New York - JFK

[Trinity 09L]

Recently flew with Delta to JFK. If you think our our border checks are slow - beware. 55 min wait arriving at 16.00 on a Saturday. Two CBP staff for two arriving flights. Each person has fingerprints and iris record taken, and the staff also deal with those arriving on work visas, so please allow extra time for transit even with DL in same terminal(s).
Whilst in USA $83 billion budget cuts started & will impact on CBP checks - ie less staff etc. you have been warned:=

[Hangar6]

Yes did same lat week reminded me of the useful option of clearing CBP in DUblin or SHannon saves an hour just not as many options for direct USA flights but JFK has three daily at moment EI A330 and DL B757 , worth trying if budget cutbacks deepen

[airsmiles]

Trinity09L this is entirely normal for the USA all over. One reason I try and get an early flight out of the UK so that I can arrive in the USA ahead of most transatlantic flights. It doesn't always work though if the full compliment of immigration officers hasn't started shift at the arrival airport.

[KUEFC09]

55 minutes isnt actually THAT bad for JFK at 16:00?,

As for the scaremongering with regard to the budget cuts, they are still working on a way out of it,

[cjhants]

This could descend into the Monty Python 3 Yorkshiremen sketch - 55 minutes, we used to dream about 55 minutes!

[Mr A Tis]

55 Minutes !!! Luxury.
Try Atlanta -, 90 minutes a couple of weeks ago.
Didn't help, that when the US domestic agents were free, the Q "managers" took people from the back of the long lines to the front,leaving those waiting the longest-to wait even longer.
Best bet, just avoid the US !

[Trinity 09L]

Ok, I should be more tolerant of our American cousins in their hour of financial need and cutbacks, and I was just reflecting on the critics of our border system when it also appears elsewhere, though been thru Atlanta in the past with no problems.
Oh, and a 3 hour delay on way back, no water pressure on the aircraft, and luckily they had a spare compressor at JFK to fit :rolleyes:

[Hotel Tango]

So much depends on the time of arrival and staff numbers at that time. I have arrived ATL many times and the wait has been anything between 5 and 90 mins. My son, travelling DELTA in the rear and thus one of the last off, needed 2 hours at ATL last week. Last time I went through JFK I was in shock at having gone through in about 15 minutes. It's just luck of the draw on the day.

[airsmiles]

Didn't help, that when the US domestic agents were free, the Q "managers" took people from the back of the long lines to the front,leaving those waiting the longest-to wait even longer.

I've had that at Atlanta a few times, not to mention the infamous security check before you can leave the terminal and enjoy the country. I'm told the new international terminal is better but luckily I don't have to suffer Atlanta regularly any more, so I can't verify that.

[goldeneye]

55 mins isn't that bad really, I had 40 mins AirPrint Manchester recently and 90 mins at Heathrow last year and that's with a British passport.

[ben_keghead]

Arrived at JFK last week on the MAN-JFK American Airlines service, and after 55 mins I was already on the subway into manhattan - passing through immigration and collecting baggage was VERY quick, and very easy! 👍

[Peter47]

I think that its the luck of the draw as to whether flights arrive in a bunch. I had to wait for over an hour at JFK last time as we arrived just after an Iberia & an Icelandair. The queues went back into the corridors. (Had we not had to wait for a gate we might have beaten the other two flights but never mind.)

I've been delayed boarding a flight from T7 as customs wouldn't let passengers disembark as immigration was totally full.

Citizens all countries should make their displeasure clear to their elected representatives. They might get through their own immigration fairly quickly (sometimes even that doesn't happen) but unless you have more than one passport you will end up in an 'aliens' queue sometime on your journey.

[Heathrow Harry]

there have been a lot of delays of well over 55 minutes for people entering at LHR in the last year so don't get bent out of shape about the Yanks

Why countries can't realise just what a dreadful impression it makes on visitors is beyond me

I've never waited more than 10 minutes at SIN in 30 years