Ireland to USA travel - odd question

Mark M · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:04

A friend of mine has suggested that if you fly to America from Ireland then you dont need to go through security at the airport in the USA? Surely thats not correct? Given how tight their customs are now that other than internal flights everyone will be going through security?

Showboat · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:09

Dublin airport has US customs in it, so you go through customs in Ireland and land in US like a internal US flight and just go on your merry way! woot!
You need to arrive for your flight about 3 hours before its due to fly....

Maccy · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:09

Sounds like a load of codswallop

EDIT - I stand corrected!

Tunney · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:11

Flights from London City Airport to New York also stop in Ireland (Shannon?) and do US immigration control there.

Rifte · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:11

Showboat said:
Dublin airport has US customs in it, so you go through customs in Ireland and land in US like a internal US flight and just go on your merry way! woot!
You need to arrive for your flight about 3 hours before its due to fly....

Wow this is definitely something worth knowing!

US immigration stateside can be a pain in the backside at the best of times.

cu3ed · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:20

Deffo true, have used it before. Kinda weird actually on the other side just walking more or less straight out.
Stateside security checks are kinda freaky.

wolfie138 · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:21

looked into this when i was going to NY, seemed it was no quicker an option that just doing customs in NY ~ the time you saved int he US was just spent in Ireland instead.

adolf hamster · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:21

yep, as others have said this is definately a thing, presumably a political gesture given the american's love for the irish

Mark M · 6 Dec 2017 at 13:40

Wow, you learn something everyday!

However if its no quicker then its not worth it I guess. Im looking at Newcastle>Schiphol>JFK or NCL>Dublin>JFK.

Newcastle>Schiphol>JFK is £524 return
NCL>Dublin>JFK is £533 return

Probably more convenient to not go via Dublin as I can only get to there with Ryan Air

Dis86 · 6 Dec 2017 at 14:17

Current Ryanair flights from Newcastle to Dublin are at crap times. I make the trip once a week and it's utter dog crap. We
Specially with some of the passengers you get on the flights.

A2Z · 6 Dec 2017 at 14:25

Same thing in Toronto, Canada. US immigration pre clearance before boarding flight.

subbytna · 6 Dec 2017 at 14:37

Maccy said:
Sounds like a load of codswallop

EDIT - I stand corrected!

No it's true.

Spook187 · 6 Dec 2017 at 15:19

What do the yanks do that hold you up so much, do the torture you like waterboarding to see if you have a bomb or something.

Mark M · 6 Dec 2017 at 15:25

Spook187 said:
What do the yanks do that hold you up so much, do the torture you like waterboarding to see if you have a bomb or something.

Last few times Ive been there is just an almighty queue at Customs which took about an hour and a half to get through.

adolf hamster · 6 Dec 2017 at 15:38

Mark M said:
Last few times Ive been there is just an almighty queue at Customs which took about an hour and a half to get through.

presumably dublin might be a bit quicker- you're only queueing with the folk going on your flight

Rroff · 6 Dec 2017 at 15:48

Mark M said:
Last few times Ive been there is just an almighty queue at Customs which took about an hour and a half to get through.

I've had some interesting experiences clearing US airports :s usually there are like 3-4 lots of 100m long queues of people waiting to clear at the big airports and if you get stuck behind that good luck

usually as a white European though you won't get stuck on the big queues.

They can be ultra fussy about the visa stuff (probably less of an issue now with the changes to the visa waiver) - once had to go through it all again because apparently I used the "wrong" colour ink.

Oddly had a few times though where one of the security guys has waved me over - taken a quick look at my passport then escorted me through - kind of weird walking down past long queues of people - they seem to randomly do it to people who are on their own. (I half wondered if they used facial recognition for people who'd been through before but probably nothing to that).

Showboat · 6 Dec 2017 at 15:58

adolf hamster said:
presumably dublin might be a bit quicker- you're only queueing with the folk going on your flight

Not exactly, they try and time all US flights out around similar times.. So you could have 3-4 flights heading out over the space of 1-2 hours.
Last time i was there i think i waited 30mins.

You need to weigh up your stop overs, if you have a 3 hour stop over in dublin and similar in schiphol.. You may as well go via dublin and clear customs rather than sitting about! Your overall flight time may be smaller as you aint flying the wrong way for part of it (schiphol)

Rroff · 6 Dec 2017 at 16:03

Not sure about Dublin but Schiphol is a huge airport and in my experience they seem to intentionally make you go all around the houses going to and from connecting flights

booyaka · 6 Dec 2017 at 16:10

as above - if you fly via Dublin you tend to clear US customs/immigration there. Done it a few times

Shannon Airport does this as well.

Mark M · 6 Dec 2017 at 16:51

Showboat said:
Not exactly, they try and time all US flights out around similar times.. So you could have 3-4 flights heading out over the space of 1-2 hours.
Last time i was there i think i waited 30mins.

You need to weigh up your stop overs, if you have a 3 hour stop over in dublin and similar in schiphol.. You may as well go via dublin and clear customs rather than sitting about! Your overall flight time may be smaller as you aint flying the wrong way for part of it (schiphol)

Good point thanks, will look at the flight times as Id never thought of that. Plus I can get a proper pint of Guinness in Dublin airport ha! Only thing that puts me off is Ryanair and the recent problems theyve been having!

Another quick question, does anyone know if/how I can get to JFK on one of the new planes? Would be good to fly on one although not essential.