Warning for anyone connecting out of Dublin to fly to USA, don't be me!

[MorrisZapp]

I'm a broken human and it's all Aer Lingus's fault. Business trip yesterday Edinburgh to JFK, connecting through Dublin.

Due to weather, my Edinburgh flight was delayed and we landed late in Dublin. Still in time for connection but all travellers to the USA have to go through US Homeland Security in Dublin, and there is no fast track option for late incoming connections.

It took well over an hour to clear US customs, the queues were horrendous and there are four levels of security to clear.

I think ten different people beeped my boarding pass but this means nothing as US security exists to protect the USA, not to help people catch flights.

After a horrific race to the furthest gate in the terminal, I arrived to a closed gate and the staff clearing up. They were kind and sympathetic but I was absolutely not getting on the plane. My bags had been taken off. Other people were in the same situation.

We could not approach Aer Lingus ticketing until to got landside, and we couldn't get landside until we had our bags back, which took an hour. Once we arrived at the ticketing desk there was a queue of desperate and upset travellers ahead of us, all trying to get to the USA. There were further flights out but we couldn't get them because going through homeland security again would have taken too long, and many flights were full anyway.

All they could offer was overnight accommodation with onward travel the next day. This didn't work for me as I'd missed my meeting anyway so I had to get a flight home instead. Edinburgh was full so I took a teatime flight to Glasgow. I got home at 10pm having been in transit from 6am.

I can't explain what it feels like to miss a transatlantic flight, I'm still processing it now. Seeing that closed gate was like the most stressful scene in a film, but it was real and actually happening to me.

Catching connections works until it doesn't. How the fuck Aer Lingus thought I could negotiate their huge, multi level airport and the whole of US security in the time allowed even had my incoming flight been on time was baffling to me. Why they haven't set up support airside for all the people held up like this is a mystery for the ages. Entire families were crying, the staff were helpful but there weren't nearly enough of them and they can't offer solutions that don't exist.

People who don't live near hub airports have no choice but to use connections. I've learned my lesson. I've informed my company that my next journey to the USA will require me to catch a train to London the day before (early, in case of train shenanigans) a night in a Heathrow hotel and a flight out of Heathrow next day.

Don't be me. Don't trust airline's own itineraries for connecting flights, and never fly Dublin to USA unless you are able to arrive at Dublin many hours in advance.

And an extra fuck you to the last US security guy I dealt with. Your utter nastiness made one of the most stressful experiences of my half century on this earth even worse and for what, sir? If you want your country to be safe then ban gun ownership and be civil to middle aged ladies who obey every rule and command asked of them.

Last moan, a pint in Dublin Airport costs seven pounds thirty. Most needed pint of my life. Just.... don't be me.

10 people checked it?

We once almost missed a flight to France. Our flight from Edinburgh was delayed so when we landed at Gatwick we had to get a bus to the terminal then faced massive queues through security. We spoke to someone who took us to the front of the queue and got us through and then basically told us to run as they were holding the plane for us and some other people who were also delayed.

It was not fun running to the last gate in the airport with an 8 year old and a two year old. I can honestly say it was the most stressful journey of my life and not one I’d like to repeat. We also landed with no luggage and this was back at the very start of the strict limits of what you could take in your hand luggage so we had been very restricted. In future any flight I have to do like that I will be travelling the day before and staying over.

Math, I get it. Force majeure. Nobody made it piss down in Edinburgh.

But Aer Lingus sold me a flight with a tight to impossible turnaround time. I've never been through preclearance before so I trusted the famous Irish airline to have factored that in and not expected me to get through the lot in 1.5 hours when it proved marginal. The weather made it worse but I honestly don't think I'd have made it even without that delay, security was hooching. We had to queue even to get down the escalators to the security hall.

My best case scenario would have been arriving on the plane, just in time, a sweaty mess. And I was travelling alone. Kids or old folk, forget it. And there is a fast track option through preclearance, a pp has used it. I wasn't offered it nor did I know to ask.

Given that it's a common problem there should be airside solutions and a smoother process.

It's the kind of thing you go absolutely mental about, write a million letters in your head, then forget two days later. But in the moment, it's horrible and there are obvious improvements that could have helped.

I know people locally to me who have had the same experience op, Air Lingus seems to think 90 minutes is enough but it really isn't on busier days. The problem also is that the regional flights deliberately are timetabled to meet the New York flight so the alternative is an 8 hour wait.

Not for court cases in NY, local law precludes it.

And I couldn't care less what the beer costs. I live in Edinburgh so I'm familiar with beer gouging, plus I can afford it. It was just a tiny prick of insult after injury.

