Summer Tier Points – Pre-Clearance fun at Dublin airport, 51st and Green Lounge

Pre-Clearance fun at Dublin airport, 51st and Green Lounge- Summer Tier Points

In this… epic.

• When will I learn to jump on a fare?
• Wednesday Afternoon.. off to the airport
• EI273 Birmingham to Dublin Airport
• Into Dublin for some Donuts. And Pokemon
• The Travelodge in Swords, Dublin Airport
• Pre-Clearance fun at Dublin airport, 51st and Green Lounge
• AA291 Dublin to New York JFK – Business Class
• A Manhattan Char Siu Adventure
• Back in the Secure Area, Flagship Lounge and AAdmirals Club
• AA2652 New York JFK to San Francisco International – Transcontinental Business Class
• The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
• Do the BART into San Francisco, The Intercontinental Mark Hopkins, San Francisco
• Sausalito: Which ferry to take?
• Halfway across the Golden Gate Bridge
• Fooding around San Francisco
• The Crowne Plaza, San Francisco Airport
• Early start at San Francisco airport
• AA164 San Francisco International to New York JFK – Transcontinental Business Class
• The joy of terminal swaps, BA Pre-departure dining
• BA174 New York JFK to London Heathrow – Club World (Business Class)
• An Early Morning Change at Heathrow
• BA828 London Heathrow T5 to Dublin Airport – Club Europe
• Doughnuts and coffee shops – Exploring Dublin
• Once more with feeling at Dublin Airport
• FR666 Dublin Airport to Birmingham Airport
• 600 TP: Done

We pick up from the Travelodge Swords, where another one of my friends kindly picked me up for the lift over from Swords to Dublin Airport. And again, I can’t thank my Irish friends enough on this trip – it was good to see them

With a short ride from my friend, she kindly dropped me off at Terminal 2, just in time for American Airlines check-in to open.

Good morning T2.

AA Counters being set up

A short wait for check-in at the priority queue. The normal queue was a lot longer…

With US Pre-Clearance section requiring a physical boarding pass to enter the area, With that in hand – and a note I didn’t want to check luggage through, I was given a slip of paper with advice to be in the pre-clearance section at least 1 hour 30 before the flight as traffic was heavy over the summer.

I read the subtext of that to be “get a coffee, and get down to pre-clearance as soon as possible”.

With boarding passes in hand, I headed through priority security – and a good thing I had it too as holiday traffic was filling up the security lanes.

Ok Ireland. We can spot you some cash for a proper metal forklift with an engine if you need it..

Not that helped a lot – as the priority queues were taking time to clear too,

It’s amazing what people leave behind through security.

Eventually I was through that mess, and I began the hunt for a coffee. Because coffee was needed.

Airport pricings

There are a few outlets post security – and all were busy. In the end, I got a coffee from the Chocolate Lounge, and begun the trek to US Pre-clearance area.

At around 6:20 I headed down to Pre Clearance, and waited for it to open. Along with a lot of other people.

And I’m glad I headed down when I did – the queues were only growing by 6:40, when the area to the security screening opened.

By opened, I mean opening to relive the congestion in the terminal – not to actually screen anyone.

At 6:50, the security team began to scan passports and carry out security checks. But that’s not the end – as there is the US Border to deal with. With the shutters not opening until just after 7am, there were plenty of people queuing. In addition, the US Border clearance machines were having a little more than a nightmare starting up.

Eventually, I was called forward for my interview, and was stamped into the USA.

With the formalities complete, I headed into the pre-clearance terminal area and to the first lounge of this trip – 51st and Green

Lounge: 51st and Green (Pre-Clearance Lounge)

With demands of a lounge post-pre-clearance, the Dublin Airport Authority built a lounge so that premium passengers (and those who will pay €39 a time to enter). Billed as a Irish lounge with an American twist… the first impression is… it’s very clinical and white.

Reception

The small rooms

The main lounge

And I mean white.

I was welcomed to the lounge, and buzzed in. With that, I went to explore.

The space itself is reasonably laid out, with with a good section, a quiet work section and of course – the big thing panorama window looking out towards the departing runway

As for breakfast items, there were different options

Potato Farls and Omelets

.
Baked beans and White Pudding

Breads

Yoghurt and Fruits

And of course, a magical pancake machine. There’s the American touch there and then…

I approve of this pancake machine.

I hung around for a while, doing a little work, dealing with my favourite thing in the world (dealing with comments) as we as checking in on the work servers. There are plenty of power sockets – both USB and mains.

USB and UK/Ireland mains outlets. Interesting they didn’t add US Outlets.

With everything in order, I sat back – until I was called for my flight.

To the upstairs.

I thanked the staff and exited through the white corridor, and back into he Pre-clearance area. With the plane going from gate 423, I followed the signs to the upper part of the Pre-clearance terminal (separated by a dividing wall of glass).

At 423. 

I got to the gate as boarding was announced – and was buzzed aboard for the hop to JFK.

Next: AA291 Dublin to New York JFK.

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