Traveling (alone!) in the morning - last minute q's!

SparkySpitfire

Hey all,

I'm leaving Dublin at noon tomorrow for NY and then LA.

I read that if you're bringing food over from Dublin to the USA you have to declare it. Where does this happen? On the Dublin side? On the US side? I have crisps and biscuits for my friends, I'll leave them here if I have to but I just wanna know how this is done.

I'm going to be in the airport finding my way around by myself so I really want to be as prepared as possible in case I mess something up!!

MeMeJK1

I believe this will be done in Dublin at the US Pre-clearance if you are flying direct to the US. You will be able to declare the food when you fill out the form. Biscuits and Crisps won't be a problem by the way as long as they are unopened. They will probably just ask you what type of food you have and that is all.

coylemj

MeMeJK1 wrote: »

Biscuits and Crisps won't be a problem by the way as long as they are unopened. They will probably just ask you what type of food you have and that is all.

+1 It's really only meat, fruit and vegetables they're interested in because they are acting on behalf of the US Dept of Agriculture to prevent diseases and pests from being brought in by visitors. Packaged food such as you're planning to bring shouldn't be a problem but declare it anyway.

Take a look here, scroll down to 'Food Products (prepared)' ....

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/prohibited-restricted

SparkySpitfire

Thanks guys, I've never flown to the US before, let alone by myself...

So when I check my bag at the United desk is it done then? Or before that? Or after that? And the whole scanning carry-on bags and metal detectors are done in a different place to say, EU flights? So scared I'll somehow mess this up.

SparkySpitfire

Okay so I just read this link from the DA website.

http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/US-Preclearance.aspx

So when I arrive at Terminal 2, it's preclearance, check in, security? (And yes I'm flying direct, no Heathrow thank god!!)

Ponster

Check in (which you can just do online), then you go through Irish security (just like any normal flight), then you go through US security (strangely they can have different standards in terms of what is being checked) and then you go through the pre-clearance where they ask for your passport, fingerprints, etc and ask you to ID your checked in luggage.

It's impossible to mess up. It's designed to be as smooth as possible. When you start taking of belts and shoes for the Irish-run security you'll see the US one just a few meters down the line.

As the second post said "You will be able to declare the food when you fill out the form". You'll fill this out before you enter pre-clearance.

SparkySpitfire

Thank you all for the helpful replies so far. I'm so on edge here... thought I'd be grand flying on my own now I'm totally losing the plot with nerves.

So when I'm declaring the food at preclearance, does that mean I'm declaring that it's in my checked bag (which it will be) or do I need to keep it in my carry on?

Dave1442397

SparkySpitfire wrote: »

Thank you all for the helpful replies so far. I'm so on edge here... thought I'd be grand flying on my own now I'm totally losing the plot with nerves.

So when I'm declaring the food at preclearance, does that mean I'm declaring that it's in my checked bag (which it will be) or do I need to keep it in my carry on?

Checked bag is fine. I usually have one suitcase filled with stuff every time I leave Ireland. Last time it was mostly Easter eggs. I dumped the boxes and had at least 10 of them in my luggage, plus assorted other junk food.

They usually won't even take meat products as long as they're in vacuum sealed packaging, although sometimes they get picky.

coylemj

SparkySpitfire wrote: »

Thank you all for the helpful replies so far. I'm so on edge here... thought I'd be grand flying on my own now I'm totally losing

You seriously need to calm down and chill, the US agents dong pre-clearance are in the main a perfectly civilised bunch of people. In the worst case, they will tell you that you can not bring a particular piece of food with you and if that is the case, they will ask you to deposit it in a special bin, then you will be allowed to travel. That's what happened an aunt of mine who had an orange with her to consume on the flight, she wasn't allowed to bring it on board.

Be polite and matter of fact to the US Immigration people, answer any question they ask you with the bare facts they're looking for but do not come across as evasive. Do not crack jokes (which some people do because they're nervous) and do not answer a question they didn't ask you i.e. don't start rambling with rubbish facts. Do that and you'll be through in no time.

Beffs

OP, I'd echo colylemj's excellent advise above and try to calm down a bit. You'll only work your self up into a state for no good reason. Why make yourself miserable, when you really don't have to? Dublin Airports security and pre clearance procedures are all very professionally ran and easy to follow and understand. Take a deep breath, give yourself plenty of time, try to relax and you'll be through it in no time at all, with very little stress or hassle.

You can put your crisps and biscuits in whatever bag you want. Declare it on the form as 'confectionary items' or just crisps and biscuits and you'll be fine. As long as you don't have any meat or fruit or veg products, you'll be perfectly ok. Trust me, you won't be the first Irish person to enter the US with a truck load of Tayto & Crunchies in your mala, and you won't be the last.