Enhanced security measures at airports

Bebopclown

I've been hearing that it now takes much longer to get through the airport due to recent enhanced security measures. Is this for all flights? I'm traveling to London Via Aer Lingus next week, should I arrive 3 hours early or is it the same?

CeilingFly

No issues in Dublin or London.

Its the European schengen area airports that have the extra checks

Marcusm

Bebopclown wrote: »

I've been hearing that it now takes much longer to get through the airport due to recent enhanced security measures. Is this for all flights? I'm traveling to London Via Aer Lingus next week, should I arrive 3 hours early or is it the same?

The delays are all passport related. There is no exit passport control in Ireland and at Heathrow there is no arrival passport control at all at all for Ireland flights.

There may be usual seasonal related queues at Dublin and/or Heathrow but these are unrelated to the issues being experienced at European airports.

Bebopclown

Cool, thank you. Here was the artical I read for those interested.
https://www.buzz.ie/news/chaos-european-airports-new-security-measures-cause-huge-delays-248136

The Veteran

There is an amazing amount of poorly reported "stuff" in this in the media. The Schengen Zone operates to the Schengen Border Code which now requires full exit controls to be applied. Some reporting is referring to this as applying to Irish and British nationals etc etc. It doesn't apply based on your nationality; it applies based on your destination. If you are leaving Schengen you will be (or should be) exit controlled! That will take as long as it takes.

The reference to "enhanced security checks" at Dublin and three hours stems from Aer Lingus sending a communication to its passengers who will be travelling on flights using US pre-clearance. The Dept of Homeland Security of which CBP is a prt have enhanced the security checks - that coupled with this being the peak of the peak season means that Pre-Clearance at Dublin is very busy. The Irish Times reported on this today and various website (Joe.ie, her.ie, etc) picked up on it. Then Dublin airport is on Twitter saying it advised 90 mins for European flight and 2.5 hours for long haul plus car park time if applicable. They were also saying the 3 hour story was wrong etc - check their Twitter feed. If you read the irish Times story it is actually correct in what it's saying but others including the airport are getting confused.

In terms of Dublin arrivals, yes there is some congestion but there is a whole thread on passport queues in this forum but if you look at recent posts they are all saying they are getting through in big time.

The other piece of confusion is the IALPA story around runway and taxi-way congestion affecting airline ontime performances.

There are several stories doing the round and the media as well as "punters" are just hearing\seeing the words "airport" and "delays" and it's all one big must after that regardless of the detail.

CeilingFly

Its silly season in the media. Most politicians are on holiday all round the world, courts are mostly closed, companies tend not to do deals. So nothing to write about, hence they will sensationalise anything to get clicks.

FanadMan

I travelled Stanstead to Dublin today - security was very strict. Failed the medal detector so had to do the body scan and then a pat down. And there was full passport control in Dublin. Thanks to those delays and the Ryanair flight being 90 minutes late, we had about 15 minutes to go to the loo, get food etc before running for the bus. Thankfully Bus Eireann were late as usual so it sorta evened out.

Donegal Storm

Traveled DUB-LHR earlier from T2 and was through security in less than 10 minutes, had nearly an hour delay for takeoff between having no free stands available for landing followed by a long take off queue but no issues whatsoever with security.

ectoraige

The US pre-clearance is definitely one thing for which people should add an extra time buffer. I was pulled aside for additional checks a few weeks ago which took over half an hour. Thankfully it only meant we had to skip the breakfast we'd planned to have.

whiskeygirl

What did those extra security checks in pre-clearance amount to if you don't mind me asking? I see mention of stuff to do with electronic devices in the paper, ie the CBP lads snoop through your phone/laptop/tablet etc.

ectoraige

whiskeygirl wrote: »

What did those extra security checks in pre-clearance amount to if you don't mind me asking? I see mention of stuff to do with electronic devices in the paper, ie the CBP lads snoop through your phone/laptop/tablet etc.

I literally have no idea what the extra checks were. I was travelling with my wife and children, and after passing their baggage security check we had a CBP officer check our passports, take our fingerprints, and asked us all a few questions. For example, he asked our children their names, and asked us where we were staying, and for how long.

