Customs - how does it work

[RTR 21-0]

We have never flown internationally and have our first flight from the US to Rome booked May 2023, flying in two days early.   Could someone explain how customs works at airports?  We have our Global cards but I’m not sure of the procedure.  I’m assuming it’s an area everyone has to go through to show cards or passports before proceeding to baggage claim?  
 

Also, flights are booked through AA with a connecting flight in Dallas.  Connection times are 1 hr 5 min outbound and 1 hr 30 min return.  Wondering if we should change to flights with longer connection times.  TIA for the replies.  

[hallux]

21 minutes ago, RTR 21-0 said:

 I’m assuming it’s an area everyone has to go through to show cards or passports before proceeding to baggage claim?

Actually - quite opposite.  You claim your bag then go through customs with your bag.  If you're then transferring to a domestic flight there will be bag drops for each airline after you pass through customs.

 

Depending on the flight direction you're asking about, you MAY pre-clear customs before boarding the plane.

 

As for the connection times - if the airline allowed the flights to be booked then they meet the minimum connection time standard for the airport.  If the airline finds that some condition is going to cause you to miss your connecting flight they may automatically rebook you on a later flight. 

 

It's happened to me - I had a flight from Vancouver connecting in Chicago, after I booked my flight they started construction that closed the shuttle train between terminals so it was decided that my original connection that met the MCT was no longer valid and rebooked me WHILE I WAS ON MY CRUISE for a later flight out of Chicago.  When I checked in at the gate at YVR they told me what the deal was.  The flight arrived at ORD early and I had enough time to get to the earlier flight, which I was able to get back on.

[CruiserBruce]

Flying to Rome, your TSA helps you clear security to board the plane faster. You will show your boarding pass ( it should say you are approved for TSA Pre, IF,  and that is a BIG IF, your Known Traveler Number is associated with the booking. Otherwise, going to Rome, there is no benefit to TSA or Global Entry.

 

In Rome, if it's your first airport in Europe,  you will do Passport Check ( Immigration), the collect your bags. Europe uses what is commonly called the Red/Green Customs system. You will approach a set of doors. If you have anything to declare, you go to a red line and deal with the declaration. If you have nothing to declare, you go to a green line, and exit into the general airport area.

[CruiserBruce]

Coming home, your Global Entry speeds your way through.  You will go to a Global Entry kiosk, and insert your passport. Follow the procedures,  get a receipt,  then head to bag claim. Get your bag, show your GE receipt,  and you will be cleared to recheck your bag to your final destination. 

[CruiserBruce]

Your GE card has virtually no use in air travel. We rarely carry ours for international flights. It helps with other border crossing travel, like cruises, AT TIMES. But it NEVER absolutely takes the place of your passport. 

[mchell810]

55 minutes ago, RTR 21-0 said:

We have never flown internationally and have our first flight from the US to Rome booked May 2023, flying in two days early.   Could someone explain how customs works at airports?  We have our Global cards but I’m not sure of the procedure.  I’m assuming it’s an area everyone has to go through to show cards or passports before proceeding to baggage claim?  
 

Also, flights are booked through AA with a connecting flight in Dallas.  Connection times are 1 hr 5 min outbound and 1 hr 30 min return.  Wondering if we should change to flights with longer connection times.  TIA for the replies.  

 

You've gotten some good information on security/immigration so I will comment on the connection times.  Yes, they are legal but for me they are too tight.  Everyone has their own tolerance for anxiety; for me that means I aim for 2 hours or more for connections.  Just 2 weeks ago I had a flight that was delayed one hour bc they couldn't move the jet bridge from the plane when it lost power.  It took several attempts, 2 different trucks and -- I kid you not -- a cluster of 8 guys standing around trying to make a plan before they successfully dragged it away from the plane.  Thus a 1 hour delay.   If I had a 1 1/2 hour connection time I'd have been a wreck; since I had a 3 hour connection, no problem. 

[CruiserBruce]

I agree the connection times are tight. Particularly the returning to US. DFW is a big airport...was just there 2 days ago, and very busy.

[waterbug123]

Since you have never flown internationally, let's break it down.

