Do we need a 3 hour layover at DFW if coming from overseas?
 

We will be flying from the east coast USA to Seoul, Korea and back next April. I read some reviews (on another website) about needing a 3 hour layover to clear customs and make a connecting flight. Have others found this to be true? Traveling to Korea, should we also make sure we have plenty of time to make our connecting flight? The only way to allow more than a 1 hr layover is to take a 5 am flight or spend the night at DFW and then continue on.

If we spend the night, is there an airport hotel you would recommend? If we fly American Airlines, we will need to stay overnight near EWR or DFW....

Generally, if you buy both flights (or all four, counting the return) on one ticket, the airlines will ensure that the connecting times meet minimum standards. For example, at DFW airport, the MCT ("minimum connection time") for international-to-domestic flights operated by AA is 1h 10m. Outbound, domestic to international, the MCT is 50 min., relative to the fact that the US doesn't have border controls on departing flights.

I'd personally view 70 min. as pretty tight, because DFW is a big airport and the departing domestic gate might be a long way from the customs exit, but I have made a number of 2-hour international - domestic connections there with no difficulty. If you have the option for a bit longer connection than 70 min., I'd take it, but I wouldn't extend it to 3 hours.

I used to fly to Singapore a lot, so have experience with various flights over the Pacific. I never went through DFW but a one hour connection for an international flight at any airport is generally a bad idea, IMHO.

As painful as it sounds I'd take the 5:00 AM flight with the greater than one hour layover. Your internal clock is going to get screwed up anyway, so when all is said and done that 5:00 AM flight won't matter much. It could even help you recover from jet lag sooner when you arrive, probably late at night (?). You'll be ready to crash then.

Have a good trip.

There is no way to know how long you need whenever you have a connecting flight, whether international or domestic. The reality is that planes often depart late or arrive late and than can mess up any plan.

On a recent domestic flight they boarded us for an announced early take off. Everyone was on board, the door closed and ready to taxi, 25 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Then the pilot announced they had a light not functioning and it would have to be repaired before departure. Twenty minutes after the scheduled departure time we finally moved off the gate.

If you have to clear Customs before catching the connecting domestic flight, what happens if they choose you for a randon luggage search? Oops, missed the connection.

I try very hard to avoiding connecting flights when possible. I'd rather pay a bit more than chance the possible consequences of a missed connection. I also don't like the additional time 'door to door' that a connecting flight always adds.

I know Asiana and Korean Air both fly non-stop to/from Kennedy Airport. Eliminate the potential problem.

Meant to add, a non-stop of 14 hours vs. an 18-20hour with connection time is worth paying for.

Thank you all for your input on this. We don't have much experience traveling through DFW airport as of yet, but that will probably change with the merger of US Airways and American and the various routes we fly.

Gardyloo, thank you for the specific input on MCT at DFW for AA flights. Very helpful! We will definitely try to have 2 hrs or a little more whenever we can. I am wary of short connections as I hate to run to catch a plane

I think most of the "horror stories" I saw about missing connecting flights at DFW because of long lines at customs were posted (on another website) by people who didn't have US passports. I'm sure that makes a difference, too.

Nelson, we are very used to having our internal clocks messed up. I agree that the 5 am flight would be better than risking missing our connecting flight. More often than not, we tend to be traveling (or be overseas hoping we can make it home again) when there is something exciting going on with the weather. We were on one one of the first international flights allowed to land at Newark after Hurricane Sandy. The airport was almost deserted. Came home to no power, no heat, etc. but at least we were able to land!

Sojourntraveller, I totally agree with you about the joy of travelling on a non-stop flight and that one can never plan for the unexpected. Last January, we were happy to have booked a flight in early January - the day before a big snowstorm would hit our area. But our flight was cancelled due to mechanical failure. Our (grown) kids made it out on their earlier flight but we were stuck. They offered to put us on a flight the next morning but we knew the airport would be closed by then. Drove from the PHL airport to BWI, flew to Phoenix and then on to SFO. So grateful to the US Airways employee who helped find this work around and make it to our nephew's wedding in Big Sur!

At this point, we may explore flying to DFW and spending the night at the Hyatt Regency before continuing to Seoul on a 10:45 am flight. Would that be the most convenient hotel for an overnight layover?

Thanks again, folks.

