Transit times international to domestic in DFW flying QF / AA

[kirstyoz]

Hi all

I just reviewed the thread below but the most recent post is from 2014. Just wondering if anyone has more up to date advice around immigrations/ customs experience and transit times in DFW?

I've booked (flying Y but hoping for an upgrade to J as I'm QF gold status) for myself and Mr Kirstyoz to fly PER-SYD-DFW-MCO outward on 8 September and back on 27 September.

The flights I booked were due to arrive in DFW at 13:00 and depart for MCO 15:00 which I thought was tight but doable give my past experience in that airport (however it's 2012 so not recent). The MCO connection has just been brought ahead to 14:25 departure which leaves a very tight 1hr 25 minutes to disembark an A380 from y, pass through customs and immigration, pick up/ drop off bags, and find the connecting gate, changing terminal if required.

I'm thinking I may have to call QF and change the flight. The next one is 16:55 which would give me a nearly 4 hour layover which in an ideal world I didn't want but... might be better than hoping and praying there's a seat left on that flight if I miss the earlier connection.

Does anyone have recent experience connecting through DFW or thoughts on which of the connecting flights they would book? Thanks in advance, I'm so grateful for this site and its much more experienced gurus


http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ps/dallas-fort-worth-transit-times-28641.html

 

[bsb]

Did a 100 min transfer recently and it was tight. Bear in mind a small delay will make it impossible but AA will rebook you. But it's a hassle.

Are you a betting person? Arrives early (which it can) and you'll win, arrive late and you'll lose. Depends if you want to roll that dice

 

[Sdtravel]

I have a similar flight coming up in a week with my AA connecting flight departing at 14:45 so 1h45m layover. I know its going to be tight.
Do express cards or anything get handed out in DFW for tight connections?

I got a new ESTA so im hoping i can still use the egates to speed things along since my passport hasnt changed.
Although the delay would probably be rechecking and security i would imagine.

 

[RooFlyer]

Look at this site for past wait times for immigration only (ie not including customs and re-entry security). Remember, your outward flight will board about 45 mins before departure. So your timing is now:

Arrive 13:00 (if on time)
Taxi, depart plane: abt 13:15
Immigration/customs .... e gates or (slower) human ..
Dash to gate ....
Boarding commences 13:45, ends probably 14:15

If all on one ticket, you will be 'protected' and will be able to go on the next flight, if seats available.

I hate stress when flying ... I'd book the later connection.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I wouldn't risk it - ring QF and asked to be moved to a later flight ex DFW because of the AA schedule change.

 

[Sdtravel]

Unfortunately I made the mistake of booking my flights with that tight connection so moving isn't option. I guess leg it and see.

 

[Stanley Lambchop]

I had a similar issue connecting through LAX to LAS earlier this year when the departure time of my connecting AA flight got pulled forward (would have been a 1 hr 55 min connection). I got QF to re-book me on a later AA flight from LAX to LAS (approx 4 hr transit) to be certain of making my connection. As it happened, my flight into LAX landed right on time, and on arrival the nice lady at the AA counter was able to find me a standby seat on the earlier flight (I'm QF SG and was travelling HLO which helped). I got the peace of mind of having a certain connection plus the bonus of making my original schedule. Win win!

 

[SYD]

I was pleasantly surprised by DFW passing through from PVR to SFO then onto SYD in Aug last year. I'd booked a 3hr connection based on a previous horrible experience CUN-DFW-LAX-SYD a few years prior.

The immigration kiosks work well and they didn't seem to care if you had used the passport/ESTA combo previously.

Flying AA F, we were able to comfortably move to an earlier flight to SFO at the bag drop off counter. Possibly not an option for all and the OP but otherwise handy to know.

 

[Sdtravel]

According to OW site they have fast track at DFW
https://www.oneworld.com/airports-destinations/airports-terminal-maps/dallas-fort-worth-tx-usa

Is that much help when transiting or is fast track more for people starting out at DFW?
Ive haerd stories of fast track lines being longer than regular lines in some ports.

 

[Sdtravel]

So i thought I would report back.

Qf7 landed a few minutes ahead of schedule. I got my upgrade so was in J. Second off the plane on upper deck. Small queue for the machines for immigration. Collected bags and headed to customs. Chose the wrong line as wheelchair line was next to ours so they got preference over us. Should have gone to the slightly longer line on the right which moved at a good rate compared to us.
Redeposite bags easily then headed back in.
There was.no priority line i could see for tsa. Took about 15 or 20 to get through. Usual tsa over zealous attitudes. Jumped on the sky train to terminal A. Got to my gate which said 38 min to boarding. So all up about 1 hour or so plane to gate.

My colleagues were a bit longer. They showed up about 5 min before boarding. They again used the gates but had a much longer tsa line. They were sitting at the back (row 88). So made it in good time.

1 colleague didn't make it. He tried to use egates but was sent to the back of the regular line. He had a new passporr so couldn't use the machines. Although there are no signs saying this. Only that if you have an esta to use the machines. Nothing about first time use ect. Anyway by the time we finished boarding and the door was closed he only just made it through security. In terminal D. The lines were really slow apparently. He got to the gate and there were a few others who also missed the flight. The agent just put them on the next one.

So tl;dr
1 hour transit possible with fast off and quick luggage
1.5 for nornal egates and regular luggage
2 hour for regular with manual passport entry and security.