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iah87
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 Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 6:16 am Post subject: Abu Dhabhi gets US pre clearance facility |
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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/first-flight-from-abu-dhabi-pre-clearance-facility-marks-sad-day-for-us-airline-industry-2014-01-24?reflink=MW_news_stmp
US airline unions are opposing this as a waste of taxpayer money. However Abu Dhabi is going to pay 85% of the costs and the remaining will come from passenger fees, so no US taxpayer will be affected. I am wondering why Southwest unions are objecting since they dont fly outside US.
However in general this is a waste of resources as presently this benefits only Etihad.
I think Jet Airways will benefit somewhat, but not much, whatever the benefits of this will be negated since the connection will have to be atleast 2 hours or more at Abu Dhabi to account for the preclearance. |
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jasepl
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| Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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I don't see the what the fuss is all about. For the local AUH-originating passenger, yes, it can be convenient. For everyone else, not so much.
I've done preclearance at a few places in Canada, the Bahamas, Britain, France and Ireland, but my journey's always originated in those places.
If one is connecting- say MAA-AUH-ORD - how are they going to handle baggage? If that means one has to retrieve bags in AUH and schlep them through American customs and immigration before handing them over again, then no thanks.
On the one hand, we have AI and their ridiculous "connectors" to avoid exactly such a situation. On the other hand, this.
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avbuff
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| Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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This will also increase the Minimum connecting time drastically for US flights. Thus defeating the purpose of shortening the journey
The entity that this really helps are the congested airports like EWR, ORD, JFK LAX etc during peak hours and just outsourcing the job to some other country. |
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jasepl
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| Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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| avbuff wrote: | This will also increase the Minimum connecting time drastically for US flights. Thus defeating the purpose of shortening the journey
The entity that this really helps are the congested airports like EWR, ORD, JFK LAX etc during peak hours and just outsourcing the job to some other country. |
To a minimal extent. AUH certainly isn't a hotbed of flights to America (yet). An odd flight here and there taken out of the immigration hall isn't going to make that much of a difference.
It's (Maybe) convenient for AUH-originating people and possibly for those going further into America (end MAA-AUH-ORD-IND).
But for someone just going up to Chicago, better to fly through DEL or LHR.
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avbuff
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| Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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Agreed.
But the time at which EY flights arrive into the USA are peak international arrival times from various countries. As you would know, thanks to the curfew at EU airports, the first set of arrivals into the USA are in the afternoon. So in such a scenario reducing 350+ passengers may help. Just my two cents.
On the contrary for a MAA - AUH - ORD - IND wala, the hassle is there at either AUH or ORD. Having all shit done at AUH can just help a person relax on his long haul flight. |
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jasepl
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 12:00 am Post subject: |
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| avbuff wrote: | | On the contrary for a MAA - AUH - ORD - IND wala, the hassle is there at either AUH or ORD. Having all shit done at AUH can just help a person relax on his long haul flight. |
Oh I agree with the last part - it's nice for those going further into America than the longhaul airport. If you got to do all that crap once anyway, may as well do it in Dhabi instead of Chicago.
The end result is still robbing Peter to pay Paul.
So it's nice for a few folk, but I don't see it anything worth getting terribly excited (or agitated) over
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avbuff
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 12:04 am Post subject: |
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| jasepl wrote: | | So it's nice for a few folk, but I don't see it anything worth getting terribly excited (or agitated) over |
That's exactly what I feel too as well. |
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justbala
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:57 am Post subject: |
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| avbuff wrote: |
On the contrary for a MAA - AUH - ORD - IND wala, the hassle is there at either AUH or ORD. Having all shit done at AUH can just help a person relax on his long haul flight. |
Wouldnt it be a lot easier for folks having connections in the US? Given that flights from AUH will now arrive as domestic flights - there would not be any hassles of Immigration and Customs clearance at the port of entry in US.
In the normal scenario, passengers would have to collect their luggage at say ORD, clear customs and then re-check in for their domestic US connection to IND.With pre-clearance there is no need for this. They can pick up their bags at IND.
This would especially be attractive to the Grandpa/Granma going on their babysitting assignments, who will now have their families to assist them while collecting bags directly at say IND (given baggage claim is a public area in US domestic arrival) |
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Nimish
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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Personally I think this is a great thing - the Min connection times at AUH will need to be tweaked to take this time into account, but the rush will be much lesser at AUH compared to landing at EWR, JFK, LAX, ORD etc.
Esp. true if you have a tight connection at the US end, at least now you know you'll make it.
