I usually try to avoid Dulles, when arriving on an international flight. My past experience has not been all THAT bad, but it just is not as 'easy' for me (IMO) as an intl arrival at my home airport, ORD. When prices to/from Europe are really quite a bit cheaper if I fly via IAD, then I sometimes can't resist. I don't think I'll let that happen again anytime soon!

Yesterday, I arrived IAD around 3pm, along with a number of other int'l flights (part of the problem, no doubt) and had nearly two hours to pass thru immigration, grab bags, clear customs, drop off bags for next flight, go thru security checkpoint, and then get to my gate. The lines were sooooooo long and slooooooooow yesterday that my IAD-ORD flight was boarding when I arrived at the gate. I really feel sorry for all of those other transfer passengers with whom I stood in lines for about 1 1/2 hours, and who had flights departing in less time than I had allowed myself.

Let's just say, Dulles had a lot of unhappy travellers passing thru yesterday. I'm wondering if it is this way EVERYDAY when several flts arrive at the same time.

Maybe someone has a better experience to report?? I just had to vent...sorry.

(my UA flights were great, however; upgraded to biz class from ZRH to ORD)

Carol

Sorry u had such an awful experience. I'm not a fan of IAD, but it is my home airport and as such fly in & out a lot. I have 2 say I have never had long lines like u describe. I've waited maybe 30 minutes or so in line but that's about it. Had far worse returning to the US and entering at JFK and Miami on several occasions. But dont blame u 4 avoiding it after that terrible time yesterday. happy travels!

Bottom line is that you made your flight!

I once had to wait in line for 1.5 hours or more at Dulles when coming back from MEX. That was when I signed up for the Global Entry program offered by the CBP.

I came through Dulles a couple of weeks ago. Our flight was 1.5 hours late leaving Buenos Aires. We landed about an hour before my connection would start boarding.

There was not much of a line at immigration, maybe 5-10 minutes, but I used the Global Entry kiosk and got through CBP in 5 minutes. The wait to get through the security screening was a bit stressful, and it was a long walk to my gate, but I made it there about 5 min before boarding started.

With a long immigration line and no Global Entry, I would have missed the connection.

You are right, mrwunrfl... we made that flight! That is the most important thing. btw, I saw people doing the global entry kiosk. They still waited a bit in the passport and security lines though.

Yestravel, sorry you have to deal with IAD all the time. My 'home' airport is ORD. I've gotten very used to the ins and outs of getting through there with little stress.
Maybe you have done the same w/IAD.

That midafternnon bunching of arrivals from Europe happens at all the east coast airports, I think. If the bad weather in Europe this week caused a lot of schedule disruption, and a dozen flights arrived within 10 minutes instead of spaced out over their usual 60 minutes, impossible lines build up. I've been in that situation in Philly once or twice, but if most arrivals are pretty much on time, the waits aren't so bad.

with all the int'l travel you do and all the airports you don't like to fly through, why don't you apply for global entry? We have used it several times and cuts all the lines even at IAD!

IAD is a PIA in general, but one does figure the "ins and outs" as u say. This past winter the FA announced as we were getting ready to land at IAD to hurry since we were the first of the afternoon deluge of flts and u should be able to get out quickly. She was right -- it was the fastest I ever made it from plane to taxi.

Maybe the Global Entry people had to wait for a kiosk, but much less time (over an hour less, I would guess). That is a bypass to the passport control line. I think you meant that they still had to wait in the customs line.

Anyway, at the kiosk, after you scan your pp, you fill in the info for the customs declaration card. Then it spits out a card for the customs officer.

When I got to the customs station, the agent was just finishing with a person and there was another 1 or 2 in line. I just showed the agent the card and she waved me through (maybe I gave her the card, I don't remember it).

I didn't consider the fact that I may have been cutting in line, but thought it just probably was the right thing to do, that I was all done. If I remember correctly the customs agent smiled when I showed her the GE card, and I felt like a trusted customer doing the right thing.

This was only the second time that I was able to use the GE kiosk and was disappointed to see that the pp control line was minimal.

I was stressed for a while in the security line, though, because it was moving slowly. But I relaxed (God granted me the serenity!), and I considered that the worst that could happen would be that I get on the next flight and have to fly in economy.

I was thinking that if I got a post-flight survey that I might complain about the late flight. But it was not United's problem. The APU (which I think is the airport's property) was malfunctioning so we were delayed. The delay caused us to miss our departure slot which is a problem at EZE because it is very busy. The other airport, for domestic flights, is temporarily closed so those flights are now operating from EZE with the internationals.

There is good reason to complain about the lines at Dulles (I am not discounting your cause to vent).

It was your good planning that made it work out.

You called ORD your home airport, in which case it would be much easier for you if you aren't connecting to PIA.

Hi mrwunrful... I rarely drive the 45 minutes to PIA for a flight, as it is a smaller airport, regional jets, etc.... weather issues can be a big problem, which can cause missed flts out of ORD. Prefer to do a park/sleep/fly near OHare! (covered parking at that, so no snow to scrape off the windshield)

IF I were in transit after int'l landing at ORD, I would still leave terminal 5 in 45 minutes or less, then hop on the shuttle to my connecting terminal (1 or 2) and go through security, which I will admit could take some time unless I go thru the 1K line...

Just happy to be home for a week. Off to BKK on Thursday!

Re: GS... I did see a line just for GS/1st class; but even those folks had to wait at security, which was barely moving!

sorry... GE (global entry)

You maybe confusing global entry with the gs/1k line?

With global entry you scan the passport at the kiosk and then go to the front of the INS line. You never have to wait in the line.
if you get an xxx on the slip from the kiosk - which will happen if you are bringing in food - only then do you even go to the customs line .

Isn't there an express security line at Dulles by baggage claim 8? It's supposed to be for single, frequent travelers with carry-on only.

There were maybe a half dozen people standing in the GE line at passport control, waiting for their turn, after having used the kiosk. The GE security line (and 1st class pax) had quite a few more people waiting a turn. Some were a bit antsy.

Perhaps this was just an unusual situation with too many int'l planes landing at the same time, causing a huge log jam. I'm just curious to know if it is like this everyday! If it is, then I am glad I don't have to deal with it!

That's all...

not trying to beat a dead horse...but having transited through IAD a couple of times since we enrolled in GE, there was NOT any line anywhere where GE and 12st class pax waited . GE is totally separate and we were through even with a customs search in less than 30 min, when the other lines were easily over an hour. The whole point of GE is that you get to trump ALL the lines - 1st class, Global Services (for UA,) etc. except the actual customs search is you are selected.

"except the actual customs search is you are selected."


IF you are selected.