Yesterday I had a novel and wonderful experience: “US preclearance” at the Dublin airport. I cannot believe I’m describing a TSA/CBP experience as wonderful, but it was great.
The theory is that you go through US immigration and customs in Dublin so you don’t have to do it on arrival in the US.
The reality is… exactly that. Global Entry in Dublin was fast (and extant, which was delightful), and I just walked off in Denver directly into Terminal A.
I’ve never had issues with immigration in DFW (my most common port of entry), but wow this experience felt magical:
- Because you’re doing immigration at your own pace during a layover, there aren’t multiple airplanes worth of people fighting to get through at once.
- At the end of a transoceanic plane flight, I’m typically tired, cranky, or both. Getting into the airport instead of a bureaucratic queue at that point is tremendously relaxing.
The only downside was the lack of a PreCheck line in Dublin. I haven’t had to take off my belt and shoes and watch for many years.
