One of the nightmares of traveling to the United States is the dreaded immigration and border control checks at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York and other points of entry to the United States. Etihad Airways has just taken that worry off.
US Customs and Border Protection have set up a facility at Abu Dhabi Airport which makes you go through all formalities in Abu Dhabi. You go through the requisite security checks, interviews and immigration controls all at Abu Dhabi airport. Once you clear this, your passport is stamped and your baggage is checked thru to your final destination in the United States.
If your Etihad flight takes you to New York, Chicago or Washington DC, you land, collect your luggage and you can go out the door as if you were on a local flight. No need for customs. No need for going through passport control. If you have a connecting flight you just need to proceed to the gate from which your next flight leaves. There is no need to collect luggage, it will be sent directly to your final destination.
What is the catch? You need to arrive early – ideally three hours before your flight’s departure time. Traveling to the US just became easier thanks to Etihad. From October, Emirates is also planning a similar facility at Dubai Airport.
