# Clearing Immigration for US at Shannon



## Perplexed (5 Sep 2009)

I heard somewhere that this is now available. Can someone confirm that it's up & running and do I need to allow extra time for check in ?


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## Mucker Man (5 Sep 2009)

You can now clear American customs in Shannon, but Aer Lingus are not offering the service yet, just the American Airline who fly from Shannon.


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## Perplexed (5 Sep 2009)

Typical !  Delta have pulled a lot of their flights from Shannon so I'm flying Aer Lingus.

Thanks Mucker Man.


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## soy (7 Sep 2009)

Very useful service, especially if doing a connection in the US. 
Arrived at 16.30 in Philly last week and was on my onwards connection at 17.00


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## Joe Nonety (9 Sep 2009)

Do you get delayed much having to clear immigration in the US?


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## shesells (9 Sep 2009)

Joe Nonety said:


> Do you get delayed much having to clear immigration in the US?



How long is a piece of string 

That's a question that's impossible to answer. You could walk straight through or you could queue for more than two hours. It depends on the airport, the time of day, how many staff are on, what flights have landed before you and how correctly the people in front of you have completed their paperwork. 

I would always leave 2.5 hours to connect in the US from Ireland having cleared immigration here (unless you pre-clear customs in Shannon you have to collect your bags, queue to bring them through customs and drop off at the baggage belt - and then re-do security!) and would want at least another hour if you are going through immigration in the US.


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## Joe Nonety (10 Sep 2009)

Ok I'll put it another way, has anyone been to the US since Aer Lingus stopped pre-clearance? If so, how long has clearing immigration taken on the US side.


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## orka (10 Sep 2009)

Aer Lingus still pre-clear immigration for most of their flights (not Orlando and not their afternoon JFK flight) so you will still be quick through to your luggage when you get to the US. You still have to clear customs (unless with Delta via Shannon where you can pre-clear this too) - but that's just handing your 2nd form to the guard as you exit the baggage area. If you are not a flight that pre-clears immigration, shesells answer was not a smarty-pants one - it could be 10 minutes and it could be 2 hours. I got the afternoon Aer Lingus flight recently which didn't pre-clear immigration and there was no-one waiting at immigration - so first off our plane were first in line; I was about half-way back so about 15 minutes maybe. However, as I waited, what looked like 3 or 4 other planes arrived and the queue became massive - so if our flight was 20 minutes later, it could have been a 2 hour wait...

Pre-clearing customs might not seem like a big new advantage but the big upside is that it will allow the airlines to land at domestic airports and domestic terminals in the US rather than the International ones - it will be very quick to get through to landside then.  I think this is why BA are hoping their London City to JFK via Shannon service will work - the speed through to Landside once in the US plus the handiness of London City for people based in the City should more than outweigh the delay in stopping off at Shannon to refuel.


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## jonq74 (11 Sep 2009)

heading to buffalo in 2 weeks via jfk with aerlingus and jet blue... two seperate flights. aerlingus lands at 1pm officially and the jetblue one takes off at 3.59pm in terminal 5. will have precleard immigration in dublin so  have to get the bags and check with jetblue and go through security again.... is 3 hours enough?? last checkintime with jet blue is 30mins before for domestic flights...


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## wjc (11 Sep 2009)

Travelling to NYC from Dublin with Delta in 2 weeks. Plane at 09.35. How early would I need to be at airport? Do you pre-clear immigration in Dublin ao do you have to go through it on JFK side?


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## EvilDoctorK (11 Sep 2009)

jonq74 said:


> heading to buffalo in 2 weeks via jfk with aerlingus and jet blue... two seperate flights. aerlingus lands at 1pm officially and the jetblue one takes off at 3.59pm in terminal 5. will have precleard immigration in dublin so  have to get the bags and check with jetblue and go through security again.... is 3 hours enough?? last checkintime with jet blue is 30mins before for domestic flights...



