I'm booked on Virgin Atlantic. It's my first time flying VA.
Returning from LHR with a stop over in Seattle, they have only given me 1 hour 20 minutes for the layover before my connecting flight to my final destination.
Seeing that other travelers said I will need to go through customs in Seattle, is 1 hour 20 minutes enough time?
I phone VA when the layover was changed from over 2 hours to 1 hour 32 minutes and they said they would not create a layover that is not possible.
We did this time frame last summer coming from Zurich and going on to Bend. Make sure you either have Global Entry or use the Mobile Passport Control App. You’re probably going to have to use the train between terminals. Don’t dawdle and for Pete’s sake don't have bottles of liquor you bought at the duty free store at Heathrow. You can bring them back but it takes a lot of time when you go back thru security in Seattle for them to put the bottles thru a separate machine to check them. Our son-in-law ended up running for our flight with his gin.
As long as all the flights are on one ticket, the airline is required to get you
to your final destination even if you miss the connecting flight.
1:20 is enough time under normal circumstances.
But, if 1) the inbound flight is late 2) you're in the very back of the plane 3)
you are lugging a large amount of carryon that slows you down 4) a lot of
other international flights arrive around the same time and US immigration
backs up, then the circumstances become less normal.
Make sure you know the next flight to your final destination after the one
you're booked on, just in case.
Yes, it’s doable. And another vote for the Mobile Passport Control app. It’s free. Download it in advance of your trip, and enter all your group’s info. When you arrive in Seattle, go to collect your luggage and while waiting, answer the questions, take photos of each of the passengers and you’ll get a QR code good for a few hours. Once you have your luggage, look for the MOC sign, near the CLEAR and Global Entry line. Usually the line is very short, compared to the normal huge line. You’ll be through immigration very fast, then hand off your luggage and make your way to your gate. Seattle has a train that travels between terminals and moves people very efficiently.
Last April, we flew out of AMS. Our flight was on the tarmac ready for departure, then we had a mechanical problem and were towed back and sat on the plane for hours. I reached out to this helpful forum and was getting real time answers that totally helped me figure out how to best navigate our late arrival into SEA in order to maybe/possibly make our final connection. Our other option was to change our flight which would require an overnight in SEA and we just wanted to get home.
We downloaded the Mobile Passport App. (Do this before your trip.) The minute wheels hit the runway in Seattle we filled out the info MP app asked; snapped the required photo of ourselves and uploaded. We were 2 rows behind business class so got off the plane rather quickly. Walked what felt like a mile (exaggeration due to stress of the unknown) and rode up this very steep escalator (as described by this forum); then got to a baggage claim area where we had to stop and wait for our checked luggage (so if no checked luggage, yay you!) you move on to passport control. Walk over to the passport control. Feel relieved that you are not standing in the very long line for those without Global Entry or using the the Mobile Passport app. We were only in line about 10 minutes. Then we had to pass a baggage belt where you drop your checked baggage back onto the belt. Then everyone goes through a TSA line that's just for people who just arrived through the international terminal. All one line for everyone; TSA precheck was not an option. All shoes; all liquids out, etc. That took a long time. Whew finally got through that and then had to find our gate really quickly. We might have then taken a tram (but I'm not 100% on that one.) We made a semi-run for it. A sprint would have been better, except for our inability to do so! Our gate was of course on the furthest concourse at the last gate. And that's the truth. We didn't take a chance to make a pitstop in the restroom; time was too tight, but we made our flight. I think we originally had a 4 hour layover in Seattle which due to the delay was only a little over an hour.
This layover shouldn't be a problem if you haven't checked luggage. If you have, it's not likely you could catch your connecting flight.
ETA: British law entitles one to substantial delay compensation if you are unable to catch the connection. Study up on that.
Seattle is my home airport and I have a lot of experience with international arrivals there. It takes about 7-10 minutes to walk from the gate to the baggage hall/ customs area. (Speed hint, if you need to use the restroom don’t stand in line at the first one you see. The one down in baggage claim never has a line). You must collect your luggage before going through passport control. Here is where you really roll the dice on timing. The number of flights arriving at the same time, where your luggage was on the plane, etc all play into an unpredictable timing. I’ve had my luggage in a range from 15 minutes up to an hour. Carryon will allow you to skip this very time consuming step.
Next is passport control. I have Global Entry. I do a face scan and am through in about 2 minutes. Mobile passport is your next best option if you don’t have Global entry. This line is on the far left of the building, just beside Global Entry. My friends tell me this is usually 5-10 minutes.
You now follow the hallway to the right after passport control for connecting flights. It can take up to 15 minutes to get to the other side of the airport.
There is a chance you can make this connection with carryon, but don’t even think of connecting if you have checked luggage.
I've been on several flights in which a flight attendant (after being informed by traveller) has made an announcement that some flyers have very tight connections and it would be appreciated if they could exit first.
These are all very helpful comments. We will be applying for Global Entry and get the Mobile Passport Control app as well. Carry on luggage is a definite for this trip, although I've never only had a carry on for my UK trips. Time to change that. Thank you!
Sarah I'm another Seattleite who's been through our airport's customs a lot. In general, compared to other airports, Seattle has been pretty quick. There are enough international arrivals that they need to have a good number of staff, but few enough incoming flights that I've never seen customs swamped like LAX or SFO.
Quick tip, hurry when you can, but don't be/act hurried around customs staff/officers. Hurried travelers can be seen as higher risk for smuggling, and it's not impossible that an agent is offended that your hurried affect is a demand on them for extra service effort. And of course there's the occasion foot dragging sadist who is happy see you sweat. So rush through the intermittent spaces, but when you interact with customs officers be relaxed, friendly but not chatty, put together. and forgettable.
Have a great trip :)
