Travelers flying from London to the US Second Couver Airport can now save a lot of time before they can catch up on the connecting flight.
American Airlines announced Tuesday that it has begun its long-awaited “one-stop” safety setup at its Fort Dallas Worth International Airport (DFW) base.
As part of the trial setup, passengers encountered by DFW from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) will be able to skip luggage and recheck security before driving to make a connection. This eliminates one of the most inconvenient parts of returning to the United States after a long flight.
U.S. executives told TPG this spring that Dallas-bound travelers from London will be controlled via passport on the jet bridge. They are then free to go to the connecting gate – their luggage will be transferred seamlessly.
Last month, the top U.S. DFW officials called it a “game changer”.
“This will be very effective for our US-connected DFW customers,” Jim Moses, senior vice president of DFW Hub Operations, told TPG in a June interview.
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Eliminates the time-consuming process
Passengers who have established flight connections after international travel have faced a series of difficult demands over the years.
First, they have to go offline and have passport control. The traveler then has to pick up the checked bag from the carousel and recheck it before going to the Transport Safety Administration checkpoint for additional security checks – almost like they just arrived at the airport.
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But TPG has been reporting for more than a year that TSA is working with airlines, U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reduce these security requirements to enable passengers to establish contact after arriving in the U.S. from certain, approved international airports. Heathrow Airport proved to be the first.
The United States hopes the new plan will cut the connection time in half after passengers connected by the North Texas big superstars take five flights a day from Heathrow Airport.
More airports will soon see similar time-saving measures.
By the end of July, Delta Airlines is expected to conduct similar plans at its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) home base by the end of July.
The American also said it hopes to extend the one-stop security protocol to more airports outside of DFW, namely each of its major U.S. hubs.
Passengers can already save time in London
As part of the new setup – a partnership with the UK – travelers have enjoyed a similarly simplified security process in London.
Last winter, the UK Department of Transport began allowing passengers occupying Heathrow from DFW and Atlanta to skip security checks and then take a connecting flight in London.
Americans estimate that Heathrow’s one-stop plan has saved travelers 45 minutes at major European hubs.
TSA and CBP are also expected to trade one-stop security protocols with other countries.
The United States has partnered with Australia to conduct a more limited setup that allows passengers flying from Sydney to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to skip Lax’s bags and recheck… although at least for the time being, these passengers still have to be safe again.
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