International Travelers, Rejoice: The US and the UK are finally rethinking one of their most annoying airport rituals.
For decades, anyone who catches flights between the US and the UK and connects to other parts of the continent has faced the same frustrating drill. Pass through customs, pick up your check bags, sprint through the mazes of the hallway, then drop off at the retic station (hopefully before the bag cut-off time).
But the change is in the air. The US Traffic Security Agency (TSA) and the UK Department of Transport (DFT) are partnering with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines in a new pilot program that saves travelers time at the world’s busiest airports.
Starting this month, travelers between London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Americans, or between Heathrow and Hartsfield-Jasson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Delta can bypass some of those stages.
A new system called One Stop Security (OSS) allows you to post passengers and checked baggage from the new system’s primary at the departure airport, and as soon as you land without requesting your bag and double checking it, you can go to the next gate (and, in some cases, pass security again).
The UK is one country, like the US, and in principle, to ensure that passengers connect security protocols before boarding another flight, some other countries trust security protocols to streamline the transport experience or to occur in the airport. This means that the UK and the US will recognize each other’s screening systems as equivalent, without reinforcing passenger bags (instead of automatically transferring packages to passengers’ connected flights). In 2021, Congress passed a bill that would allow the TSA to develop pilot programs that could end Stateside Recheck Shuffle (which has long been a requirement as a national security issue).
American and Delta currently have dedicated customs areas for eligible flights. However, the two carriers handle security screenings slightly differently.
Connecting passengers flying to America from London to Dallas will pass through a small passport control area and once your passport is cleared, you can go to the next gate without handling your luggage or doing a TSA screening.
Meanwhile, passengers connecting after a delta flight from London to Atlanta can only skip collecting and reconfirming their bags. Additional security screenings cannot be avoided unless you have a global entry, a trusted travel program, or a mobile passport control app. Those who don’t have either should go through the TSA checkpoint.
The OSS pilot began in February for travelers flying with Americans from Dallas-Fort Worth to Heathrow (and connected to another international destination outside the UK). Currently available on one American flight from Heathrow to DFW, but it is expected to expand to all five daily AA flights from Heathrow to DFW. This program is available on all daily Delta flights from Heathrow to Atlanta.
However, it is worth mentioning that this route is not exempt from the new UK Electronic Travel Certification (ETA) system. As of January 8, 2025, this system requires travelers flying to England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland to apply for a travel permit in advance to the UK. To obtain a UK ETA, travelers must fill out basic personal information in the survey and pay a fee of £10 (approximately USD 13 based on current conversion rate).
For now, OSS is only available for flights between these three airports. However, if the program is successful, other departure airports will be added later this year. That means a more streamlined international arrival process for millions of flyers each year.
American is a member of the One World Alliance, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, Japan Airlines, and Qantas. This means that passengers connecting from Dallas on One World Flight will avoid customs when they land in London. The same goes for the Delta flyer that connects with another member of the SkyTeam Alliance from Atlanta.
The OSS program operates similarly to the pre-environment programs that exist at some international airports in the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.
This story was originally published in March 2025 and updated on July 24, 2025, and contains current information.