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Customs upon entering USA

I am traveling to Paris in October for the first time. I am booking my flights and will fly from Cleveland to an east coast airport then on to Paris. On my return flight I will reverse the process. How much layover time would you recommend I have coming home at the connecting airport ( might be New York, or Baltimore, or Chicago) to get through customs without missing my flight back to Cleveland? Thanks for the help!

Posted by
6783 posts

On the way back, you have to pick up your luggage upon arrival at the first US airport and re-check it on the flight to Cleveland. This needs extra time; when I fly to the US I aim for no less than 2 hours in such a case. Maybe it's faster if you have a US passport / green card.

Edited to add, that this is in the case of a booking on one ticket, and that i'd allow for closer to three hours if I connect in ORD (never had the joys of doing so in EWR or JFK).

Posted by
7451 posts

First, please clarify what you are doing. Are you purchasing a ticket from Cleveland to Paris round trip, all on one ticket? Or are you trying to patch together separately booked flights (Buy cheap roundtrip from New York to Paris, then separate flights from Cleveland) All of that makes a big difference.

Posted by
4495 posts

On one ticket, Air Canada thru Toronto or Delta thru Detroit may be cheaper, so don't rule those out. Personally it would take a lot of savings for me to go thru JFK, and O'Hare has a distant terminal change (not sure if the train is running yet). BWI does not offer a single ticket fare for you.

I'd posted a cheaper fare offering Delta via Detroit, but it is no longer available so deleted it.

Posted by
2 posts

Paul, I am buying a round trip ticket from Cleveland to Paris but there are no direct flights so I will have a layover both directions

Posted by
1321 posts

This is the perfect situation to have Global Entry and since we always have a connection due to where we live it keeps me sane to know I can pass through customs quickly and often the re-check is also easier with a Global Entry lane.

Posted by
7451 posts

For a round trip ticket, I guess I consider the city I am connecting through, but price still rules. For example, being further West and usually flying Delta, I like Detroit for Europe flights, Minneapolis as well, will shy away from Atlanta...but if I could save a couple hundred, its OK, but yeah, I avoid JFK. As for connection time, on the way back two hours is fine for immigration and customs, but remember, even with a tighter time, if you miss your flight, they get you on the next one.

Posted by
7 posts

Travel a fair amount internationally for work and it really depends on the airport IMO. SFO/LAX, NYC-area airports, Chicago, DC, Philly - I'd give myself 3 hours to be safe. Probably have to shuttle to a different terminal for your connecting flight in some cases too. When you're worn out and flying home the last thing you want is to miss that final connection.

I flew Delta from Paris to Salt Lake (then on to PDX) last week and SLC was super easy (and the TSA/customs agents were actually very pleasant!) - and probably took just over an hour.

Posted by
7981 posts

In my semi vast experience of travel, the US has the worst lines for immigration. This makes Global Entry really useful as there is apparently not much concern about the experience of those who arrive without. We have twice walked by lines at O'Hare so long they wound into the terminal fairly far from the immigration hall; I can easily imagine it took hours to get through that.

I would not want a connection with only two hours but if it is one ticket then the airline will have to figure our how to get you home.

Posted by
13809 posts

My basic rule of thumb is 3 hours minimum for an international to domestic transit. I've come thru some international arrivals quicker than that but those airports aren't relevant to your situation. I'd go with 3 hours.

I also want at least 2.5 hours on the outbound trip especially if it's not an airport I'm familiar with. Your international flight will start to board about an hour before departure time and I want to be at the gate then plus have had time to make a comfort stop and perhaps pick up some food/snacks.

I'll also add that in general, my experience with dropping bags after going thru customs in the US is that each airline has a system in place so you don't have to go out to a check in desk in the departure terminal to do this. There is a dedicated area for this right after your interaction with a custom's agent.

Posted by
2916 posts

in general, my experience with dropping bags after going thru customs in the US is that each airline has a system in place so you don't have to go out to a check in desk in the departure terminal to do this. There is a dedicated area for this right after your interaction with a custom's agent.