1. Immigration is what clears people to cross a border.  Customs is what clears luggage (or other "stuff") to cross a border.

2. Traveling to Italy, you will clear immigration via a passport check at your first stop in Europe.  You will clear customs at your final destination.  If you are flying straight from the US into Rome and that's it, both will be done at the Rome airport.

3.  Customs in most European airports is a non-event; it's up to you to declare if you are bringing in anything that exceeds your customs allowance (highly unlikely, as a routine tourist) and if not, you just get your bags and leave the airport.

4.  Returning to the US, you clear both immigration and customs at your first arrival point into the US, which would be DFW for you.  You clear immigration, then collect your bags, clear customs, recheck your bags at a post-customs luggage drop-off spot, then go through security and on to your connecting gate.

5.  Having global entry means nothing when traveling to Europe.  It's a US program.   But it will expedite the process when you return to the states, because you will follow signs to GE kiosks at DFW and usually much shorter lines for them.  But as long as your GE number (known traveler number) is entered into your flight reservation, you won't actually need your GE card.  When you scan your passport at the GE kiosk, it will reflect your GE status.

 

Hope this helps!

[RTR 21-0]

9 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

Since you have never flown internationally, let's break it down.

1. Immigration is what clears people to cross a border.  Customs is what clears luggage (or other "stuff") to cross a border.

2. Traveling to Italy, you will clear immigration via a passport check at your first stop in Europe.  You will clear customs at your final destination.  If you are flying straight from the US into Rome and that's it, both will be done at the Rome airport.

3.  Customs in most European airports is a non-event; it's up to you to declare if you are bringing in anything that exceeds your customs allowance (highly unlikely, as a routine tourist) and if not, you just get your bags and leave the airport.

4.  Returning to the US, you clear both immigration and customs at your first arrival point into the US, which would be DFW for you.  You clear immigration, then collect your bags, clear customs, recheck your bags at a post-customs luggage drop-off spot, then go through security and on to your connecting gate.

5.  Having global entry means nothing when traveling to Europe.  It's a US program.   But it will expedite the process when you return to the states, because you will follow signs to GE kiosks at DFW and usually much shorter lines for them.  But as long as your GE number (known traveler number) is entered into your flight reservation, you won't actually need your GE card.  When you scan your passport at the GE kiosk, it will reflect your GE status.

 

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for taking time to list step by step how customs work!  Very much appreciated for us newbie international travelers.  

[Markanddonna]

I assume since you are on Cruise Critic that you are taking a cruise. You'll also have to deal with customs coming off the ship. If it is a transatlantic, sometimes agents board the ship a few days early and you have a 2 minute friendly meeting.

Edited July 1, 2022 by Markanddonna

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Markanddonna said:

I assume since you are on Cruise Critic that you are taking a cruise. You'll also have to deal with customs coming off the ship. If it is a transatlantic, sometimes agents board the ship a few days early and you have a 2 minute friendly meeting.

You have to deal with immigration, and less frequently, customs, SOMETIMES. Not that frequently. For example, given the OP's interest in the Med, on the average cruise around the Med, you frequently have absolutely no immigration or customs checks, because you are staying within the EU. On our last European cruise, involving the Baltic (including Russia), Scandinavia, Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain and ending in Amsterdam, we had to show our passport to disembark, but NO customs at all.

[Markanddonna]

My recent cruises involved stops in Israel, so we had customs. You are correct about the EU.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Markanddonna said:

My recent cruises involved stops in Israel, so we had customs. You are correct about the EU.

You had Passport (Immigration) checks.

[Rick&Jeannie]

On 6/27/2022 at 11:22 AM, CruiserBruce said:

I agree the connection times are tight. Particularly the returning to US. DFW is a big airport...was just there 2 days ago, and very busy.

Last year I had a 50 minute connection time in Paris (CDG).  I tried every way in the world to change flights because I've been through CDG before...I KNEW it was too short.  I ended up spending the night in Paris on Air France's dime! (But had NO luggage!)

