US customs - connecting flights

Dublin21

Hi,

I am flying from dublin to Orlando via gatwick soon and was wondering if anyone knows where i go through customs?
I only have an hour in Gatwick and from what i heard i will need all that time to q at the connecting flights desk.

If its in Orlando is it basically the same procedure as customs when going direct from dublin?

Thanks

lord lucan

customs is the same procedure as it is going from dublin. you'll have to clear immigration in orlando though so be prepared to hang around for a bit. the customs part is pretty quick unless of course they think you look a little suss and pull you to one side.:P

BuffyBot

Customs is always in the US.

You're thinking of Immigration, which you will clear when you arrive in Orlando

You only do immigration in Dublin when you are flying directly to the US, and even then it's only on some flights. Gatwick has no such facility

Third_Echelon

Dublin21 wrote: »

Hi,

I am flying from dublin to Orlando via gatwick soon and was wondering if anyone knows where i go through customs?
I only have an hour in Gatwick and from what i heard i will need all that time to q at the connecting flights desk.

If its in Orlando is it basically the same procedure as customs when going direct from dublin?

Thanks

Why would you need to queue at the connecting flights desk?

Surely you can just get them to check your bag through to Orlando and issue you your London to Orlando boarding pass as well?

jjbrien

BuffyBot wrote: »

Customs is always in the US.

You're thinking of Immigration, which you will clear when you arrive in Orlando

You only do immigration in Dublin when you are flying directly to the US, and even then it's only on some flights. Gatwick has no such facility

not quite true if you fly trough a canadaian airport such as Toronto Pearson you would also do customs there it can be an awful pain if you have alot of bags as you have to first go trough us immigration and queue for that and then weel you bags trpugh customs and then put them on the baggage belt.

There are currently plans in motion to put the same facility as in Toronto in Shannon.

Ponster

OP, it depends on which airlines you're flying with.
In most cases if you bought a ticket from Ireland to USA that travels through the UK then your bags will be tagged 'USA' when you check in in Ireland. This way when you land in Gatwick, you don't have to do anything but look on a screen and check what gate you need to get to.

If though you bought for example 2 seperate tickets (e.g. Ryanair for IRE -> UK and British Airways for UK -> USA) then you'd probably have to reclaim your bags and check-in again.

Best call your airline and ask if you bags will be "checked through" when you get to Dublin. If they are then when you check-in remember to ask if you can get the boarding card for your second flight when in Dublin to speed things up.

Dublin21

Thanks for the help guys.
Im flying from ireland to US with a stop in UK, all through BA so i presume i wont see my bags again after Dublin however when i checked through a few reviews i seen a lot of ppl talk about queuing at the connecting flight desk.. however maybe not in my case.
My worry was i thought since my last stop in Europe was the UK before America i would have to go through customs, sorry Immigration there.
When i have gone direct from Dublin to America before it took about an hour of queuing and then all the questions from US border control, finger prints etc.. so i know i wouldn't have time for that.. but if i have to do that in Orlando this time instead then all is good!

BuffyBot

BA in Dublin should check your bags right thought, and should be able to issue boarding passes for you also (if you haven't been able to get them by checking in online on BA's website).

Bluetonic

Dublin21 wrote: »

When i have gone direct from Dublin to America before it took about an hour of queuing and then all the questions from US border control, finger prints etc.. so i know i wouldn't have time for that.. but if i have to do that in Orlando this time instead then all is good!

Really?

Ponster

Yep. finger prints and iris scans...It's usually pretty quick for me though. Rarely get any more than a couple of questions.

citytillidie

If your on a connecting flight in the states is it the last airport you go to that you clear immigration.

I am going to Vegas but there is a stop off at Philly first so would my bags go straight onto the next plane or would i have to collect them?

Third_Echelon

citytillidie wrote: »

If your on a connecting flight in the states is it the last airport you go to that you clear immigration.

I am going to Vegas but there is a stop off at Philly first so would my bags go straight onto the next plane or would i have to collect them?

When entering the US you pick up your bags at your FIRST ENTRY POINT, in this case Philadelphia. You clear customs there and drop your bag at the connecting flights belt. There will be signs for connecting flights etc.

You will go through immigration in Philadelphia as you are coming off an international flight. Your flight from Philadelphia to Las Vegas is a domestic flight so you would be landing in a domestic terminal and there would be no immigration officers there (Las Vegas).