If you've pre-cleared it's loads of time (even if you hadn't it should still be plenty) .. Aer Lingus arrives in JFK at T4 and T5 is just next door ... you can I think walk from one to the other pretty easily or it's one stop on the monorail shuttle


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## EvilDoctorK (11 Sep 2009)

wjc said:


> Travelling to NYC from Dublin with Delta in 2 weeks. Plane at 09.35. How early would I need to be at airport? Do you pre-clear immigration in Dublin ao do you have to go through it on JFK side?



I believe Delta pre-clears at Dublin ... but one of the more frequent Dublin - US travellers will I'm sure confirm.

Personally I would check-in online and turn up at the airport for 8.00 to drop off bags assuming you're checking bags  ... plenty of time really in my view ... US pre-clearance doesn't take that long and there's nothing to do afterwards.


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## markpb (11 Sep 2009)

EvilDoctorK said:


> I believe Delta pre-clears at Dublin ... but one of the more frequent Dublin - US travellers will I'm sure confirm.



I flew Delta to Atlanta last year and did pre-clear in Dublin. We still had to complete customs and agriculture clearance and switch our bags there for our connection but it was very quick.


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## shesells (11 Sep 2009)

EvilDoctorK said:


> I believe Delta pre-clears at Dublin ... but one of the more frequent Dublin - US travellers will I'm sure confirm.
> 
> Personally I would check-in online and turn up at the airport for 8.00 to drop off bags assuming you're checking bags  ... plenty of time really in my view ... US pre-clearance doesn't take that long and there's nothing to do afterwards.



Sorry but 8.00 isn't nearly early enough! Delta do pre-clear but they also start boarding nearly an hour before flight time. Add in security and the queue for immigration...I would want to be there no later than 7 (having checked in online) and preferably earlier. US pre-clearance took us 45 mins earlier this year and 80 mins this time last year!

I'm flying Delta next week and will be at the airport at least 3 hours before the flight time.


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## EvilDoctorK (11 Sep 2009)

I know many people like to turn up early ... but in my experience the busiest time in Dublin Airport is the morning rush which runs from about 6.00 until about 7.00 in terms of getting through security (everyone going for the early morning departures which take off between around 6.00 and 7.30) ... after that in my experience it gets a good bit quieter ... if you turn up 3 hrs before a 9.30 flight you'll only get caught up in this mad rush (and possibly Delta checkin won't even be open anyway)

In general I've never turned up 3 hrs before my flight (indeed I don't believe I've never turned up at Dublin much more than an hour before my flight) and I've never missed a flight (in Dublin at least  )

As I've said before on here ... when people turn up at the airport early because it's busy this just become's a self fulfilling prophecy really as the airport then becomes full of people waiting around for their flight.

And while Delta may start boarding the flight 45mins / 1hr before it actually leaves you don't have to get on then .. you'll be sitting on the thing for long enough


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## shesells (11 Sep 2009)

As a very frequent traveller I know how busy the airport is early but you definitely need to leave the recommended 3 hours for a trans-Atlantic flight. US immigration queues can be very long. As for security..I normally use the priority line (perk of being a frequent flyer and having status with the airline even for economy flights) but still have been under pressure to make my flight because of the immigration queues (which normally start upstairs before the entrance to the immigration area then snake down the steps and up and down the immigration hall).


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## nconroy (23 Sep 2009)

Has anyone traveled to the US lately, on Aer Lingus, and cleared Immigration?

Aer Lingus do not help themselves or the public, instead of making it clear that "Customs" and/or "Immigration" pre-clearance is still available, they say nothing (that I can find) on their website. 
Talking to a human at Aer Lingus is impossible; all attempts lead back to Customer Relations, which will only accept queries by Fax or letter.
I have faxed Aer Lingus and am awaiting a reply.

I contacted DAA, who inform me that Aer Lingus passenger CANNOT avail of either Customs or Immigration clearance at Shannon or Dublin.

So, I amd confused. Please help.


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## lynchie (23 Sep 2009)

The majority of the early morning US bound flights will pre clear immigration in Dublin. Customs is still done stateside. Think the Aer Lingus flights that dont clear immigration here are the 4pm NY flight, the Orlando flight and possibly the San fran flight.


