has a fancy lounge after pre clearance. But autocratic petrostates are hardly a reason to have preclearance.
Good start. Hope it comes to Miami. Some of the connections from Latin America to US flights on the same airlines can get pretty tight when you are held up, even with Precheck and Global Entry. Waiting for the bags just to turn them in again is often the sticking point.
@Jon F — It really depends on the airport. Like, I appreciate it at YYZ, because it’s relatively efficient and the Maple Leaf lounge on the other side is decent, but not at AUA, where the lines to enter are often outside in the extreme heat or rain, and no distinction for Global Entry, etc., until after entering.
But, woah now, are we trashing LGA again? C’mon, the new terminals are excellent. You really should ‘try it again,’ if you haven’t been in a while. Was just through there yesterday and had a seamless experience (on arrival). Only the old LGA deserves any hate.
This is a game changer for sure, especially for people difficulty getting visas to the US: those customers have been buying tickets that involve sterile transfer or visa free countries, instead. Even as a Canadian, I want to avoid going through US immigration these days.
Im pretty sure they are not the first ones, at least for the luggage. I clearly recall going thru Toronto on my way into the US and NOT having to pick up my luggage for customs in Toronto (or after that). They also had some trial with electronic entry. This is years ago already.
This is pretty neat for sure.
But going to Europe through LHR it’s ridiculous having to go through security there.
From the US, going through Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Madrid- no need to clear security’- just go to connecting gate and do passport check if transferring to a Schengen flight. Way faster
I’ve cleared immigration, customs, and security maybe 10 times in the past year, at a variety of entry points (IAD, EWR, IAH, SFO, ORD). Apart from one slow entry at IAH where everyone seemed to be receiving extra scrutiny, it’s difficult for me to imagine how at gate screening is faster than my current global entry experience. In fact, unless they wheel half a dozen kiosks to the gate, I’m certain it will be slower. Maybe this is better for the typical traveler, but for those of us who are regulars I see zero advantage.
My last transfer (2 weeks ago) through IAD took all of 10 minutes for immigration and security, and most of that was walking. Maybe 1 minute each in line.
@1990 – I generally hate preclearance, especially on nonstop flight itineraries, because you need to build in any potential customs issues (lines, secondary, etc) into how early you get to the airport whereas on arrival it’s whatever it is – usually short, but I’m usually just going home anyways, so I don’t need any extra buffer time planned in. DUB is especially annoying because 1) there’s a line for everyone just to start for the 2) second security check where you must take out electronics, take off your shoes, etc. regardless of GE/PreCheck status, and 3) it’s a cramped waiting area in the ground floor once you are through, with a mid contract lounge as the only lounge option.
(also, I rarely check bags, so I’m almost never waiting around at bag claim either way)
Still don’t understand why you have to undergo immigration when only connecting in the US or move your own bags. This is a ridiculous policy and it’s like the US doesn’t trust their allies to do a good job at screening.
Also, making LHR more desirable is laughable at best, who in their right mind wants to connect through Hatethrow?
@Gary – “It’s almost enough to make me want to hop on the 8:30 a.m. departure from Heathrow instead of one of American’s four later flights to Dallas.”
Why? (Just curious.)