Travelers flying from London to America’s second-busiest airport can now save tons of time before catching a connecting flight.
American Airlines on Tuesday announced the start of the long-awaited “one-stop” security setup at its Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) home base.
As part of the trial setup, DFW-bound passengers from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) will be able to skip the baggage and security re-check before heading off to catch a connection. That eliminates easily one of the most inconvenient parts of returning to the U.S. after a long flight.
Instead, Dallas-bound travelers from London will instead go through passport control right on the jetbridge as they deplane, American executives told TPG this spring. Then, they’d be free to head to their connecting gate — and their bags would transfer seamlessly.
It’s a change that American’s top DFW official called a “game-changer” last month.
“This will be incredibly efficient for our US connecting customers at DFW to move on toward their next departure,” Jim Moses, senior vice president of DFW hub operations, told TPG in a June interview.
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A time-consuming process eliminated
For years, passengers making a flight connection after an international trip have faced an arduous set of requirements.
First, they have to deplane and make the trek to passport control. Then, travelers have to pick their checked bag up off the carousel, and re-check it, before proceeding to a TSA checkpoint for an additional security check — almost as if they’d only just arrived at the airport.
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But for more than a year, TPG has reported the TSA was working with airlines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to slim down those security requirements for passengers making a connection after arriving in the U.S. from certain, approved international airports. Heathrow proved to be the first.
American expected this new program to cut connection times in half for passengers connecting at its North Texas mega-hub after its five daily flights from Heathrow.
It’s likely more airports will see similar time-saving measures soon.
Earlier this spring, Delta Air Lines told TPG it was working with federal agencies to finalize a similar one-stop security protocol at its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) home base for passengers flying from London to ATL and then making a connection.
It was not immediately clear when the pilot program might launch there.
American has also said it hopes to expand one-stop security protocols to more airports beyond 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 United Kingdom — travelers are already enjoying a similarly streamlined security process in London.
Last winter, the UK’s Department for Transport already started allowing Heathrow-bound passengers from DFW and Atlanta to skip the security re-check before catching a connecting flight in London.
American estimated the Heathrow one-stop program is already saving travelers up to 45 minutes at the major European hub.
The TSA and CBP are also expected to ink deals with additional countries for one-stop security protocols.
American is already working with Australia on a more limited setup that allows passengers flying to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from Sydney to skip the bag re-check at LAX … though those passengers do still have to re-clear security, at least for now.
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