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## Hans (24 Sep 2009)

I am travelling Continental to Newark from Shannon at 9am thinking of arriving at airport at 7 (hoping Shannon less busy) I'm also assuming that there is preclearance from Shannon with Continental.  Can anyone that took this flight help me out.


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## nconroy (24 Sep 2009)

There is specific question being addressed. Can Aer Lingus passengers clear Immigration at Shannon?

A lot of the responses are addressing the Immigration-Customs preclearance, which we know AerLingus has opted of until T2 Dublin is completed.
What I and others are trying to establish is, is the old Immigration pre clearance at Shannon (and Dublin) still available to Aer Lingus passengers?

Has anyone traveled with AerLingus out of Shannon since August and cleared Immigration in Shannon?


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## nconroy (24 Sep 2009)

OK. Definitive Answer.

AerLingus called me in response to my faxed query regarding Aer Lingus passenger immigration preclearance for US flights.

According to Aer Lingus, there is NO provision for either immigration or customs preclearance for US bound Aer Lingus passengers at either DUB or SNN. 

There will be no such facility available until sometime in 2010 when T2 opens in Dublin and who knows then.

So that's it. If you want US preclearance, use Delta, Continental, BA, but not, definitely not Aer Lingus.


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## nconroy (24 Sep 2009)

OK. Definitive Answer.

AerLingus called me in response to my faxed query regarding Aer Lingus passenger immigration preclearance for US flights.

According to Aer Lingus, there is no provision for either immigration or customs preclearance for US bound Aer Lingus passengers at either DUB or SNN. 

There will be no such facility available until sometime in 2010 when T2 opens in Dublin and who knows then.

So that's it. If you want US preclearance, use Delta, Continental, BA, but not, definitely not Aer Lingus.


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## nconroy (14 Oct 2009)

Well, passed through Shannon last Sat. Warning!!!! You will realy need to prepare ahead for immigration and customs clearence.
I checked in online. So did not use check in desk at airport.
Went looking for immigration - customs form, Immigration-Customs area in departure area closed. No other US bound flights due that day so unlikly to open. Anyway, thought no more about it, though it would have been nice to use some of the two hour wait getting the forms filled in.

Boarded flight, at about half hour out of JFK, when no forms had been handed out by cabin crew, I asked for forms. Hey, cabin crew do not issue these forms. You get them at the check desk. Thats a nice little gap in their planning, check in online and there is no warning that you will need to collect forms at a check in desk.
However, it gets better (worse). Check in did not have the forms on that Sat (or not enough). Cabin crew told me there were a lot of passengers looking for forms, who had been told by check in that forms would be issued by cabin crew.

Anyway, cabin crew was great (going to miss the standard when AerLingus dumb down cabin crew to RyanAir standard). We had a connecting flight with JetBlue (2.5 hours), hostess said that a lot of AerLingus passengers were missing their JetBlue connections because of delays at immigration since AerLingus opted out.
She managed to get two forms (immigration only so at least we got them filled in on the aircraft.
 She also got us off the aircraft first. Well done to that hostess.

Rushed down to immigration, one of the first from the AerLingus flight. All gates open, about one aisle of a queu. Took us about twent min to get to a immigration desk. In the meantime, an Emirates flight had landed and the aisles quickly filled up, so that the ¨slower¨ AierLingus passengers were finding some big queus forming by the time t6hey got to the immigration hall.
One last point. You cannot fill in the custom´s for in the customs hall.
You must have it filled in when you present yourself to the immigration officer. I was turned back and had to fill in the custom´s for andf present myself again. I was luckly, my wife held our place at the immigration gate while I went to the back of the immigration hall and filled in the form, so we only lost about 5 min. On you own, bags could not have left to mark your spot and you may have had to join the main queu again, which had grown considerably at that stage.

So AerLingus. You might as well drop the trans atlantic now. As more people learn how you treat US bound passengers, more will avoid AerLingus like the plague. Of course, this may well be your plan. Lose more passengers, make the route more unprofitable and your case for dropping the route is easier to make.

Footnote. Not varified, but staff on flight told me it cost US Immigration charge 10 euro per passenger to use preclearence.
I would pay it. Willingly.


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