[FlyerTalker]

20 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Last year I had a 50 minute connection time in Paris (CDG).  I tried every way in the world to change flights because I've been through CDG before...I KNEW it was too short.  I ended up spending the night in Paris on Air France's dime! (But had NO luggage!)

 

Carry-on ALWAYS has a change of clothes and an "essentials" toiletries baggie.  Even on simple itineraries, it's proven its worth a number of times over the years.

[Rick&Jeannie]

4 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Carry-on ALWAYS has a change of clothes and an "essentials" toiletries baggie.  Even on simple itineraries, it's proven its worth a number of times over the years.

Agree 100%.  My example was the flight that finally convinced us that we HAD to have a "go bag" with the necessities so WHEN (not if) it happens again we'll at least be somewhat able to weather it!

[waterbug123]

On 7/1/2022 at 4:21 PM, CruiserBruce said:

You have to deal with immigration, and less frequently, customs, SOMETIMES. Not that frequently. For example, given the OP's interest in the Med, on the average cruise around the Med, you frequently have absolutely no immigration or customs checks, because you are staying within the EU. On our last European cruise, involving the Baltic (including Russia), Scandinavia, Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain and ending in Amsterdam, we had to show our passport to disembark, but NO customs at all.

Bruce is correct. 

 

What trips people up sometimes is Caribbean cruises that include a stop in St. Thomas, for example.  Since that's US, you have to file down to the theater or some other venue to clear immigration early that morning before disembarking, since you are technically re-entering the US after visiting other islands.   The other islands, though, don't usually make you clear immigration/customs, as ship passengers visiting for the day are not considered to be "entering" the various countries in the legal sense.

[lionheart]

Hi all 

 

so flight from US to Germany to final designation Stockholm on same ticket/airlines

 

get off in Germany go through passport control and get on new plane? My bags transported by airline?

 

stockholm would be passport and customs correct?

 

thanks 

 

[CruiserBruce]

57 minutes ago, lionheart said:

Hi all 

 

so flight from US to Germany to final designation Stockholm on same ticket/airlines

 

get off in Germany go through passport control and get on new plane? My bags transported by airline?

 

stockholm would be passport and customs correct?

 

thanks 

 

No. You won't have to show your passport in Stockholm. You will do Customs in Stockholm, which is the Red/Green system I describe in post #3.

[fbgd]

On 6/27/2022 at 9:55 AM, CruiserBruce said:

You will go to a Global Entry kiosk, and insert your passport. Follow the procedures,  get a receipt,  then head to bag claim. Get your bag, show your GE receipt,  and you will be cleared to recheck your bag to your final destination. 

 

I guess we use different airports. It's been a few years since I've had to insert my passport into a GE machine. All the ones I've seen lately have used a biometrics camera and then spat out the receipt with no need to even answer the "No to All" questions like I did back in the day...

[CruiserBruce]

8 hours ago, fbgd said:

 

I guess we use different airports. It's been a few years since I've had to insert my passport into a GE machine. All the ones I've seen lately have used a biometrics camera and then spat out the receipt with no need to even answer the "No to All" questions like I did back in the day...

It appears this is where we are headed, even at docks after cruises. I agree that is becoming common. Just not sure how universal it is yet.

[AF-1]

This is my comment to the op who mentioned they have not traveled internationally.

1. I never book a international connection less than two hours

2. I never book a domestic connection less than two hours

3. With flight crews calling in fatiqued, weather issues, etc.  I have no problem sitting in an airport for a few hours.  If I do have a slight delay at home airport, I know I've already padded the connection city with 2 or more hours

4. For those connecting in Philly;  I had a flight attendant tell the entire airplane;  never book a connection through PHL less than two hours.

5. I just returned from Dublin last week.  You pre-clear US Customs in Dublin prior to leaving.  We arrived at airport 3 1/2 hrs early and arrived at our gate 20 min prior to boarding.  It took us over two hours to get through Irish Security, US Security, and US Customs.  

Bottom Line:  try and pad all your connections both internationally and Domestic.  Now I know some may disagree; and thats ok.  I have been flying internationally for 45 years.  I've never missed a connection overseas; nor have I missed any connections in the US.  Cheers