How to pass customs in time in case of a flight delay

I'm a non-US citizen flying to the US with a changing time between flights of 1:50 in Atlanta. Since this is rather on the short line according to this answer, I was wondering what to do in case of a delay. Since this will be my port of entry, I have to pick up my bag go trough border control, put the bag on field again, and change from international to domestic terminals, etc.

I know that if you are late in Europe, you can ask somebody; in most cases they let you cut the waiting line in customs/check in/etc. if you would otherwise miss the flight.

Is it also acceptable to approach staff with such a request at an US airport?

Best Answer

In U.S. airports, in the after-security area, there is usually a customer service area for each airline. This is for re-printing boarding passes for people who lost them, and for re-booking for people who missed the flight while in the after-security area. You can talk to them in this area.

If you've just arrived at the gate too late (e.g. they just closed the door), then usually the staff processing your flight is still there, and they may be able to help you re-book directly from there. But otherwise, you should go to the airline's general customer service desk.

Pictures about "How to pass customs in time in case of a flight delay"

How to pass customs in time in case of a flight delay - Young frowning man in suit and glasses looking at wristwatch while waiting for appointment sitting at desk with laptop

How to pass customs in time in case of a flight delay - Airline Flight Schedules on Flat screen Televisions

How to pass customs in time in case of a flight delay - Anonymous black person touching alarm clock near opened netbook with white blank screen placed on table with notebook and pens

What do you do in case of delayed flight?

Here's a handy table of content in case you want to skip to a specific step:

Know your passenger rights.
Find out the cause of the delay.
What to do if you have a connecting flight.
Contact the people and service providers affected.
Hold on to your travel documents.
Claim compensation.
Bonus tips from travel experts.

Can you leave the airport and come back if your flight is delayed?

Here's the bottom line: If you still plan to take that delayed flight, you should be at the airport for the original departure time, no matter the estimated length of the delay.

Is 2 hours enough for customs?

If you're a US citizen, 2 hours is bare minimum for a US citizen. If these are both one ticket and you miss the connection, UA will be responsible to book you on the next available flight with open seats. Keep in mind they won't bump someone from a flight to make room for you so that could mean waiting several hours.

What happens to luggage if connecting flight is delayed?

If they DO miss the connection, their luggage will be pulled off the carousel and stored for retrieval when they DO arrive, on the next available flight, with available seats.

HOW TO CLAIM COMPENSATION FOR FLIGHT DELAYS| AIRHELP

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Gustavo Fring, Andrea Piacquadio, Josh Sorenson, Monstera