Most convenient hotel is the DFW Grand Hyatt - it's right inside Terminal D - there's a TSA checkpoint just steps from the escalator that leads to the hotel lobby and the AA check-in counters are only a few hundred feet from the escalator (other airline counters are a bit further). Once you pass TSA you can take the SKY LINK tram to all other terminals without leaving the secure area. We stay there 2 or 3 times a year when we have an early flight and find it very "convenient" and comfortable. We leave the hotel, clear TSA and are at our departure gate in no time.

They have a very good restaurant in the hotel and if you are staying there overnight and have your boarding pass for your morning flight you can ask the TSA to give you a "pass" so you can enter Terminal D in the evening to visit the shops and/or dine at one of the many in the restaurants that are in the secure area. Go here and use the "Shop & Eat" link for more info: www.dfwairport.com

The Hyatt Regency is also on airport property but not in any of the terminals so it's slightly less "convenient". They have a shuttle bus that you can take to any of the terminals.

Regardless of airport, I find that as a US Citizen, generally it takes about 60 minutes from door open on an international arrivals to get to the gate for a domestic departure. That includes immigration, bags, customs, redeposit bags and take shuttle/train. And I have done SFO, LAX, ORD, EWR and so on. Some will be longer, if say going to certain far-away terminals at LAX by walking or shuttle bus.

So, in general, I like connections of 90 minutes or more coming back from overseas. Good thing is that you shouldn't expect delays from flying out of ICN.

Going out, it's the same as a domestic flight - an hour is usually sufficient. Especially if the flights are in the morning, as delays tend to worsen through the day.

I don't think it took more than 15 minutes to clear customs when Imwent thru DFW last Oct.

We just came through DFW last week on our way home from Cozumel. I have Global Entry but my DH does not so I didn't use Global Entry this time.

DFW has kiosks you can use in customs even if you don't have Global Entry. This makes a huge difference in the amount of time you spend in customs. I don't think we spent more than 10 minutes in line at customs, then we went on to get our luggage, then we were out of there in another 5 minutes. Of course you have to re-clear TSA security and if you don't have TSA pre-check that can take some time.

Even with the improvements I mentioned above I would still want at least a 2 hour layover in DFW if you must clear customs. You might make a connection in an hour but that is risky.

I've stayed at The Grand Hyatt and it is very convenient but on the pricey side. If that works for you then that's great, but if not there are several other options. Just google DFW airport hotels and you will find many other hotels.

I have a friend who just went through DFW on his way back from Cancun to STL. It took him more than three hours to get through customs, etc. He is a 30 year old black man with a middle eastern sounding name. So, if you are white with a WASPy name, then maybe the 60 minutes will be just fine.

P_M, that is the first time I have heard of someone thinking clearing Customs came before luggage pick up.

Immigration asks, 'where have you been' and 'for what purpose'. Customs asks, 'did you pack your bags yourself' and 'please put your bag up here and open it'. You can't 'clear' Customs before you get your luggage. Here is how it works: http://www.wikihow.com/Go-Through-U.S.-Customs

The name may now be Customs and Border Protection but there are still 2 separate functions. What's more, how long it takes any one individual to get through the Immigration line and how long it then takes them to get out of the baggage pick-up area and past the Customs officers is no guarantee whatsoever of how long it will take the next person. The comment by DianneGermaine makes that clear.

It is pointless for anyone to ask how long will I need to clear Immigration and Customs. You can ASSUME you do not get asked more questions by Immigration or have your bags searched by Customs but that is an assumption.

In rereading my post it seems I mis-spoke, I meant passport control instead of customs. Let's try this again:

In the old days we would stand in line then give our passports to a person in a booth. Recently when we were at DFW we stood in a very short line and used a kiosk and we did not talk to a person in a booth. This was not Global Entry, as my DH does not have Global Entry. We then got our luggage then we stood in another short line where we handed a guy our printed receipts from the kiosk. The process was very quick. Of course that could be different on any given day.

If you are an American citizen then 3 hours should be enough. If you aren't then it isn't.

Thank you all. We have booked our flights now and made sure we have plenty of time for re-entering the US and clearing Immigration and Customs at DFW. Now that we will be flying American much more frequently (due to the merger with US Airways), I'm sure we will become very familiar with DFW.

I often have short connections through DFW. Last weekend I changed terminals, went to the restroom, and bought a sandwich and still arrived in time to check in for my flight in 30 minutes on one of the busiest travel days of the year But it's much more variable for international arrivals, and I'd never allow less than 3 hours between an international arrival and an onward domestic connection at any US airport.

Having said that, I cleared bot immigration and customs at JFK in early December in 20 minutes. By far my best experience there in the past 5 years. The new kiosks have helped tremendously. Now the longer lines seem to be at Customs.