Does anyone have experience of flying from Dublin recently?

[srvman 38]

Just hoping to hear some reviews or experiences of people flying from Dublin recently, especially with connections?

I have a 1 hour 20 minute connection to Denver, and then a 44 minute connection to my last flight to Montana.

I know I am cutting it fine, I would just like to know what to expect when I land in Dulles, will I have to go through security? I did phone United, but the girl didn't even realize Dublin had preclearance, so I am looking for information from people who have flown similar routes, from Dublin into a domestic terminal.

[Boiler 45,482]

Denver is just swopping gates, so if you are on time should not be an issue, delayed, or a different terminal...

80 minutes to get off the plane, go through immigration, get your luggage, customs, re check through security, find your gate seems a push. Less than that as of course they close the gate before due take off.

I have missed a few, they put you on the next one available.

Off to DIA in ten minutes!

Edited March 5, 2014 by Boiler

[srvman 38]

Thanks Boiler have fun in Denver. Love that city.

I thought Dublin did immigration and customs?

[rhirhi 35]

Have you ever flown through Dublin before?

I've not done it with my K1 visa but have gone through a few times for visits with a Cardiff-Dublin, Dublin-Boston connection. The beauty of the preclearance facility at Dublin is that it's not an arrivals facility. You check in (or go through flight transfers), go through to departures, kill some time in the shops and bars and then go through to preclearance. The good thing about this is you're not battling with every other person on your plane as well as 2-3 other planes that have landed at the same time. Everyone just goes through preclearance in their own time rather than in planeloads of people. I've only ever queued once at Dublin which was for maybe 10mins. Preclearance is the usual immigrations hall followed by a mini-security where they rescan your cabin bags and you go through a metal detector. You'll then be right at the gate

As you technically 'enter' the US in Dublin you then fly into a domestic terminal in the US. It's beautiful just getting off your flight, grabbing your checked bags and leaving without queuing for ages at immigration.

Of course, I can't speak for how well/quickly they deal with a K1 entry but reviews in the POE review section (which I'm guessing you've read as you specifically asked for recent experiences) seem to be pretty positive.

[Vanitas 310]

I'm not 100% sure on this one, truth be told. While my understanding of pre-clearance is that your customs and immigration is done at Dublin (so your K1 stuff is done there and then in Ireland - in fact there's even an officer who offers to shred your paperwork if you're having second thoughts), I am not sure at all regarding the security aspect.

Now based on what Rhirhi has said, as you go through security once you might not have to do so again. But whether you have to get your checked bag(s) and re-check them again, I don't know.

[srvman 38]

Yeah I have flown from Dublin a couple of times as I live just outside of Belfast. (It is a lot cheaper than either Belfast Airport)

I have only flown to Newark before from Dublin, and that was a while ago, and I can't remember what I had to do with bags, and from memory I had a 4 or 5 hour layover, so I wasn't really paying attention or rushing.

I only remember the preclearance, not whether I had to pick up bags, or go through customs.

[Boiler 45,482]

Not all flights go through pre clearance. I take it this one does.

[rhirhi 35]

Yeah I have flown from Dublin a couple of times as I live just outside of Belfast. (It is a lot cheaper than either Belfast Airport)

I have only flown to Newark before from Dublin, and that was a while ago, and I can't remember what I had to do with bags, and from memory I had a 4 or 5 hour layover, so I wasn't really paying attention or rushing.

I only remember the preclearance, not whether I had to pick up bags, or go through customs.

Ah so your FIRST airport is Dublin then? Are all your flights booked on one ticket? Same airline?

[Vanitas 310]

Okay, just done a search for it. According to Wikipedia (and therefore take this with a huge dose of salt) so long as your bags are checked through to your final destination in Montana, you are safe - they will be transferred from your Dublin-Dulles flight to your other ones. So it should just be a case of getting to your gates.

[srvman 38]

Ah so your FIRST airport is Dublin then? Are all your flights booked on one ticket? Same airline?

Yup, so at least if it goes tits up, they can sort me out hopefully.

Wheatley, thanks for your help. I searched and got something along those lines, but I just had issues figuring out what it meant. Although I fly a good amount, I am still pretty useless when it comes to airports.

[rhirhi 35]

Ahhhhh, if it's all on one ticket then you'll be fine as if you miss a connection they'll put you on the next one.

If it's all with one airline (or partner airlines) they'll check your bags straight through so you won't have to pick them up at any point.

As Wheatley says, it will just be a find-the-gate exercise.

If your first port of call is Dublin, you will be absolutely fine with POE. I very selfishly put you in the same position as me where your connection would be in Dublin

[srvman 38]

Ahhhhh, if it's all on one ticket then you'll be fine as if you miss a connection they'll put you on the next one.

If it's all with one airline (or partner airlines) they'll check your bags straight through so you won't have to pick them up at any point.

As Wheatley says, it will just be a find-the-gate exercise.

If your first port of call is Dublin, you will be absolutely fine with POE. I very selfishly put you in the same position as me where your connection would be in Dublin

Thanks for your help RhiRhi, I have nothing to worry about now with my visa, so I have to start thinking about other things such as flight connections to keep my mind occupied, as I have nothing to do until next Friday.