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

We have done this several times but we split the flights, so UK to Dublin one day, stay overnight at Premier Inn then Dublin to US the next day. Dh is a massive worrier and would not want an outbound connecting flight.

Clearing customs and immigration is great as you know there are no issues once you land, just collect your cases and go. We do book 51st and Green though which is the preclearance lounge at Dublin for a nice place to sit, food, drink and nice toilets. Once you preclear there is just a dingy looking cafe unless that has changed.

We never book the last UK to Dublin flight in case there are issues and we have been delayed a couple of times. Overall this worked out cheaper but it massively adds to the travel time going out. On the way back we connect the same day, no overnight stay as that is far less worrying.

We always pack a change of clothes in our hand luggage in case our cases go missing so we can get on with our first day in the US.

Bags are checked through. Book the earliest flight from LHR to avoid hitting pre-clearance at the busiest times.
Yes it it longer but so much less stressful than doing immigration in the USA.
If you want to mix and match book with BA and you can do via Dublin outbound and direct home on BA.

I’ve flown Aer Lingus to USA via Dublin before. As others have said, luggage was transferred straight through. My first flight was a bit delayed and I did find it a bit stressful at Dublin because of this, but it was all fine in the end. I’d happily do it again if it saved £££.

The 51st and Green lounge at pre clear will not reopen until sometime in Spring of 2026. It’s only available to first and business class passengers.

I am also not sure if the immigration officials at Dublin airport are any nicer than the stateside ones. I have had mixed experiences.

My most recent experience was that my dd had an issue with her student visa (schools fault) and they bent over backwards trying to help fix it so she could get on her flight. The school had made a mistake but it was 5am in the USA so no way to contact them.

But previously have missed flights or almost missed flights because held up by them. Once it was a family member who was grilled for over an hour about a discrepency between entering and leaving the USA back in the 90s! This was a couple of years ago so said family member had very little recollection of how this came about.

I wouldn't be bothered about the immigration angle.
I used to fly from Dublin to NY so using the pre clearance in Dublin. This year I flew from Heathrow - I was stressing about a long queue but it literally took 1 minute in the US, much faster than the pre clearance in Dublin.

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.

We go to the US a lot and use the MPC app (Mobile passport control). It has its own dedicated lines and we are always through pretty quickly. We’ve done Boston, JFK and Chicago in the last few months and through in under 15 minutes each time.

Tell me more about the MPC app, it sounds fab

It changes a lot. You arrive into the US having cleared immigration - so no queues as you arrive to the domestic terminal

That's undeniably true but whether that makes it makes it quicker to get from "close to Heathrow", which is where the OP is, to somewhere in the USA such as Manhattan or down town Boston is debatable TBH

Aer Lingus push pre-clearance as a selling point for their US services, fair enough, it'll work really well for those originating out of some UK regional airports, but it's not always the quickest or most robust way of getting across the pond and into your hotel room or to your relatives.

It’s not quicker but it is a lot less stressful.

I can see some logic in that but "go via" you have the stress of the connection maybe not working...and whichever way you do it you have to face up to US Border....

This is also my experience of the MPC app which I have used 4 or 5 times but not in NY. You add all your details to the app and then when you arrive and are off the plane you tell the app you have arrived (you can use the airport free WiFi if you don’t have roaming) and then join a shorter line for faster processing.

Less stressful to change flights, make the connection, hope your bags do and go miles out of your way when you live near Heathrow already? I seriously doubt that.

Obviously personal choice, but having done it several times, it’s my preference if flying into New York, if I can book a direct return.

We are doing it in a few weeks from LHR. Bonus is we can bring some taytos and club orange back with us on the return leg.

Also so much cheaper than BA flights.

We used to live in Ireland and so did the DUB/NYC a few times. Significantly easier with children, much better clearing customs when you are energetic, rather than after a long flight and behind 500 other travellers.

Just ressurecting this thread - it's been so long since I went through pre clearance I can't remember what's available to buy near the gates.

I don't/can't eat airline food and on EU flights take my own food. Obviously I can't do this (I once had to throw away my veggie sticks at pre clearance, how embarrassing!).

What is available to buy AFTER the US customs? I know there are a couple of bars, do any of them sell fruit? Or a boiled egg or some cheese? Just something that isn't processed and sweet? I assume everything they sell comes in from the US for bio security.

Great thread thankyou

What is available to buy AFTER the US customs? I know there are a couple of bars, do any of them sell fruit? Or a boiled egg or some cheese? Just something that isn't processed and sweet? I assume everything they sell comes in from the US for bio security.

Some very stodgy sandwiches from what I recall. Possibly some pots of fruit salad. There is not a good deal of choice. But I don't think it was American products. But, still, best eat before you get on the plane, Aer Lingus has the worst airline food I've tasted.

@GCAcademic I believe you!

Last time we flew trans atlantic with them, DH was able to order a 'better' meal. Iirc, steak or something. That service seems not to exist anymore.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for a pot of fruit salad then! I've looked at the Bia paid for menu and short of a piece of cheese, I'm out of luck!

We have a flight from Heathrow first so I'll take a breakfast from home then fast until we get to US. How anyone eats airline food is beyond me. See also, hospital food.

Oh thank you for pointing this out. It would not have occurred to me.

i have one child who is allergic to dairy and gluten so cannot eat airline food as they have either low lactose, or gluten free. Not both. So flying long haul with her involves a bag full of food and snacks.

although usually she will have a few pot noodles and other bits - I though it was only dairy and meat you couldn’t take through? Last time I went we took a fair few food related presents- chocolate, biscuits etc. never had an issue?

*for anyone relevant Air France is the only airline we’ve come across that does “allergen free” meals, so no gluten, dairy or nuts in the same meal. Only when we flew to the us with them it was a partner flight so operated by someone else 🙄

I also have very rigid food requirements, but I am ok with the airline food, if the special meal I ordered comes. You can order a special meal on aer lingus, the system to do it is much simpler than it used to be but sometimes it gets forgotten. Honestly I just sneak food through and hope I won't get caught. Its all food I am eating before landing in the actual USA. I am pretty sure the food they sell after preclearance is irish food. The aer lingus food is certainly not american.

I think its things like fruit, veg, cheese, fish, meat products that might be an issue. Chocolate, biscuits etc not a problem.

heres a map of the airport, you can see what food outlets are in the pre clearance area and google them or give them a call if you can.

https://www.dublinairport.com/at-the-airport/the-map

I’m not qualified to comment on this particular route. That said, l do travel long haul for work fairly frequently. Where people are drawing on experiences from a number of years ago, l think it’s important to remember that the world today is a very different place along with the rules that go with it.