DFW Transit time - separate bookings

[NinnyPoo]

I will be on QF7 arriving to Dallas (an award booking). This flight arrives at 1-30 pm. I then want to go to Atlanta. I realise Qantas arrives at Terminal D, and looks like Atlanta flight is terminal C.

How long should I leave? I can go on a 4-45 pm or 6-45 pm AA flight from DFW to ATL.

I have never been to Dallas (Have used JFK, Newark and LAX for US arrivals previously)

Feedback appreciated on likely QF7 delays (The flight is November) and time to clear immigration and collect baggage in Dallas.

Thanks

 

[Dr Ralph]

DFW is a modern large airport. You use a monorail to travel between the different terminals.

2 hours will be fine to transfer to your next flight. I'd say you could do it in 90 minutes. But 2 hours offers a good buffer.

If you miss the flight they will just put you on the next one (assuming you are booked through to your final destination), so there's no benefit in booking the later flight.

QF 7 has a good track record. But like any flight, something going wrong is always possible. Hence why it's always preferable to have one booking for your entire international journey if possible.

 

[Mattg]

I'm not so sure they would "just put you on the next one" if it was a separate booking...

Having said that, would this be connecting from an award booking to a paid flight? If so, I believe it is current Qantas policy to through-check on separate tickets if one is an award booking and the other a revenue booking, and you're flying on oneworld airlines.

In any case, 2 hours is plenty of time if QF7 is on time. There's always a risk of delays, but I think it's generally fairly punctual.

 

[serfty]

I have spent 95 minutes in immigration/customs queues getting through after QF7.

I have also spent 20 minutes.

I would take the later flight - if early you may be able to standby for the earlier at no charge as an SG. If not, go to the lounge, freshen up with a shower, etc.

 

[I love to travel]

I had done 90 mins in immigration too - later flight if you are on separate bookings.

 

[Himeno]

I've only had 1 international arrival at DFW, and that was before they started rolling out the APC kiosks. Took about 30 mins to get through CBP (coming from ICN via NRT. I had checked food on the paper form. The immigration agent asked about it and I said chocolate biscuits and he made a note to that effect on the form. Got to the customs check and the agent asked if they were tim tams - before getting confused that I'd arrived from Japan at around the same time as a flight from MEX and thought for a moment that I'd come from Mexico.)

AA uses 4 of the 5 terminals at DFW and any AA flight could depart from any one of them. You generally won't know which terminal the AA flight departs from until ~48 hours before the flight. You can check in for AA flights at any AA check in point in A, B, C or D and all terminals are connected both air side (walking and train) and land side (walking and buses).

 

[wanderer_au]

The other side to this coin is that DFW is a painfully boring airport to spend any amount of time in, and the Oneworld lounge near where QF8 departs from, is woeful. There are surely few other places where OWE and F passengers are so poorly serviced by a lounge.

 

[Himeno]

The other side to this coin is that DFW is a painfully boring airport to spend any amount of time in, and the Oneworld lounge near where QF8 departs from, is woeful. There are surely few other places where OWE and F passengers are so poorly serviced by a lounge.

QR uses the same lounge at DFW as QF does. When I was at DFW for DFW-DOH last November, I walked right past that lounge and off to the AA AC.
The DFW D AC used to be a Flagship lounge, and most of the fixtures from those days are still in place. AA are currently putting a new Flagship lounge into DFW, but I'm not sure if that is going to use the A or D lounge. At the moment, the D AC has a temporary flagship dinning room, open to F passengers and non AA OWE.

 

[serfty]

...
The DFW D AC used to be a Flagship lounge ...

It was A that had the Flagship lounge, that part was closed when terminal D was opened.

... and most of the fixtures from those days are still in place. AA are currently putting a new Flagship lounge into DFW, but I'm not sure if that is going to use the A or D lounge. At the moment, the D AC has a temporary flagship dinning room, open to F passengers and non AA OWE.

It is the A A/C lounge that has the old flagship area - do a U turn to the right after being admitted by the AAngels.

D never had any Flagship presence until AA began setting it up a bit over a year ago.

 

[NinnyPoo]

Thanks for the views. I will definitely book the later flight. Today QF7 departed at 10-10 pm (Even then I would miss the later flight).

 

[ozbeachbabe]

The other side to this coin is that DFW is a painfully boring airport to spend any amount of time in, and the Oneworld lounge near where QF8 departs from, is woeful. There are surely few other places where OWE and F passengers are so poorly serviced by a lounge.

Unless you're able to use the Amex Centurion Lounge in terminal D upstairs opposite gate 17. You sometimes get to watch QF8 boarding from the comfort of your chaise louunge.

You either need an Amex charge card for free access for yourself plus 2 guests otherwise a regular Amex cc plus USD50.00pp will get you in the door.