Worldwide Vacationers, Rejoice: The US and the UK are lastly rethinking certainly one of their most annoying airport rituals.
For many years, anybody who catches flights between the US and the UK and connects to different components of the continent has confronted the identical irritating drill. Cross by customs, choose up your verify luggage, dash by the mazes of the hallway, then drop off on the retic station (hopefully earlier than the bag cut-off time).
However the change is within the air. The US Site visitors Safety Company (TSA) and the UK Division of Transport (DFT) are partnering with American Airways and Delta Air Traces in a brand new pilot program that saves vacationers time on the world’s busiest airports.
Beginning this month, vacationers between London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Dallas-Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) and People, or between Heathrow and Hartsfield-Jasson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) and Delta can bypass a few of these levels.
A brand new system referred to as One Cease Safety (OSS) means that you can submit passengers and checked baggage from the brand new system’s major on the departure airport, and as quickly as you land with out requesting your bag and double checking it, you may go to the following gate (and, in some circumstances, move safety once more).
The UK is one nation, just like the US, and in precept, to make sure that passengers join safety protocols earlier than boarding one other flight, another international locations belief safety protocols to streamline the transport expertise or to happen within the airport. Which means the UK and the US will acknowledge one another’s screening programs as equal, with out reinforcing passenger luggage (as an alternative of robotically transferring packages to passengers’ related flights). In 2021, Congress handed a invoice that might permit the TSA to develop pilot applications that might finish Stateside Recheck Shuffle (which has lengthy been a requirement as a nationwide safety concern).
American and Delta at the moment have devoted customs areas for eligible flights. Nevertheless, the 2 carriers deal with safety screenings barely otherwise.
Connecting passengers flying to America from London to Dallas will move by a small passport management space and as soon as your passport is cleared, you may go to the following gate with out dealing with your baggage or doing a TSA screening.
In the meantime, passengers connecting after a delta flight from London to Atlanta can solely skip gathering and reconfirming their luggage. Further safety screenings can’t be averted until you’ve a worldwide entry, a trusted journey program, or a cellular passport management app. Those that haven’t got both ought to undergo the TSA checkpoint.
The OSS pilot started in February for vacationers flying with People from Dallas-Fort Price to Heathrow (and related to a different worldwide vacation spot outdoors the UK). At the moment obtainable on one American flight from Heathrow to DFW, however it’s anticipated to develop to all 5 day by day AA flights from Heathrow to DFW. This system is offered for all day by day Delta flights from Heathrow to Atlanta.
Nevertheless, it’s value mentioning that this route isn’t exempt from the brand new UK Digital Journey Certification (ETA) system. As of January 8, 2025, this technique requires vacationers flying to England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Eire to use for a journey allow upfront to the UK. To acquire a UK ETA, vacationers should fill out primary private info within the survey and pay a charge of £10 (roughly USD 13 primarily based on present conversion price).
For now, OSS is simply obtainable for flights between these three airports. Nevertheless, if this system is profitable, different departure airports will likely be added later this yr. Meaning a extra streamlined worldwide arrival course of for hundreds of thousands of flyers every year.
American is a member of the One World Alliance, together with British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, Japan Airways, and Qantas. Which means passengers connecting from Dallas on One World Flight will keep away from customs once they land in London. The identical goes for the Delta flyer that connects with one other member of the SkyTeam Alliance from Atlanta.
The OSS program operates equally to the pre-environment applications that exist at some worldwide airports within the Bahamas, Canada, Eire and the United Arab Emirates.
This story was initially printed in March 2025 and up to date on July 24, 2025, and comprises present info.
