Avoid non-essential flights to the US

NFH

Just a warning to avoid non-essential flights to the US for the time being.

The Independent warned yesterday of unreasonable immigration queues at US airports, often around 3 hours.

The very beginning of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's US travel advice currently states "The effect of the US sequestration has increased waiting times at major US international airports. Contact your tour operator or airline for flight information before travelling".

If your flight to the US is essential, then as suggested by Simon Calder on BBC Breakfast this morning, one air route into the United States which avoids these three hour delays is to fly via Dublin or Shannon. You will usually clear US immigration and customs in Ireland, arriving in the United States as a domestic flight. Business travellers can use British Airways' flights from London City Airport via Shannon to New York JFK.

Hopefully the US government will wake up to the fact that cutting CBP's budget is a false economy. It won't be long before US tourism and trade is impacted by these difficulties in entering the country.

malkie76

One option is to fly into an airport with few international arrivals (eg BWI). BA First passengers get taken to the front of the line if that's an option!

Dogger69

NFH wrote: »

Business travellers can use British Airways' flights from London City Airport via Shannon to New York JFK.

Note that BA3 does not get pre clearance in Shannon, only BA1.

NFH

Dogger69 wrote: »

Note that BA3 does not get pre clearance in Shannon, only BA1.

Thanks. I see on BA's web site that this stopped from October 2012. I wonder why.

I went on BA3's maiden flight and the stopover in Shannon was fantastic.

Gloomendoom

Apparently, 'sequestration' is Yank for 'budget cuts'

Not that the dictionary was much help....

n
1. the act of sequestering or state of being sequestered
2. (Law) Law the sequestering of property
3. (Chemistry) Chem the effective removal of ions from a solution by coordination with another type of ion or molecule to form complexes that do not have the same chemical behaviour as the original ions See also sequestrant

NFH

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Apparently, 'sequestration' is Yank for 'budget cuts'

Not that the dictionary was much help....

Indeed. I had to look it up too. Wikipedia was more help than a dictionary:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_sequestration

Bob_the_Saver

Avoid non-essential flights to the US

And there was me just going to pop over for a pint of milk.

malkie76

NFH wrote: »

Thanks. I see on BA's web site that this stopped from October 2012. I wonder why.

Same reason as the opening post - cut backs in US frontline immigration. The Shannon desks close a few hours earlier now, hence BA3 misses the opening hours.

pollypenny

My flights to the USA are essential! To see my gorgeous grandson!

Number two due next week!

stoneman

Comes to something that I as a US citizen get into both the US and GB faster than most Brits. On a flight from the UK to the US I go through the US citizens lane which is usually empty, they let me bring my British wife through as well. When I return to the US I can use IRIS at LHR T5 or fast track. At BHX on returning from Europe I am usually the only one in the non EU line so go right to the front past 150 people in the EU line

Bob_the_Saver

stoneman wrote: »

Comes to something that I as a US citizen get into both the US and GB faster than most Brits.

Thanks for that - B******