Then he told me I'd have to come with him and showed my family where they could wait for me. I was brought to another waiting area with a single officer behind a desk who was given my passport and boarding card. I sat there for over half an hour while he worked on a computer. Eventually he called me up and asked for the address where I was staying, which we had already given in our ESTA declaration, and had also given to the first CBP officer. I had to turn on my phone to look it up, and once I gave it to him he handed my documents back and off I went.

My only guess is it was a random flagging and he spent the time reading our files and those of the people we were visiting, or playing solitaire.

With regards to the electronics they didn't really pay much attention at all, our bags went through a scanner but you could leave stuff in your bag, the DAA check was more thorough in that regard. I believe the CBP can indeed ask to sift through your devices but I didn't see it happening to anybody. The ESTA forms at present have an optional section for you to fill in social media account information, I guess thay might become mandatory in future.

The one good thing from it was I had a nap while I waited.

whiskeygirl

I've been to the states few times over last few years through Dublin pre-clearance and going again in late August. Never had any hassles with CBP, bar a cranky auld lad last time shouting at me to relax my hands on the fingerprint scanner yoke. Hopefully will be same again in August!

trellheim

CBP operate to their own timescales and are utterly independent down there. it can get very crowded down there so make sure you leave time to be processed.

As for poster above I don't know how you planned to get breakfast after CBP there is very slim pickings, I wish they'd let a decent food place open as its a huge gap ( even with the foodstuffs restrictions )


ON the OP thread, it is interesting to note that where long wait times are being encountered across the EU, governments are applying common sense solutions to the issues such as suspending checks at certain borders

Something to consider seriously, instead of rejecting out of hand.

For example

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-17-1182_en.htm

bk

I have to say this is why I'd rather go through CBP in the US then at Dub.

At Dub you have to turn up way early, do it and then sit around bored with little to do afterwards.

Doing it in the US is better IME. Off the plane, do CBP and then straight out of the airport. Actually much faster.

jjbrien

bk wrote: »

I have to say this is why I'd rather go through CBP in the US then at Dub.

At Dub you have to turn up way early, do it and then sit around bored with little to do afterwards.

Doing it in the US is better IME. Off the plane, do CBP and then straight out of the airport. Actually much faster.

Not my last experience at JFK Terminal 4 it took is over 90 mins to clear CBP big lines for Immigration and a bigger line for customs

EWR on the other hand your out in 20 mins.

Creamy Goodness

bk wrote: »

I have to say this is why I'd rather go through CBP in the US then at Dub.

At Dub you have to turn up way early, do it and then sit around bored with little to do afterwards.

Doing it in the US is better IME. Off the plane, do CBP and then straight out of the airport. Actually much faster.

Last time I went through I was down at 9am was in 51st and green at 9:10am.

Time before that though it was 45 minutes, mainly cause I couldn't use the machines properly. The document scanner is not a finger print reader, I repeat the document scanner is not the finger print reader

silverharp

I flew back to Dublin from Spain last week, they look at your passport. I cant see what the big deal is. Note to self might be better to stick to small Ryanair airports

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

L1011

If you're connecting, clearing in the US is insanity. If you're going somewhere with direct flights from here or LON it'll be fine

ectoraige

bk wrote: »

I have to say this is why I'd rather go through CBP in the US then at Dub.

At Dub you have to turn up way early, do it and then sit around bored with little to do afterwards.

Doing it in the US is better IME. Off the plane, do CBP and then straight out of the airport. Actually much faster.

Last time we did stateside it took over two hours just to clear immigration in EWR with three tired children in tow. This time was far less stressful, it's easier to kill time sitting at a gate then it is shuffling through queues of people in the heat trying to make sure your bags and children remain with you.

Tenger

Fred Swanson wrote: »

I agree.

But the majority of users here wouldn't agree with us.

Also I always finds it cheaper to fly via the UK to the US. I has no blind loyalty to a certain green airline.

Your opinion is your own. Nothing wrong with it.
More than just the green airline use CBP in Dublin BTW.

In airline travel, direct flights will mostly always be more expensive than a connecting itinerary. Whatever suits you and your circumstances is what matters.