That was the case when I went through Philadelphia on my way home a few years ago. But the whole connection process was still a mess, and we only made our flight because I "jumped the line" in 2 places, after talking with TSA people and asking people in front of me. Never again through PHL.

Posted by
11055 posts

Customs does not take long unless you made high expense purchases. What takes time is passport control/ immigration. To avoid this issue, get Global Entry and you will be done with both in ten minutes or so. $100 for five years and it includes TSA pre-check.

Posted by
13809 posts

"Customs does not take long unless you made high expense purchases."

I don't think you can generalize about this. I've had it take forever in Seattle as the customs officers questioned everyone and lines backed up thru baggage claim. They must have been looking for something because they had the cute beagle sniffer dog out working the line. I've also had it take literally no time, just the custom's officer taking the slip of paper and giving me a nod. I'm not a shopper so never have anything to claim so it's not like my situation is different each time I come thru.

I've also hit SLC when there was just 1 customs officer on duty for an entire planeload which backed everything up as well.

Posted by
7981 posts

'Customs' is the term used by most Americans when they mean 'immigration' and it is generally the lines for immigration that are blocks long and slow. I think we have only been pulled over for customs once in the last 30 years; before that my last customs inspection was in 1961 on the docks of NYC after an oceanliner voyage.

Posted by
13809 posts

Actually, Janet, if you are referring to my post, yes I know the difference and yes I meant Customs in the examples given above. No one was being “pulled over” to have their bags opened. Post Immigration and post baggage pick up, everyone in these 2 airports walked up to a podium with a Customs officer before handing back their bags to the onward baggage recheck area.

I was particularly conscious of the time because I had not thought to make a comfort stop and needed to!

Posted by
2376 posts

There is no way to predict. Once in Dallas it took forever - fortunately I had a lousy 6 hour connection time. The last two times in Denver, no more than 15 minutes.

Posted by
227 posts

I got Mobile Passport app 2 years ago and put all of my husband’s and my passport info in it, including a picture you take with the app. It made a difference when we flew into Houston from Munich. We completed all of the re-entry info and all of our declarations of what we were bringing back, cost, etc. and followed signs for Mobile Pass when we got into the terminal. We walked right through. Mobile app was free the first time we used it. I had to pay $14.99 a year in order to retain everything I had put in and not start from scratch but I already put a note on my calendar to not renew it a year from now since I don’t plan on an international trip next year. I also updated my picture just so it looks more current. I looked up some articles about Mobile Passport and going through customs to review everything today since we leave for France on Wednesday. Just google and you will find plenty of info. I think it is worth the fee and you may still be able to get the free version for this trip. You have to create a pin to open app once you have all your info and anyone else in your family’s info traveling with you set up. So don’t forget it! Also, keep receipts of whatever you buy on trip to bring back. Duty free up to $800.

Posted by
183 posts

Hello fellow Clevelander! Did this two years ago via JFK (cant speak for ORD or BWI). Because we were on a Delta Codeshare but on Air France equipment from CDG-JFK, we had to change terminals (AF arrives in Terminal 1, Delta is 3 and 4) after going through passport control, customs, etc. We had about a 2.5 - 3.0 hour layover and needed every second of it, and it was not helped by the fact that the JFK-CLE flight was literally from the very last gate at the end of the very long concourse. If you arrive in the same terminal that you depart from, its a little quicker. Bottom line - if your on a codeshare and have to change terminals, give yourself 4 hours. 3 should suffice if you don't.

Posted by
9 posts

As has been said, it depends on the airport. I work at LAX Terminal 6, so I see incoming United, Alaska and smaller international carriers' passengers coming thru immigration and customs. Incoming Air Canada flights are treated as domestic, do to clearance before boarding in Canada.

For US passport holders, the main delays are due to slow luggage unloading. Some folks walk right out the door with luggage that then has to be rechecked because they were not watching for the place inside to deposit transfer bags.

