Boston airport experiences

Hi all,

Can any of the frequent fliers to/from Boston tell me about their airport experiences? Since Virgin changed the time of the Boston flight, I have had to change my travel plans (before I was staying put in Boston, but now I will be travelling a few days earlier and making my way to Cinncinati). This brings me my question - the flight from LHR arrives at BOS at 15:25 and there is a Delta flight at 17:00 to CVG. When I did some Googling about Boston airport, I saw quite a few bad reviews saying that it is 2+ hours to get through immigration and if this is the case I will never make my connection!

Another question I have which I didn't find the answer to was can I get my bag tagged for the whole journey (LHR-BOS-CVG) even though I have booked the LHR-BOS as a reward flight and BOS-CVG I will booking separately as a cash ticket from the Delta website? I have only connected once within the US in 2008 with Virgin from ATL-MIA-LHR and my bag got tagged all the way through but that was bought on the same ticket. Will I also need to pick up the bag at Boston and then carry it with me to the domestic terminal?

I'd appreciate hearing your experiences...

Thanks, Rabbit

In a word - It is the one of the worst things VS have ever done to me.
I fully understand that they need to align their flights with Delta but why put the VS11 back to 17:25 so when it gets in to Logan connections become very hard.
Also, why put back the time of the VS12?? The early arrival in to LHR made it easy to have a full day in the office in central London.
Not looked at the Delta flights to see if there were any changes. I only see the cute and very well staffed little CH at Logan overran with Delta and Ice Land Air flyers and the poor VS pax being put out (this view may be a little selfish on my behalf)
As far as connection times, 2 hours in my experience is more than enough. I started to use BOS as it would regularly take me less than 15 mins to get thru immigration and another 15 mins for my bags.
Your bags may be a little harder. I think they need to be on the same PNR to get ticketed all the way thru.

Tagged through or not you still have to collect them and clear customs as BOS is your port of entry into the U.S.

Thanks both. Tontybear thank you for that very useful snippet of information, it will be very useful for any future plans I make for the US :-)

So I guess the question now is: is 1hr 35min enough to get through immigration, collect bags, make my way to the Delta terminal where I assume I check in the bag for my flight to Cinncinati? And then go through security again....

I am a natural worrier and always like to be early for everything....as I write this I am feeling a sense of dread that this is not going to happen and that I stay in Boston and do not go to Cinncinati now.

Virgin will be able to tag you bag all the way through, but at Boston you have to collect your bag, go through Customs, then just outside Customs, you can put the bag on to a 're-check' baggage belt, there will be staff to help.

Once you have dropped your bag off, you can go to terminal A (about a 5 min walk from E) and as long as you already have a boarding pass, go straight through security.

1hr 30m is the 'minimum connection time' at Boston for international to domestic connections. This doesn't mean you can't connect quicker, it's the minimum amount of time the airlines will leave between flights if selling you a single ticket with a connection.

Hi

In April 2013, I connected through Boston from LHR (VS) going to Minneapolis on Delta. So before the hook up. Actual connection time was just under 1 hour - I remember clearly as I was concerned about it. I had 1.45 minutes according to the ticket (if memory serves) to achieve it. I also worried about it. And then my Delta flight was delayed

So it worked for me and bags checked through with the pick up etc as explained by Hamster. Usual point though - make sure all US entry documents/visa waiver etc are correct!

I fully understand that they need to align their flights with Delta but why put the VS11 back to 17:25 so when it gets in to Logan connections become very hard.

It moves to a 1305 departure next month doesn't it? Should make life easier.

I think they need to be on the same PNR to get ticketed all the way thru.

I always thought that but earlier this month I flew ATL-MCO-LGW on two separate PNRs and the DL agent at ATL successfully managed to check my bag all the way through.

Mind you I did arrive at the gate at MCO to hear my name being paged: there was clearly some issue involving the interline as they asked to see my baggage label receipt and obviously had to reconcile it on the computer somehow.

