oneworld - US International transfer and immigration

I'm planning my first RTW but wish to avoid offically entering the US so as not to get finger-printed etc.

I'm looking at options to get from SCL or MEX upto YYZ or YVR to then pick-up CX or QF across the pacific. I could do a non-xONEx segment on JAL from MEX to YVR but am trying to track down how the US handle international transfers.

I've found passing reference that all arriving intl pax have to go through imigration in the US, is this case? Or is an international inbound/outbound transfer on AA a possibaility?

TIA

I'm planning my first RTW but wish to avoid offically entering the US so as not to get finger-printed etc.

I'm looking at options to get from SCL or MEX upto YYZ or YVR to then pick-up CX or QF across the pacific. I could do a non-xONEx segment on JAL from MEX to YVR but am trying to track down how the US handle international transfers.

I've found passing reference that all arriving intl pax have to go through imigration in the US, is this case? Or is an international inbound/outbound transfer on AA a possibaility?

TIAI know how you feel, and I am not at all comfortable about the fingerprinting and photographing either. But unfortunately the US does not do international transit in the same way as the rest of the world so, as far as I know there is no way of avoiding US immigration except by avoiding landing in the country altogether. The only exceptions are a few flights where special arrangements have been negotiated for tech stops (e.g. CX on the YYZ-HKG route stops in ANC).

You can, of course, fly from SCL to AKL/SYD on LA, which may work, depending on where you are actually trying to get to.

I don't see any way of doing North and South America on an xONEx without touching the US at some point.

Damn :( but thanks for confirming my suspicions. I'm thinking about the LA SCL-AKL flight but for the incremental of an ex-CAI AONE5 to an AONE6 thought I'd do the extra miles and get a stack of BA tier points. The JAL flight MEX-YVR was pricing out at about USD600 in J/D which seems a good fare especially as they are a BA non-OW partner so I can still earn points and miles.

Pity you can't carry-over continental segments between continents.

Pity you can't carry-over continental segments between continents.True, but hardly an issue on an xONE5or6 given that you are limited to 20 segments in total, so adding a 5th or 6th continent is at the expense of segments within the other continents anyway.

I've found passing reference that all arriving intl pax have to go through imigration in the US, is this case?

Yes

Or is an international inbound/outbound transfer on AA a possibaility?

No. Even pax on NZ1/2 which is a through flight LHR-AKL vv have to complete immigration formalities in US for a mere 2 hour stopover in the secure part of the airport. :td:

..No. Even pax on NZ1/2 which is a through flight LHR-AKL vv have to complete immigration formalities in US for a mere 2 hour stopover in the secure part of the airport. :td:

From my understanding, is that the moment the aircraft cracks open a door in transit, all passengers must undergo US INS procedures. The only times one does not undergo INS scrutiny are the flights that are only transitting the US - ie CX's YYZ-(ANC)-HKG, and AC's YVR-(HNL)-SYD. These two flights only transit for refuelling and do not open their doors - no crew change, no meal reservicing, nothing.

But as NZ1/2 has traffic rights between LAX and LHR, they are subjected to the INS ruling.

Yes NZ1/2 has pax leaving and joining at LAX, with some travelling all the way through.

Flew AM (Aeromexico) recently from ATL to MEX. Chatted with a FA for a moment, and she mentioned that even though they fly MEX-ATL, have a 1hr turn-around, and fly straight back, the entire crew must still de-plane, clear immigration, customs & security just to get on the same plane and fly back..... Gotta love it... :(

Flew AM (Aeromexico) recently from ATL to MEX. Chatted with a FA for a moment, and she mentioned that even though they fly MEX-ATL, have a 1hr turn-around, and fly straight back, the entire crew must still de-plane, clear immigration, customs & security just to get on the same plane and fly back..... Gotta love it... :(

But at least they can use the crew lane...

I thought that there was a way through Miami where you can transit-without-visa for certain destinations?

I thought that there was a way through Miami where you can transit-without-visa for certain destinations?

No expert here but I don't think so, unless you are thinking of MIA's ITI, which is faster than the regular lines but you still need to clear INS and TSA and, AFAIK, hold a visa (or I-94).

I thought that there was a way through Miami where you can transit-without-visa for certain destinations?

There was, but it's now dead :( leading to Iberia's decision to cancel MIA as a hub.

I now transit via mainland Europe going to MEX. Sorry, DL and co, the hassle of 'immigrating' and immediately 'emigrating' just isn't worth it.