My limited experience at Terminal B, the main international terminal at LAX, without Global Entry, was virtually no line for US passport holders, but very long waits for the others.

Posted by
4025 posts

To go back to Tom's first suggestion, Air Canada is used to carrying bargain-seeking passengers from Cleveland through Toronto to Europe. The return trip is different. Americans go through immigration/customs for the US at the Toronto airport. It is an efficient operation even when crowded and the only trick is to get into the line for the US rather than Canadian clearance.

Posted by
27 posts

You can still use the Mobile Passport app for free! We used it last year (they hadn't initiated the pay version yet) coming back from Thailand just after New Year's. Our seats were at the back of the plane, so we were just about the last people off the plane. We just walked straight through, past the area where throngs of people were milling around the kiosks. Since we only bring carry-on we didn't have to wait at baggage claim and there was no line at customs since everyone was still upstairs in the immigration lines. It was wonderful to breeze through after such a long flight. It does only work at certain airports.

Posted by
46 posts

FYI for those discussing Global Entry. I just applied a month and a half ago. While I was provisionally approved in a week, I had to schedule an interview. They are still backed up from latest government shut down and pulling agents to southern border. There were NO available appointment anywhere remotely near me (I oddly have a small airport near me with one of the offices that do the interviews). And frankly, I opened it up very wide to East of the Mississippi! At a large city you might be OK. I lucked out on a business trip in Atlanta with extra time in the airport. The agent took pity on me, when I politely explained the issue and showed I had my letter and passport, she allowed me to take a no-show's appointment. Several internet posts confirm my experience. So if you are thinking of doing it, apply with many months lead time, and haunt the website for an interview time.

Posted by
17639 posts

There are always horror stories, but 2 hours works 99% of the time. I've done maybe 35 trips now and haven't missed a flight yet, and that's my minimum. Of course, 3 would be safer. Beyond that is sort of nutz in my book.

Posted by
4495 posts

Maureen: All along the Canadian border a lot of the land crossings have daily walk up Global Entry appointment availability. Did you try Michigan?

Will add that by refreshing the appt calendar regularly I was able to get a nearby appt in just days. The closest normally scheduled opening was March.

Posted by
996 posts

I've returned to the states via JFK, but never the other two airports. I'd figure a minimum of two hours, but three would be far more comfortable for my own travel style.

There are a number of factors to consider such as if your first flight is on time or arrives late. Another consideration over which you have no control is how many international flights land at the same time.

As others have said, you'll need to allow time for all the fun parts like reclaiming your bag and going through TSA again. The TSA lines can be long, and sometimes they do not have Pre-Check lanes open which is something to consider if you're used to going through those lines.

CBP has their Mobile Passport app, which should work if you're traveling on a US passport. It's still free to use if you don't need your information stored on there from one trip to the next, and it has been a lifesaver coming back through JFK in particular. The app saved me at least an hour on one of my return trips.

And last, but not least, if your first flight IS delayed and you find that you missed your flight, your airline should put you on the next available flight with open seats as long as it's all booked on one ticket.

Posted by
8377 posts

If you do have a checked bag, you have to wait for the baggage to unload which can take an inconvenient amount of time. I remember once in Atlanta, with a full flight and several planes landing about the same time, my bag was the last one to come up the belt, about 1 1/2 hours after landing.

Posted by
46 posts

Tom_MN: yes, I tried about anywhere - although I did not realize the Canadian border crossing had those walk-up ones. I'd wake up before 6:00 am and check. Check again a couple hours later, in the afternoon, evening, you get my drift. I was just lucky I happened to be sent to Atlanta and had a couple hours wait after my meeting until my flight. I just want others to be aware it's not quite as easy as step 1 apply, step 2 interview. I believe it was for a while, but based on some blog entries, it appears a common issue at the moment. I did read one can do the interview upon return to the US - so not an immediate help - but gets it done.