Connecting In a Foreign Country - Help?

[Haley53]

My SO and I are looking into booking his flight here for spring break. We were originally planning on waiting but I got curious, looked today, and found some decent flight prices - around 550.00 US, including taxes and fees. The main difference? The cheaper the flight, the more likely it is to have a connection in a different country.

My question is how much of a hassle is it? Can anyone from the EU enlighten me? He's both an Irish and English citizen, but has an Irish passport (I doubt his English birth certificate will do him any good), but he's also all carry-on, so he could avoid the hassle of having to reclaim and recheck his luggage. The thing is, we're uncertain of how his connection would work.

Dublin provides U.S. pre-clearance, which means any plane flying from Dublin to the U.S. lands as domestic, therefore avoiding having to go through border patrol or customs when he arrives. I'm assuming that this would not apply, as say he connected in London, he would be landing in the international terminal versus the domestic terminal. Still, while this might be more of a hassle, would he have to go through border patrol through London as well? Despite being there to make a connection? I know in Dublin, they have a separate line for EU members only, but that's if Dublin is the final destination as I understand it. Would it be similar to this? I'm hoping someone can help shed some light on this for me, as we're both wondering if it's worth it saving a few hundred dollars.

ETA: I read Heathrow's website, and it's looking like he wouldn't have to go through customs with no goods to declare. Can anyone confirm this for me?

[lucybelle]

I'm 90% sure that the only time you have to go through customs on a connecting flight is in the USA. Sometimes I fly from USA to El Salvador to CR and I don't go through customs until I leave the airport in CR. USA is just weird. Most countries you don't have to do customs/immigration unless you are actually exiting into that country. The only country it's a hassle to fly through is the USA. I know lots of people who go through South America instead.

[Tooki]

From what I could find, you are right in that he won't need to go through customs in Heathrow. I think that he will go through customs in Dublin, transfer to this US-bound flight in Heathrow, then go through customs again when he gets to the US. When he goes through Dublin, he will go through the 'EU line' (The EU line is like the Australia/NZ citizen line if you ever come to Australia or NZ. It's just a faster line for 'local' citizens)

And from my experiences in Europe, transferring isn't hard. Albeit that (from what I've been told) Heathrow is a mess and difficult to get through.

On the topic of money, as long as the transfer times between aren't ridiculous, then it's worth saving some $$$. I like transferring anyway, because it keeps you fresh (12 hour + flights get very old, very quickly)

[kittyo9]

I kind of prefer layovers. It gives me a chance to see what another country looks like, and it breaks up a long flight into more manageable steps. I like being able to stop, stretch my legs, get food, and go to the bathroom somewhere that isn't the size of a breadbox.

I also like the money I'm not spending.

[rina]

You don't have to pass through customs at connected flighty simply for the reason that you never exit the transit zone. i never had to when i had connected flights.. once in Brussels and once in Frankfurt, but that was years ago, and they were only European flights.

[Haley53]

@Kitty: The issue isn't with the layover - there are no direct from Dublin to California - but rather with whether or not he would have to go through customs in England. xD

Thank you everyone! Consider my question answered.