Dublin airport warning
 

If you're flying from Dublin to the USA arrive at least 2 1/2 hours early at the airport.
We arrived 3 hours early on 3/22, went thru security and shopped for about 45 minutes and arrived at what we thought was our gate about 1 1/2 hours before our scheduled departure.
We had to go thru 3 more long lines before we were seated minutes before the scheduled departure time. The last line they separated the men from the women and asked us questions and patted us down. I asked if this was because of a security alert and they said this was typical to fly to the US.

I agree - 2 1/2 hours. We flew back from Dublin on 3/20 and arrived 2 1/2 hours before our 10am flight (the hotel suggested 2 hours would be fine, but I am always overly cautious). The Delta check-in line was super short, but they made us check our normal-sized carry-on bags which was annoying saying something about helping to alleviate the line at the gate since they search every passenger. We then spent about 30 minutes in the VAT refund line. To clarify, the other lines I think the 1lovetotravel is referring to are: security (of course), passport control (this is for all US flights which we were told at check-in) and then when boarding the plane they do indeed search each passenger.

A really good reson to ask the airline when you have to be there - rather than take random opinions.

Dublin and Shannon aiports are unique in Europe as they provide complete custom and immigration clearance for passengers flying to America. That means that they are treated as domestic passengers when they arrive in the US and if they have only hand luggage can be out of the airport in minutes. Extra time is required in Ireland to get all this done before the flight leaves but it avoids the lines in America which can last for hours sometimes.

The new "pat down" appears to be happening at a LOT of European airports, read a report at CDG today.

Since it appears to be US flgihts only I can only assume the TSA has "mandated" it to the foreign airports. Thousands Standing Around looking for ways to make airtravel worse then normal.....

Before flying out of Manchester to the U.S. last week I checked with the airline and was told to allot 3 hours. So, I woke up at 5 AM and hit the road. I wasn't happy about it -- but I didn't want to take any chances.

Yes, they had random pat downs ... and I still had 2-1/2 hours to sit and read my book before boarding.

On a slightly different topic, when I flew from Dublin to Bristol the previous week I was amazed that there were no customs or immigration checks whatsoever. I simply picked up my luggage, walked out, and picked up my rental car. It's a bit scary to think they're not checking to see who is entering the country.

You can drive or fly from Berlin to Lisbon or from Paris to Warsaw without immigration checks or customs.

Presently UK and Ireland are in Common Travel Area and there is no routine passport check for traveling between the two. Indeed, UK and Irish citizens can even travel without their passport, though other nationals should carry theirs. In practice, all airlines require a photo ID to check in and to board the flight, but once you are on board, you won't face incoming check on arrival in either country, just hand in your boarding pass stub to an official to show you have come from CTA.
CTA is set to end soon and immigration formalities are due to be introduced over the next year or so, starting with flights and then ferries, but they aren't envisaging a regular control on land border between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Flying from France twice since the Christmas security incidents, we have had a full pat-down both times. The first time (January) they also searched every single piece of luggage coming on board. We had been forced to check our hand luggage but the people who had just printed out boarding passes had the full contingent - carry-on, personal item, shopping bags, etc. In March, they were doing full bag searches on a random selection only.

We are flying from Venice to JFK, with a 3 hour stop in Dublin. Does this mean we'll go thru customs in Dublin rather than JFK?

We recently (June 15) flew from Dublin to Chicago to Minneapolis. We arrived at the Dublin airport about 2 1/2 hours early. We checked in with Aer Lingus, dropped off our bags and went through security. We also went to the cafeteria for something to eat and then headed to our gate... shopping along the way. Got to what I thought was going to be our gate, when I realized we had to go through another security type check and fill out a form for customs. We were lucky, because just after we got through those lines, they got really long. We didn't go through VAT because we mostly just had receipts for hotels and meals. Anwyay, we still went through customs when we got to Chicago. Never were we or anyone else I saw patted down and we certainly didn't have to check our carry ons.

Tori

Just to reiterate what SandyLan said - the checks in Dublin (and Shannon) for US-bound flights mean that you don't have to clear passport control and customs at the other side of your flight. I don't mind it too much, because it saves time at the other (American) end.

<i>You can drive or fly from Berlin to Lisbon or from Paris to Warsaw without immigration checks or customs.</i>

Whoopdeedo? You can drive or fly from New York to LA without immigration checks or customs, as well. Heck, you can drive roughly 90% of the distance between Paris and Warsaw without leaving the state of Texas. You can fly from New York to Honolulu without immigration or customs checks, too - that same distance from Berlin would put you in Seoul

FWIW, if you go from Berlin to Dublin or Paris to Dublin, you still have to go through immigration, just like you do going from New York. You avoid customs, but that is really a non-issue for most people.

<i>We are flying from Venice to JFK, with a 3 hour stop in Dublin. Does this mean we'll go thru customs in Dublin rather than JFK?</i>

Yes. You can walk out the door at JFK as if you were flying from Venice Beach, California.

Dublin and Shannon airports have this facility uniquely from other European airports because basically to waive the need for a holiday visa the Irish had to agree to have this facility put in place. The main reason was that the Irish were viewed as one of the worst offenders of travelling to the United States and staying on for work purposes - that is becoming illegal aliens. In order to control this the Irish traveller was processed on their side of the Atlantic first.

TG: What is your point?
Songdoc voiced amazement that it is possible to travel between TWO countries, the UK and the ROI, without immigration and customs. And stated that she/he found that kinda scary because no one checked who is entering the country.
My remark referred to the even more amazing number of countries in the Continent that allow you to travel in between without immigration or customs procedures.
Saying that you can travel even further in the US (or Canada, Russia, India, China, etc) is somewhat irrelevant as border control in between countries was the issue.

"The last line they separated the men from the women and asked us questions and patted us down. I asked if this was because of a security alert and they said this was typical to fly to the US."

nope. not when I flew back a few weeks ago.
I also didn't go through immigration in Dublin, but in Newark just like I do from other countries (!) don't know what's up with that - I always have before....don;t know if it''s new or only some flights or what now. (DUB-EWR on Continental)