Time to go through customs London, Stansted
 

I am flying from Rome to Dublin in July. I can save a lot of money going to Stansted then to Belfast. However, it would only be 50 minutes between flights. Will that be enough time to go through customs? I could take a later flight but it would be quite a bit later. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Customs (luggage) is not the issue - but Immigration (entry of persons) might be.

Have you checked the requirements for your ongoing flight - they might require that you check in before your incoming flight lands. And assuming this is not non ticket if you miss the fight you are a no show and will have to buy a new ticket at the walk up price - if they have seats available - on the next flight.

Not sure how much the savings are - but it would have to be a lot of money - probably $500 plus - before I would go through this hoop.

Are these separate tickets - and especially on one of the budget carriers?

Most of them have VERY strict check in requirements.

The only operator on this route is Easyjet.

The company does NOT operate through bookings, or accept interline bags from other airlines. Bags for check in must be deposited at Easyjet's airside baggage drops at least 40 mins before departure: 39 mins prior and your booking is cancelled, with no possibility of refund, whatever your excuse for failing to meet the deadline you agreed to on booking. <b>Don't delude yourself you can get on a plane (at Rome or STN) with carry on bags exceeding the airline's limit</b>.

Getting through immigration for EU passport holders at STN requires allowing a MINIMUM of an hour: probably rather less for non-EU passport holders, though if you arrive at the same time as a flight from Russia, it may be longer. You might be lucky - or spectacularly unlucky.

As a general rule, even if an incoming flight is on time, connections to most airlines at STN require at least 3 hrs. Even then you're gambling on the punctuality of the incoming flight - and how well passport control is manned that day.

Most low-cost airlines operating at STN (and there are almost no other kinds of airline there) simply don't want connecting passengers, though a few (like Germanwings) with hubs elsewhere in Europe do add to their costs - and their real customers' price - by accommodating this undesirable traffic.

Ryanair also operates on this route, leaving from Roma Ciampino. Ryanair won't even guarantee its own connections, or in other words, doesn't recognize the existence of connecting flights. If the first flight is late, your second ticket becomes an expensive bookmark.

If you want to risk this, have a look at what a last-minute flight from Stansted to Dublin would cost you, if you had to buy a ticket today. Then decide whether it's worth the risk of losing that much money.

If you'll have checked luggage, don't even consider the earlier flight.

I sometimes fly Ryanair to London Stansted as the first step when going to the USA. I always stay overnight in London when I do that, because missing the second flight would be very expensive.

no

"airside baggage drops"

You mean after security? I haven't flown Easyjet in a while, but will be flying Gatwick to Strasbourg with them in September. I noticed that I now will be checking in online, but expected bag drop before security.