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sumantra
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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| justbala wrote: | | Wouldnt it be a lot easier for folks having connections in the US? Given that flights from AUH will now arrive as domestic flights - there would not be any hassles of Immigration and Customs clearance at the port of entry in US....(given baggage claim is a public area in US domestic arrival) |
Balagopal, as Ojas mentioned, it is just amortising the effort: either at AUH, or at the port of US arrival. Further, if your port of arrival is ORD/JFK/EWR itself (as is the case with many Indians travelling to the US), you will have to clear immigration, get the luggage yourself at the International arrivals, and clear customs, before you can walk out. There is no domestic baggage claim. However, Nimish makes two very important points: 1. less rush at AUH 2. ability to handle tighter connection for onward US domestic connections.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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justbala
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| Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:56 am Post subject: |
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| sumantra wrote: | | justbala wrote: | | Wouldnt it be a lot easier for folks having connections in the US? Given that flights from AUH will now arrive as domestic flights - there would not be any hassles of Immigration and Customs clearance at the port of entry in US....(given baggage claim is a public area in US domestic arrival) |
Balagopal, as Ojas mentioned, it is just amortising the effort: either at AUH, or at the port of US arrival. Further, if your port of arrival is ORD/JFK/EWR itself (as is the case with many Indians travelling to the US), you will have to clear immigration, get the luggage yourself at the International arrivals, and clear customs, before you can walk out. There is no domestic baggage claim. However, Nimish makes two very important points: 1. less rush at AUH 2. ability to handle tighter connection for onward US domestic connections.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
If I am right the pre-clearance includes customs clearance. Flights from Canada and Shannon land as domestic flights in the US after pre-clearance.
If you are flying into JFK from AUH, the flight would land in the domestic area. I dont see where pax would have to clear customs or immigration in the US.
Details of the pre-clearance at DUB - http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/US-Preclearance.aspx |
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sumantra
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| Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 4:20 am Post subject: |
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| justbala wrote: | | If you are flying into JFK from AUH, the flight would land in the domestic area. I dont see where pax would have to clear customs or immigration in the US. |
Thanks, Balagopal: I had missed that point.
Cheers, Sumantra. |
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iah87
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| Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| This is good for those who are connecting beyond the port of entry into USA. For others, it is a wash, even for the elderly, they now have to retrieve their bags at AUH and recheckin after customs clearance. This will benefit JetBlue which is now a partner with Etihad. |
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justbala
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| Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 11:13 am Post subject: |
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| iah87 wrote: | | This is good for those who are connecting beyond the port of entry into USA. For others, it is a wash, even for the elderly, they now have to retrieve their bags at AUH and recheckin after customs clearance. This will benefit JetBlue which is now a partner with Etihad. |
I dont think pax are required to collect their bags at AUH (that would require them to go landside and clear immigration at UAE, which would again require a visa).
From the TRs that I have read of the LCY-SNN-JFK flights of BA - pax with checked in bags are not required to collect their checked in bags at SNN. |
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Nimish
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| Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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Kind of mysterious how the UAE has paid $$$$ to get this facility, but can't invest a couple of $ to create a FAQ around the facility on their web-site http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/english/?
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iah87
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| Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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| justbala wrote: | | iah87 wrote: | | This is good for those who are connecting beyond the port of entry into USA. For others, it is a wash, even for the elderly, they now have to retrieve their bags at AUH and recheckin after customs clearance. This will benefit JetBlue which is now a partner with Etihad. |
I dont think pax are required to collect their bags at AUH (that would require them to go landside and clear immigration at UAE, which would again require a visa).
From the TRs that I have read of the LCY-SNN-JFK flights of BA - pax with checked in bags are not required to collect their checked in bags at SNN. |
Which means if you preclear at AUH, there is no customs for the bags. A loophole in the customs clearance. May be they X-ray each bag and could open the bag if it is deemed necessary.
The last time I flew Canada to USA (about 10 years ago), I had to carry the bags and recheckin after the customs clearance. |
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justbala
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| Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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| iah87 wrote: | | justbala wrote: | | iah87 wrote: | | This is good for those who are connecting beyond the port of entry into USA. For others, it is a wash, even for the elderly, they now have to retrieve their bags at AUH and recheckin after customs clearance. This will benefit JetBlue which is now a partner with Etihad. |
I dont think pax are required to collect their bags at AUH (that would require them to go landside and clear immigration at UAE, which would again require a visa).
From the TRs that I have read of the LCY-SNN-JFK flights of BA - pax with checked in bags are not required to collect their checked in bags at SNN. |
Which means if you preclear at AUH, there is no customs for the bags. A loophole in the customs clearance. May be they X-ray each bag and could open the bag if it is deemed necessary.
The last time I flew Canada to USA (about 10 years ago), I had to carry the bags and recheckin after the customs clearance. |
Yep. With a note that says something like "we have been here".
As I understand at SNN, pax with checked in bag go through a separate immigration line - maybe this would be co-ordinated with the baggage transfer that happens behind the scene. |
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Nimish
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| Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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I read somewhere that pictures of your bags come up on the monitors when you're passing the immigration desk, and you have to identify your bags and confirm you have nothing to declare.
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