Rome(FCO) to Washington(IAD) - Customs

If you miss your 5:15 flight, they will put you on a later flight--no charge. If the next flight isn't until the next day, they will put you up in a hotel room--again no charge. There's also the possibility that they may have to route you through another city to get you to San Antonio. If you do miss your flight the best thing you can do is keep your cool and work with the airline, they will do everything in their power to get you back to San Antonio.

I've come in on that UAL flight from FCO to IAD 3 times in the last 12 months, while needing to connect to my final destination. As long as it come in on time around 3pm or so, a 5:15pm flight is not a problem. Yes, the imigration lines are long, as United has flights coming in from LHR, AMS, BRU, FRA, CDG, FCO, MUC, all within the 2pm -4pm hour, however US Customs clears folks fairly fast. Once our FCO flight had to come into a domestic gate, and we had to wait for a shuttle bus to get us to Imigration. That took a while, and we didn't get to Imigration until nearly 4PM, but the Customs area was completly cleared out by then. Cleared customs and made a 4:30pm flight. So, no, you probably won't have any problem making your SAT flight at 5:15pm.

Just to keep the terminology straight. It is immigrations and not customs that can be the hangup. This is where the US decides if they are going to let you back into the country. You go directly from the plane in a very controlled situation to the immigration hall for passport check. The chances of seeing an airline representative till after customs is ZERO. This can be messy depending on the number of planes in at the same time. Since people tend to bunch up in the middle, I generally find that the lines on either end go faster. Once you are readmitted you will go to a luggage claim to obtain all of your luggage, then through customs which is generally not much more than a smile and a thank you assuming, of course, you can correctly completed the card and don't do or say anything to raise suspension. Then you recheck your luggage and go through individual security screening again. Then on to your plane. We have been through IAD several times with no problems except for the time the luggage was jammed and took over an hour to obtain the luggage. We did miss our connection on United but were rerouted a couple of hours later. You will not be charged if it is not your fault or request.

Since I live in DC, all my international flights end at IAD and we have completed three international flights in the last two-years. It has always been very quick and efficient and we have gotten out of there within 30-minutes or less. I agree with the previous poster that barring some weird unforeseen situation, you will make your connection.

One thing to mention at IAD: Your bag will be checked all the way to San Antonio (if you check your luggage), however, after you pass passport control at IAD, you will need to pick up your bag, walk with it through customs (another line of people that you'll see after the luggage carrousels), and drop it off just after customs (it's to the right before you exit through the doors). Once you exit through the international arrivals doors, you will then need to go upstairs, go through a security screening before proceeding to your gate for your connecting domestic flight. So, that may take an additional 30-mintues or so (I think this area may slow you down just as much as passport control/customs). There is an information desk right after you exit the international arrivals area, so ask if you need assistance. Everything is posted pretty clearly though, so you should be in good shape.

Enjoy your trip!

Maryam--correct me if I'm wrong, but one important thing to pay attention to at Dulles is that passengers from arriving flights are split into two groups: 1) people with connecting flights, and 2) people ending their trip in Washington. So, as you exit the aircraft and start walking to Immigration, make sure you follow the signs for connecting flights. Usually, I connect at Dulles but on one trip I was staying in DC. I mistakenly went the "connecting flights" route, while my luggage went to the Immigration/Customs area for passengers ending their trip in DC. It took 3 frustrating hours to be reunited with my luggage.

But don't worry--it's really easy to connect through Dulles. Just don't put your brain on autopilot like I did!!

I was there in late October and the only two options I remember are the US citizens' line and the non-US citizens’ line. I believe they have done some renovations since I was there last time (April of this year), so it looked different, so maybe they have changed it a bit (perhaps to avoid what happened to you). I don't recall the lines being separated by connecting and non-connecting, but I was tired. I only remember US citizens and others.

Lisa is correct. When you get off the plane, passengers are split in two directions. You walk through a long corridor which eventually splits ... one route for those terminating at Dulles and one route for those with connecting flights. Just pay attention to the signs.

Those terminating at Dulles get in a mobile lounge and go over to the main terminal to go through immigration. I believe the connecting passengers stay in terminal C and are processed through a different facility.

Okay, this was really bothering me as I did not remember seeing it with my most recent flight with Air France. I called and figured it out (I think): with Star Alliance airlines (United, SAS, etc.), passengers are split up by connecting and non-connecting flights, but for non-Star Alliance airlines, this apparently does not happen. At least that's what the info desk at the international arrivals desk told me. Either way, follow the signs and you should be fine making your flight and since you are on a Star Alliance airline, ignore my post. Now that I think about it, I do have a vague recollection of this happening with my United flight two-years ago. Thanks for catching my error.