Which airport?

[Jrock7 4]

Hello, I didn't know which section to put this in. My fiancee is planning her flight for next month. Either she can go straight to the big airport with no stops anywhere else in the US, or she can stop in Dallas, go through immigration, and board a connecting flight to the local airport. Our question is since Dallas will be the POE for her, does she need to collect all her baggage after immigration, or will Dallas just transfer her baggage from one plane to another without her having to wait around for it, and she can get it at the final destination? Thanks.

Edited October 24, 2019 by Jrock7

[designguy 1,179]

The general rule is that you must claim your baggage after going through customs. There are some exceptions like when you go through a preclearance port in another country.

[payxibka 10,044]

4 hours ago, Jrock7 said:

Hello, I didn't know which section to put this in. My fiancee is planning her flight for next month. Either she can go straight to the big airport with no stops anywhere else in the US, or she can stop in Dallas, go through immigration, and board a connecting flight to the local airport. Our question is since Dallas will be the POE for her, does she need to collect all her baggage after immigration, or will Dallas just transfer her baggage from one plane to another without her having to wait around for it, and she can get it at the final destination? Thanks.

She will go through immigration,  she will then collect her bags, go through customs and if she has a connecting ticket, then after customs, most airlines will recollect the bags before she leaves the arrival hall to transfer the bags.  If she leaves the arrival hall with her bags, then she will need to recheck them

[Hank_ 9,171]

5 hours ago, Jrock7 said:

Hello, I didn't know which section to put this in. My fiancee is planning her flight for next month. Either she can go straight to the big airport with no stops anywhere else in the US, or she can stop in Dallas, go through immigration, and board a connecting flight to the local airport. Our question is since Dallas will be the POE for her, does she need to collect all her baggage after immigration, or will Dallas just transfer her baggage from one plane to another without her having to wait around for it, and she can get it at the final destination? Thanks.

POE for immigration will be the first airport in the USA or its territories, most times you clear customs there also.  You claim your luggage then clear customs, then if you have an onward flight you will have to recheck your luggage again.  Many times there is an area just past customs for this, depends on the airport.

[Fogi 91]

9 hours ago, Jrock7 said:

Hello, I didn't know which section to put this in. My fiancee is planning her flight for next month. Either she can go straight to the big airport with no stops anywhere else in the US, or she can stop in Dallas, go through immigration, and board a connecting flight to the local airport. Our question is since Dallas will be the POE for her, does she need to collect all her baggage after immigration, or will Dallas just transfer her baggage from one plane to another without her having to wait around for it, and she can get it at the final destination? Thanks.

She will need to claim her bags to go through customs and immigration. USCs do as well. It's annoying. She will then need to recheck her bag, and in some places go through TSA again. This is why it is extremely important you leave at least 3 hours between flights. I'd go 4 hours to be safe. She may get lucky and go through in less than an hour and be upset with the layover, better to be upset about spending a few hours in the airport than missing a flight and potentially getting stuck overnight. 

[payxibka 10,044]

17 minutes ago, Fogi said:

She will need to claim her bags to go through customs and immigration. USCs do as well. It's annoying. She will then need to recheck her bag, and in some places go through TSA again. This is why it is extremely important you leave at least 3 hours between flights. I'd go 4 hours to be safe. She may get lucky and go through in less than an hour and be upset with the layover, better to be upset about spending a few hours in the airport than missing a flight and potentially getting stuck overnight. 

Everyone gets re-screened by TSA, US airports do not maintain a sterile environment for incoming international passengers 

[Fogi 91]

1 minute ago, payxibka said:

Everyone gets re-screened by TSA, US airports do not maintain a sterile environment for incoming international passengers 

I must misremember Hawaii. I do not remember going through TSA when connecting there. Done it twice. 

[Hank_ 9,171]

8 minutes ago, Fogi said:

I must misremember Hawaii. I do not remember going through TSA when connecting there. Done it twice. 

Nope you don't misremember, you can take the walkway that goes through that grass area and enters right into the gateways.   I use to fly Hawaiian all the time

31 minutes ago, Fogi said:

She will need to claim her bags to go through customs and immigration. USCs do as well. It's annoying. She will then need to recheck her bag, and in some places go through TSA again. This is why it is extremely important you leave at least 3 hours between flights. I'd go 4 hours to be safe. She may get lucky and go through in less than an hour and be upset with the layover, better to be upset about spending a few hours in the airport than missing a flight and potentially getting stuck overnight. 

You clear immigration, then go to baggage claim .. then customs

Edited October 24, 2019 by Hank_

[Fogi 91]

11 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

Nope you don't misremember, you can take the walkway that goes through that grass area and enters right into the gateways.   I use to fly Hawaiian all the time

You clear immigration, then go to baggage claim .. then customs

Thanks for confirming I am not crazy. I remember it being the least hassle I had at an airport. Sometimes the MNL to Guam to Hawaii to Denver United flight saves enough money to make it worth the extra stops. 

 

I don't remember the exact order you go through. I fly into MSP and ORD the most, both suck. 

[Hank_ 9,171]

Just now, Fogi said:

Thanks for confirming I am not crazy. I remember it being the least hassle I had at an airport. Sometimes the MNL to Guam to Hawaii to Denver United flight saves enough money to make it worth the extra stops. 

 

I don't remember the exact order you go through. I fly into MSP and ORD the most, both suck. 

Hawaiian use to offer flights between Phoenix and Manila with a stop in Honolulu.   Shortly after we flew back to AZ Hawaiian cancelled that route      

[payxibka 10,044]

28 minutes ago, Fogi said:

I must misremember Hawaii. I do not remember going through TSA when connecting there. Done it twice. 

Must be quite a while ago,  not how it is set up now

[Fogi 91]

7 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Must be quite a while ago,  not how it is set up now

Twice within the past 4 years, maybe 5 years. I've flown to Manila and back 18 times in that period, hard to keep track of what trip was what route. 

Edited October 24, 2019 by Fogi