Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
American Airlines announced today that it is redefining the international travel experience with a new program that eliminates one of the biggest hassles for connecting passengers: clearing customs, collecting bags, and going back through security.
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the UK. Department for Transport (DfT) teamed up with American to launch One Stop Security (OSS). This first-of-its-kind process enables international passengers arriving from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and connecting through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to clear US customs at their arrival gate without needing to claim and recheck checked bags or pass through TSA security.
Traditionally, travelers connecting through a US airport after arriving from abroad must:
- Clear US Customs and Border Protection
- Retrieve checked bags
- Recheck their bags for the connecting flight
- Pass through TSA security again
Under OSS, the entire process is streamlined to be much more efficient by clearing customs at the arrival gate, having check bags automatically transferred to the connecting flight, and not needing to go through security again. This change is expected to cut connection times in half while improving the customer experience and maintaining security and operational control.
American developed OSS in close collaboration with technology partners BagCheck and Brock Solutions. It leveraged advanced tools to ensure secure and accurate baggage handling and traveler verification throughout the entire process. Both CBP and TSA had a stake in designing and approving the process. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), American’s largest hub, also invested heavily in the infrastructure and operational capabilities required to support OSS.
OSS was successfully piloted earlier this year at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Now, with its debut at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), American became the first airline to implement OSS at a US airport and is setting a new standard for international travel convenience. The airline is already exploring opportunities to expand OSS to more international routes and additional US airports.
David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer at American Airlines., said:
With this game-changing program and thanks to our federal partners at CBP and TSA, along with DFW Airport, our customers will spend significantly less time worrying about an onerous connection process and more time enjoying their travel journey.”
Anthony’s Take: This is great and I wish it would roll out across the country. I never check bags and have Global Entry, but having to go back through security is a pain and can take a long time depending on where you’re connecting and if TSA PreCheck® lanes are open.
(Image Credits: American Airlines.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
2 comments
What if you have items in your checked bags that you wish to declare? This setup seems to be for the passenger with nothing to declare or if the agent is willing to accept a declaration without inspection.
That’s a good point. I guess it’s the honor system 🙂