Flying to America, connecting flights questions

Marc

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I am travelling to Vegas in september but neither myself or my lass have any experience of connecting flights as we have always flown direct.

Basically, we have a 2 hour lay over in Philidelphia and I was wondering will this be enough time? The flight from Manchester to Philly and Philly to Vegas are both with US Airways. Am I right in thinking we wont need to collect our luggage at Philly as it will go straight onto the connecting flight? What if my flight from Manchester is delayed? This will cut into the 2 hour window that I have. Will the connecting flight to Vegas wait?
 

Hawkwind

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Basically you will be very lucky to make the connection. 2 Hours is not enough and the Travel Agents know it! Travelling to US you have to clear customs at the first point of entry in the US. Which means at Philadelphia International you have to:
  1. Go through passport control
  2. Collect baggage
  3. Go through the customs check - another queue system
  4. Exit the Arrivals hall
  5. Enter the correct terminal Phili Airport has 5 (Map here)
  6. Check in
  7. Passport Control
  8. Security Check
  9. Finally your at the departures gate
I always try to take direct flights becuase the above process can take from 2-4 hours depending on busy the airport is. I have missed connecting flights at Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Seattle and Miami. Denver was the worsed as I missed the connetion and there was not another flight until the next day :/
 

Aada

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Oh god, avoid connecting flights wherever possible as mentioned above 2 hour window is cutting it fucking fine, the sheer amount of hassle of checking in twice/collecting bags twice/passport control twice will make you really stressed and really cranky.
 

Everz

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Then there is the other hand where two hours is more then enough time if you don't spend it pissing about. Your luggage will get carried across no problem and the connecting flight isn't usually too far away from the one you just got off. Never had any problems with connecting flights over there or in Europe.
 

Lamp

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just don't light up an e-cigarette, throw it in a bag, and pour water on it...
 

Cerb

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Your bags will go straight through to Vegas

Also if it's a two hour layover I'd be very surprised if you don't go through us customs in Manchester. So get to Manchester airport 3 hours early
 

Cerb

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Also your Philly arrival gate will likely be fairly close to your departure gate so I bet 2 hours is fine
 

Hawkwind

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Your bags will go straight through to Vegas

Also if it's a two hour layover I'd be very surprised if you don't go through us customs in Manchester. So get to Manchester airport 3 hours early

Sorry, but that is not the procedure, you must collect baggage and clear customs at first point of entry in the US.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...eler-clear-u.s.-customs-and-border-protection

also

Read this PDF

I do this 6 or 7 times a year and will be doing it again on Sunday morning, flying to Denver then on to John Wayne Airport in SoCal.
 

Hawkwind

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Then there is the other hand where two hours is more then enough time if you don't spend it pissing about. Your luggage will get carried across no problem and the connecting flight isn't usually too far away from the one you just got off. Never had any problems with connecting flights over there or in Europe.

The point is that it is the US. In Europe or the rest of the world you clear customs at your final destination, not first point of entry into a country.

Extract from the link in the previous post:

If the final destination is in the U.S. and the first port of arrival is in the U.S., travelers must clear Immigration and Customs at the first port of entry.
 

DaGaffer

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Last three trips to the US I've never managed to get through customs in less than two hours. Funny enough though the last time I did it in less was Philly, but that was summer 2001...

(its not a massive airport though)
 

Chilly

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Last time I did customs in the US I a) had something to declare and it b) took about 30 minutes end to end.
 

SilverHood

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It all comes down to luck. I've been in a cab 25 minutes after landing in JFK. Same airport, same airline, I've been in a queue watching 3 premier league games while we slow-boated through the motions. The usual is between 30-90 minutes. Not sure how busy Philadelphia International is, so you might be lucky and make it with 2 hours. If in doubt, ask the staff controlling the queue if you can jump the line.
 

Marc

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Well I contacted US Airlines who assured me there will be no problems and I put a post on Trip Advisor and I got a number of replies from people who have done the exact same flights I am doing who said 2 hours was more than enough as it took them between 45 mins and 1 and a half hours tops. Fuck it, we shall see
 

Hawkwind

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It all comes down to timing, I've gotten through LAX in 30-40 mins before but other times its taken 2 hours to clear customs and get out. If its busy your f*cked! :) Good luck on the trip Marc. Might be there in Vegas myself next weekend. In LA for two weeks and we usually do something stupid at the weekend. 3 hour drive to Vegas is not too bad. Safer than the Baja Peninsular at the moment to :)
 

Marc

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Well, I didnt need to worry. Flying out, had a 2 hour lay over in Philadelphia, took us about 30 mins to pick up bags and put them on another baggage thingy, clear customs and homeland security. Comming back to the UK was even quicker. From landing to getting to our manchester flight took about 10 mins as our bags went straight through from Vegas to manchester and we had no security checks etc to go through in Philly
 

TdC

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Last time I did customs in the US I a) had something to declare and it b) took about 30 minutes end to end.
because you had something to declare prolly. it's the poor schmucks with "nothing" that get raped by the procedure.
 

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