Judging by the replies, I can see you’re challenging the narrative that everything in Ireland is amazing and works better than in other countries.. (Yes I am Irish!)

The pre-clearance works well if you’re coming from Ireland or point-to-point but you’re not the only person I’ve heard of being screwed on a transfer to Aer Lingus US flights. Of course coming from Edinburgh there is less choice than there is from (say) Heathrow where there is a flight per hour and plenty of choice on times.
If you’re going to do a stop over to avoid flying from Edinburgh Dublin might be a good choice but is expensive to stay at the airport.

Anyhow it’s bad luck and I can see your frustration. Hope the work fallout wasn’t too bad.

Poor you, sounds so stressful. I’ve flown indirect many times to the USA and it invariably involves sprinting to a far flung gate somewhere because of delays. Never actually missed one, but have certainly come very close and yes, the US security people are among the most obnoxious I’ve ever come across

Thanks and may I say the Irish are naturally funny, even the nuns. I blimmin love most of them. When you say expensive I guess lots of other passengers one step ahead of me are cleverly beating the system thus creating huge demand for overnight stays? Fuck this I'm starting a podcast.

sorry you had such a rubbish experience OP

Thanks tuppenny. This thread is very healing 😊

Not helpful this time and no pre clearance but delta and I’m sure another airline fly direct Edinburgh to jfk. Sure no pre clearance but saves the faff this side and you can get a quiet relaxing point on all bar one before you go!

That sounds a complete nightmare.
Your work were cutting it fine sending you on the day of the expert testimony/witness schedule. I don't even risk travel on the day if I've got a morning meeting that will fall apart without me!
Get them to send you the day before when it's rescheduled.

Flew Dublin to US recently . Security were so obnoxious. I was soo tempted to say something but was afraid I would be detained . Funny thing is , I was using my US passport .

Beware when OP travels dep Heathrow.

If paying £7.30 for a pint was enough to nearly send her over the edge in Dublin airport, all hell will break loose when she is confronted with £10.05 for a pint airside at Heathrow.

Indirect flights involving passing through US security can be tricky - we did it at Atlanta once and I think around 50% of the flight missed there connections - luckily we got on a later flight because there were options. The legal amount of time between flights is short given queues

I have actually stopped using airlines that have connections because of similar.

I now pay more for a direct flight. Appreciate this won’t work for you but you aren’t alone.

Airlines are so cheap and tight they do NOT allow enough time for a connection - several times I have nearly missed one - no fault of mine.

Once I literally sprinted across the airport and just made it - anyone who wasn’t able to run like an athlete would not have made it. My bags in fact did not make it. The airline had to courier them to me afterwards.

If I had to fly with a connection now (ie no direct flight) I would only book if there are several hours in which to connect.

I remember nearly missing a flight and I swear husband and I lost 5 years with the stress.

It sounds utterly horrendous.
Funnily enough my friend had a similarly horrendous flight recently via Heathrow Terminal 3, absolute chaos trying to get to Budapest for a destination wedding🙄. The bride and groom met there apparently🙄.
Aer lingus were superb years ago, not much better now than Ryan air these days, according to friends who live in Dublin.

Delays happen and the repercussions for a transatlantic flight are annoying…… but healing? It’s only a missed flight OP

Delays happen and the repercussions for a transatlantic flight are annoying…… but healing? It’s only a missed flight OP

MN has become so... literal, in recent years.

Here, have a big dollop of sympathy and a hug. Air travel has a particular effect unlike any other, probably due to us succumbing to a greater power when airside, and being at the mercy of the foibles of other people. It can so easily slip into a Kafkaesque scenario from the traveller's perspective. Rules, bureaucracy and events beyond our control can suddenly seemingly conspire to ruin our fucking day/s. I've been in that nightmare before, and it still prickles me to this day as it all seemed so unnecessary at the time.

Well done for confronting your fear of flying. I wish you easier travel next time.

Why shouldn’t she vent? It is not entitled and the OP is giving good advice. Why is there always someone on mums net that is pointlessly spiteful? It frustrates me because it is unnecessary.

I had a similar-ish experience changing Eurostars in Brussels - again the problem is the railway had booked a change that was just too tight. Lesson learned - check how long the change is and don't assume it's OK

So true. Airports aren't real life, if they were then we'd say ewwww to a pint of lager at 7am instead of aye go on then, take my wages. Oh and can I have an outsize Toblerone for sixty quid, ta.

Wow - what rotten luck you had. We flew edin-Dublin-Newark last month and it was a breeze. So much so that I’ve been telling everyone that next time they fly to the states they should do it via Dublin 😳 I’m so sorry you had such a bad experience.