Queues for pre-immigration at Dublin

dodgystuff

I'm travelling Dub-SFO on Wednesday Jan 14th at 12:20pm. I have to travel up from Cork. I've booked the 6am Aircoach which says it will be at Terminal 2 at 9:20am on their website.

However, thinking about it now, the Aircoach will be hitting Dublin city centre around 9am..prime traffic time and it goes to Batchelors Walk before the airport.

Let's say I get to T2 at 10am, would I be ok between check-in, security and clearance? It's my first time flying on my own so I'm stressing out a bit over it!

Wompa1

dodgystuff wrote: »

I'm travelling Dub-SFO on Wednesday Jan 14th at 12:20pm. I have to travel up from Cork. I've booked the 6am Aircoach which says it will be at Terminal 2 at 9:20am on their website.

However, thinking about it now, the Aircoach will be hitting Dublin city centre around 9am..prime traffic time and it goes to Batchelors Walk before the airport.

Let's say I get to T2 at 10am, would I be ok between check-in, security and clearance? It's my first time flying on my own so I'm stressing out a bit over it!

It's a really mixed bag. I've gone through about 5 times in the last couple of years. On one occasion it took me over 2 hours. I just went through on Monday. They installed some automated machines in US Pre-Clearance for US Citizens. So that might help ease the load for the guards.

Personally, I go 3 hours beforehand and just relax at the gate. Beat the rush for pre-clearance by going between groups of flights to the US. I've noticed that the Aer Lingus kiosks in Terminal 2 don't work for checkin on a transatlantic flight. So make sure you check-in online and have your pass printed out ahead of time. That's my tip anyways! If you have a connecting flight in the US. You'll have to get your boarding pass for the second flight at the airport you arrive at...it's the dumbest thing but that's how Aer Lingus operate.....

ProudDUB

dodgystuff wrote: »

I'm travelling Dub-SFO on Wednesday Jan 14th at 12:20pm. I have to travel up from Cork. I've booked the 6am Aircoach which says it will be at Terminal 2 at 9:20am on their website.

However, thinking about it now, the Aircoach will be hitting Dublin city centre around 9am..prime traffic time and it goes to Batchelors Walk before the airport.

Let's say I get to T2 at 10am, would I be ok between check-in, security and clearance? It's my first time flying on my own so I'm stressing out a bit over it!

I think you'll be ok, if you are leaving as late as 12.20. It is tight. It won't leave you time for shopping, eating, dawdling etc, but I think it is doable. Most of the flights going to the east coast (New York, Boston etc ) should have left by then, which should cut down on a lot of the US bound crowds. I flew to Philly recently & the flight left at 11.30. As it was one of the later US departures, most of the flights bound for the rest of the US east coast had already left, or were already boarding by the time that I was going thru the US checks. So I just zipped on thru. There were no mega long queues or delays anywhere. I gave myself 3 hrs to get thru the airport, but I spent the last hour of it drinking coffee at the gate.

I doubt if the Aircoach would arrive a whole 40 minutes after the scheduled arrival time, even if it is rush hour. The aircoach will be able to use bus lanes and the port tunnel. That saves a lot of time, especially during busy peak times.

jaymcg91

Wompa1 wrote: »

I've noticed that the Aer Lingus kiosks in Terminal 2 don't work for checkin on a transatlantic flight. So make sure you check-in online and have your pass printed out ahead of time. That's my tip anyways! If you have a connecting flight in the US. You'll have to get your boarding pass for the second flight at the airport you arrive at...it's the dumbest thing but that's how Aer Lingus operate.....

I just used them like 3 weeks ago to check in for a flight to Boston and they worked just fine, I just had to go to the bag drop...maybe they were fault when you tried or something?

dodgystuff

jaymcg91 wrote: »

I just used them like 3 weeks ago to check in for a flight to Boston and they worked just fine, I just had to go to the bag drop...maybe they were fault when you tried or something?

Out of curiosity, how long did it roughly take you to get from entrance to plane?

Wompa1

jaymcg91 wrote: »

I just used them like 3 weeks ago to check in for a flight to Boston and they worked just fine, I just had to go to the bag drop...maybe they were fault when you tried or something?

Every time I've tried to use them for a transatlantic flight with a connection, they have not worked. Asked at the desk and got some bizarre response about them not always working for transatlantic and there being a quota on how many boarding passes could be printed!!

jaymcg91

dodgystuff wrote: »

Out of curiosity, how long did it roughly take you to get from entrance to plane?

About 2.5 hours, but I gave myself 3. You just never know with Dublin Airport, 2 days with identical flights can have completely different timings (staff scheduling etc). Always err on the side of caution, particularly with US Preclearance. Better to have time to sit with coffee in the cafe in the special US departure zone than be running like a crazy person.

Wompa1 wrote: »

Every time I've tried to use them for a transatlantic flight with a connection, they have not worked. Asked at the desk and got some bizarre response about them not always working for transatlantic and there being a quota on how many boarding passes could be printed!!

Here I don't want to put the staff down or anything, but I'd say they know as much about it as you do! Wouldn't be able for standing in that check in line with the OAPs and occasional travelers, i'm inpatient at the best of times .

berger89

Been to the States twice. First time, I was told I was too early, so they sent me away. When it was eventually time, and because I was so early the first time, the lovely lady at the kiosk actually escorted me through the queues and right up to the top of the line. Best.Day.Ever!!!

Second time, about 30 mins if even.

saying that, give yourself AT LEAST 3 hours.

Wompa1

jaymcg91 wrote: »

About 2.5 hours, but I gave myself 3. You just never know with Dublin Airport, 2 days with identical flights can have completely different timings (staff scheduling etc). Always err on the side of caution, particularly with US Preclearance. Better to have time to sit with coffee in the cafe in the special US departure zone than be running like a crazy person.



Here I don't want to put the staff down or anything, but I'd say they know as much about it as you do! Wouldn't be able for standing in that check in line with the OAPs and occasional travelers, i'm inpatient at the best of times .

You and I, both! My new trick is to take about 3 euro over to the printing Kiosk and print my boarding pass there then just go to the bag drop. But if I go through Dublin again in the future with Aer Lingus, I'll give them a try again.

I booked my next trip already but I'm planning on avoiding Aer Lingus for as long as I can

KevR

Aer Lingus check-in can be very hit and miss. Might take 5 mins might take 80 mins. You just never know.

Bag drop queue always looks to be equally bad whenever the check-in queue is bad.