Aer Lingus to the USA

[Cockahoophappy]

We are close to Heathrow but thinking about going to and from the USA via Dublin to a) make immigration easier b) save ££.

I'm concerned though about luggage transfers in both directions. For the trip I'm looking at, we will have some outsize luggage (sport equipment).

How much time will we need at allow between touch down in Dublin and take off to ensure luggage makes it on to the second plane?

TIA

But if you book a flight all the way through to the US, then you don’t need to take your bags off and on at Dublin. The bags are checked in at Heathrow and you just collect them in the States.

If you book it all in one ticket they should transfer your bags all the way through and generally won’t let you book a connection you couldn’t catch

You can’t ensure it, delays happen etc. Unless you’re really on a budget and it’ll save you a lot then it seems bonkers to me. Surely that’s one bonus of living near Heathrow? Direct flights all over the world

They always sell connections you can’t make 🤣 35 mins through Schipol anyone? BA seem to think so but literally nobody makes that connection

aer lingus are terrible for delays and cancellations on this route

Hey they’ll pop you on the golf cart and it will be grand!

The thing that will take the time is getting through US immigration in Dublin though

It can also add more hours to what is an already long day. Cheap is not always cheerful and they are advising a minimum of 2 hours, preferably 3 to transit at Dublin. In your case you'd probably be better off going from LHR itself to the US.

Aer Lingus's pre flight lounge at pre clearance at Dublin is currently closed for refurbishment.

Agreed, normally true, but does the immigation/customs pre-clearance change anything?

Curious to know..

Sounds like hassle, just don’t go.

(Because I’m boycotting them!)

No, if you are doing immigration at Dublin then I think you have to clear customs too, correct me if I’m wrong so luggage isn’t through checked. Allow time to clear immigration, used to be 2 hours minimum though it does depend on size of your plane - it’s a 48 seater from here so you can allow less time.

I’ve done Aer Lingus to the US (starting in Edinburgh) a number of times and our bags have always been checked all the way through.

Your bags will be checked all the way through if you have a connected ticket. I have done it a few times. I meet my sister who is in Ireland just before pre-clearance and we fly over together. I give myself plenty of time though just in case of delays. It’s definitely worth it to go though immigration in Dublin.

We did this two years ago, Glasgow - Dublin - New York. Absolutely brilliant. Through immigration in Dublin in about 3 minutes and once you land in the US you are straight into baggage claim and out.

i haven’t travelled via Dublin, but every time we’ve been through a connecting airport in the US you can’t send your bags straight through. You have to pick them up, clear security and border control, then recheck bags and go through security again.

with border control being Dublin side, I would think the same applies.

be interested if anyone knows different.

i was offered a 47min stopover in New York for my last trip. Domestic flights possibly, but add in picking up and rechecking bags, plus border control and security, no chance!

but then if you miss your connection it is the airlines responsibility to get you on the next flight.

i have never done this since i live in Dublin but I fly on aer lingus a lot to the usa.

1. Pre clearance is always pretty quiet, i have never had to wait more than 5 minutes. (I have heard of long lines but never experienced them)
2. i know people who have missed connections since aer lingus have made the connection too short. (see 4)
3. Pre clearence closes at a certain time (3pm?) so you can make the connection but miss pre clearance and then you can't make your flight - this is only a risk with afternoon flights.
4. Aer lingus are very often delayed.
5. I can't imagine the lines in the usa for immigration are that bad thats its worth a stop to avoid them.

Well it would be worth it if your social media is Trump dodgy, or there are any other reasons you could be stopped, since you will be denied entry in Dublin instead of in your US destination airport!

To the person asking about customs, when travelling from Dublin, you check your bags before security and pre clearance, so there should be no impediments to a bag checked in UK straight through to US via Dublin. I understand US customs can scan checked baggage before they are loaded in Dublin on a random basis. Thus fulfilling the customs element.

we did not reclaim our bags in Dublin. They were checked right through and we did not see them again until New York.

We still walked through a customs channel but like coming home to the UK, they just let you walk through unless you are being selected for inspection. We were not and it was all very easy.

To posters various thanks for the info re connecting baggage.

@booksunderthebed

1. *I can't imagine the lines in the usa for immigration are that bad thats its worth a stop to avoid them.

It can be very variable but even at JFK in my experience over the years it was rare to be in line longer than the sort of connection times being talked about at DUB, OTOH I get it that the transit saves hassle at the US end so it's swings and roundabouts.

I'd always go for minimising the links in the journey if possible but different strokes and all that.

We once had an issue with queues at immigration in Dublin but everyone did so they delayed the flights.

On the other hand I have queued for well over an hour in immigration in NY.

It’s so good not to have to deal with immigration Stateside.

We did this a few years ago from Manchester. We had about 2.5 hours at Dublin which we thought would be plenty. It was not. We spent all of it queuing and went straight to gate- no time to chill in the airport. Some people only just made the plane. It was summer holidays though. Our luggage went straight through. We sent it to the hold in Manchester and didn’t see it again until San Francisco. It was great once we landed in the USA to have already cleared immigration.

Thank you for all the comments.

DD’s experience of immigration in her closest US airport is not good which is one reason we are considering doing a Dublin flight.

Also, I can get her home in December for under £200 by coming to Heathrow via Dublin. That is a saving worth considering.

We did Manchester to dublin to Philadelphia a couple of years ago with Aer Lingus and I’d definitely recommend. If you book it as one journey then your luggage will automatically be put onto the connecting flight. Security in Dublin was a breeze and I can recommend the lounge there. On the way back we did Orlando to Manchester and again no issues.

I’ve flown Aer Lingus to Boston quite a few times. You check your bags through; you don’t see them in the Irish airport. Immigration is generally quicker and more pleasant in Ireland.

The last time we went (in November) our first flight was delayed and it would seem they made absolutely no attempt to get our bags on the transatlantic flight, even though it was also delayed. There was no help available for missing bags in Boston, we had to phone Aer Lingus, who basically said they didn’t know where they were or when we might see them again. Luckily there was an AirTag in one of our golf bags so we knew they were still in Dublin. In the end we had to go back to the airport the next evening to collect them because they just couldn’t be bothered to try and deliver them (or at least that’s how it seemed). The woman on their desk literally rolled her eyes at the idea she might help us find them but eventually led us to an anonymous room where we were allowed to pick whatever bags we wanted. Absolute farce from beginning to end. The moral of the story is insist on a long connection time in Ireland because if anything goes wrong there will be little help. And put an AirTag in your checked bag because Aer Lingus will not know where it is.

We flew to LAX via Dublin on our way out this summer, bags checkled through, immigration was super quick (flew directly to LHR on way home).

Aer Lingus wasn't the best though, I wouldn't choose them again (but the cost saving in your case is excellent). They lost one of our bags and it took 2 days to find us, which was quite stressful, as we were only in LA for 2 nights.

I’ve flown through Shannon as well as Dublin and much prefer it.