Help with Customs in airports.

[Mrs.Clayton]

Hopefully someone here can help me...my mother and I are flying from Seattle to Edinburgh in October, but we have to switch planes in London. Do we have to go through Customs in London?
I just thought about this last night, and if we only have 30 minutes to change planes, and must go through customs, that could be a problem.
Any information/advice you have would be great!!

 

[zonelistener]

Are you flying two different airlines (to London and then to Scotland)?

If you are flying one airline, when booking your flight, they would know you would have to go through customs and would not make you race for a 30 minute connection if you have to go through customs.

Otherwise, if you are flying one airline, just call the airline.

 

[Hallelujah Here She Comes]

I'm almost positive you won't have to go through customs again. A few years ago, on the way to Germany, I had a stopover in Brussels, and I didn't have to. But if you're uneasy about it, like zoney said, just call the airline.

 

[zonelistener]

If you are flying back into the U.S.A. and have a connecting flight (for example, Paris to Detroit, then Detroit to Minneapolis), you have to get your bags, go through customs, and re-check your bags to Minneapolis.

I work for an airline - your best bet is to call them.

 

[meegannie]

When I flew to Dublin, I had a connecting flight in Manchester and had to go through customs there.

 

[Mrs.Clayton]

Hey thanks you all...definately when I get the tickets, I will call the airline directly. It sounds like a pain in the butt...especially since my mother is insisting on checking her bag. Man, this is making me stress already...
Thanks again for all your help.

 

[dizzy]

Normally, you don't, even if you take different airlines. I stopped over London from Amsterdam before going to my final destination and there was no customs check.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

just make sure that you have clothes for a day or so in your carryon in case something goes wrong.