Transferring at IAD

Hi everyone

Does anyone have any experience transferring from an international fight to a domestic flight at IAD?

I'm looking at doing a trip to NYC and DC. At the moment the best combination of flights I can find is to fly from MAN-IAD with UA, transfer and fly IAD-NYC with UA on a Saturday, spend three nights in NYC then fly NYC-IAD with UA on the Tuesdayand fly IAD-MAN on the Thursday.

The international and domestic flights would be two separate return bookings.

Does anyone have any experience at IAD of transferring? How long should I leave between the two flights? Seeing as the flights will be by UA will they through check the baggage even though this is two separate bookings? Can I use the transfer desks at IAD or do I have to clear customs and start again at the checkin desks?

Does anyone have any advice as to which airport in NYC is the best to fly into domestically? Can either do JFK or LGA.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

what ever ticket arrangements you have you will have to collect your bags and clear customs at IAD - the rule in the US is that you clear customs at your initial arrival airport.

Can't help with IAD I'm afraid but as far as NYC is concerned, LGA is closer to Manhattan and therefore quicker and cheaper to get to & from. It's well served by taxis and an airport bus to/from Grand Central but its disadvantage is that it's hard to get to by subway if that's your preferred mode of transport, as it always involves a transfer on a local bus.

JFK is further out but well connected to the subway via the airtrain, either to/from Howard Beach (A line, good for lower Manhattan and the west side) or Jamaica (E line, ideal for midtown and the east side).

As far as your luggage is concerned, as Tonty says it is standard practice at US airports for international passengers to reclaim their bags and clear customs & immigration at their port of entry so you'll have to recheck them at IAD. I would allow a minimum of 2 hours and preferably 3 for the connection, just in case of long queues at immigration which certainly aren't unknown at US airports.

LGA is the clear winner at NY - smaller, easier to get out of, and much closer to the city than other options. The Amtak Tain would be my preference if you we're staying in DC itself.

As to DC itself James, whenever you fly to the US yu have to clear immigration and customs at your first port - so that would mean on landing. Unfortunately IAD isn't the best for this, you:

- Disembark then get in the still very odd buses on stilts from the gate to immigration
- Collect bags and clear customs
- Recheck for domestic flight
- Go back through security
- Take the train to the UA gates

So no, bags will not be transferred automatically and IAD is a bit of a faff! Plan for a minimum of 2 1/2 hrs.

I have to agree with Slinky here.
Was there only last week, granted an internal flight but the those funny little buses that have been there at least ten years that I know of can be a bug bear. You normally have to wait for the driver to make his mind up its time to leave, then drive around the active airport to the terminal. While the drive is only 7/8 mins you can be waiting 15 min for the bus to move. You then wait for your luggage.
Not the best airport in the world for this.

[honey lamb]

From my experience of transferring at IAD, if the bags have been tagged to your final destination, then there are transfer desks immediately after you exit customs and one of them is for UA. They will take your bag and if necessary, will issue your boarding pass. You will then have to go through security and head to your new gate.

On my last trip there I was doing a VS/UA transfer on the same ticket. The flight was late leaving LHR and to cut a long story short it was unlikely I would make my connection but UA had already booked me on to the next flight and had my boarding pass ready