My bag arrived at LGW but I'd recommend anyone with luggage that's been checked through on two PNRs to check everything's ok at the gate before boarding the second flight.

I took the BA evening flight to Boston last summer and it took two hours to clear immigration and then had to queue for another twenty minutes to hand in my customs declaration form. I know it doesn't apply to the OPs situation but the only endearing thing about BOS is it's location and links to the city.

Have never had a problem on my three visits to Boston. Lovely airport, great VS staff and immigration was less than 20 mins.

Have never had a problem on my three visits to Boston. Lovely airport, great VS staff and immigration was less than 20 mins.

same for me

Have never had a problem on my three visits to Boston. Lovely airport, great VS staff and immigration was less than 20 mins.

same for me

Same experience for us also at New Year. We were the only passengers in the immigration hall and through in short order.

On the way back, the CH showed no evidence of being used by anyone other than those of us on the VS12.

I flew LHR to BOS in December & it took about an hour to get through customs, good luck

When I flew to BOS in October I remember that immigration and security was extremely well managed with separate lines for those with ESTA, Global Entry / Residents and I'm sure a line for those with connecting flights. I think it took us about 45 minutes to go through, we weren't connecting though.

You can check CBP wait times here

Like others I've never had a long wait at BOS but of course all it takes is for a flight to be delayed or arrive early and the wait can increase dramatically if 2 - 3 flights arrive at the same time instead of being spread out.

Re interlining baggage. Often airlines will interline but sometimes not - it depends on the agreements (which are different from being in alliances or ownership). For example BA won't interline to VS if the VS flight is on a separate ticket but will to an AA flight (BA and AA are in One World)

Not likely, but imagine if all those flights were fully loaded A380s too - That could be another 1500 or so people in the queue!

Like many US immigration halls (notably MCO, LAS, LAX), you're normally fine if yours is the first or only international flight to arrive.

But if someone's just beaten you to it, you can easily be looking at an hour's wait.

Thanks all...I am not sure what to do now...especially since I will be buying two separate tickets and therefore Virgin will not compensate me if I miss my Delta flight due to any delays on their flight. If it was one ticket I'd feel more comfortable.

Lots of good information from here though so I appreciate your responses. I thought I'd be clever yesterday and try to check the live arrivals board at Boston to see how many international flights had come in at a similar time, but it appears most flights were cancelled - I am assuming there is some bad weather out there lol?!?!

yes, probably bad weather, i think westbound TATL will always be more prone to strong headwinds, longer routes to avoid storms, and delays from bad airport weather, it just gets worse in the stormier months

a colleague was doing AMS-BOS-MCO 3-4 weeks ago, bad delays into BOS meant he missed connections both outbound and return

do you *have* to buy as two separate tickets? with all the DL codeshares I'd think FC would be able to book you through on a single PNR

Sungod, I already booked my reward flight to Boston in early January. I need to buy the cash ticket to Cinncinati in the coming weeks. I guess I can call up FC and see if there is anything they can do to get it all on one PNR.

I'll be flying in May so hopefully bad airport weather (ie. snow) should not be an issue but I guess headwinds/storms could throw a spanner in the works. Im starting to think maybe I'll just spend a couple of extra days in Boston :-)

It moves to a 1305 departure next month doesn't it? Should make life easier.

I did read that - I did think that it was only for a few weeks. If not I am much happier. I have a couple more in to the East Coast til the summer, then, with the new position I have been offered it could be almost an end to to my last 7 years of travel!!!!

Not sure why you can't book both tix as a connector flight with Delta and check yr bags through (with drop at BOS) but perhaps I missed something.
BOS went through a recent period of very long waits when they put new scanners in at customs but although it is at times hit or miss, seems to be up to speed at present. I would let the VS staff know you need a quick connection and arrange to be head of the queue on arrival, and leg it to A (level 3 walkway) which is close by. I really do think you will have plenty of time but if you decide to stay a couple of days in Boston all the better!

I think the issue is that the OP has a reward seat to BOS and a cash seat onwards and you can't mix them on the same PNR.