Air New Zealand Air Points - SFO or LAX for flights to AKL

I have a choice between SFO or LAX to fly to AKL from YVR.
Those of you who have flown this routes which would you recommend is easier or more convenient with regards to Immigration/Customs, Service, Baggage Handling & Comfort (lounges etc.)
All flights will be in Y.
I will be coming on AC which would make LAX convenient as they are in the same terminal 2 and from what I hear NZ has a nice lounge at LAX.
LAX also gives the additional choice of flying on the 747-400 which seems to have better seat pitch otherwise I am assuming it's the same seats etc. as on the 777?
I am not sure how SFO compares as I have only arrived once on SQ with no onward connection at that time.
Any advise or opinion is very much appreciated. Thank you.

If AC is definitely Term 2 at LAX with NZ then I would go with LAX as a transfer between terminals at LAX can be a little nervous....at least for me because you have to find the bus, take the right bus, blah blah blah to the right terminal.

NZ lounge is very nice at LAX with food, drinks etc.
In SFO all you get is UA RCC. Even though YVR/SFO flights arrive in Domestic terminal there is a direct bus to the Int'l terminal within security from Domestic USA terminal. So you dont have to be screened twice.

If AC is definitely Term 2 at LAX with NZ then I would go with LAX as a transfer between terminals at LAX can be a little nervous....at least for me because you have to find the bus, take the right bus, blah blah blah to the right terminal.

NZ lounge is very nice at LAX with food, drinks etc.
In SFO all you get is UA RCC. Even though YVR/SFO flights arrive in Domestic terminal there is a direct bus to the Int'l terminal within security from Domestic USA terminal. So you dont have to be screened twice.

Thank you mrkymark. Do you have any information with regards to arriving from AKL and going through immigration in SFO or LAX? Which one is less congested more pleasant to use?
AC is definetly Terminal 2, the AC Maple Leaf Lounge is actually right next to the NZ lounge.

I have a choice between SFO or LAX to fly to AKL from YVR...
Any advise or opinion is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Yvrcnx; I've been commuting between NY and Wellington for the last three months and gave up doing the whole thing at once after my first trip, making the connection from JFK-LAX-AKL. It wasn't awful and of course I did not have to clear customs that direction and the shlep between terminals at LAX was not the worst ever, but I just decided in the future to slow down and break the journey. Since then, I have been connecting every few weeks through SFO, which has the lovely city of San Francisco nearby and BART that runs from the airport into The City. Sorry that I have no insight into customs hassles, immigration lines, security indignities. However, if you want to de-stress the trip, a layover going through SFO is much easier and certainly more civilized than laying over through LAX.

I have a choice between SFO or LAX to fly to AKL from YVR.
Those of you who have flown this routes which would you recommend is easier or more convenient with regards to Immigration/Customs, Service, Baggage Handling & Comfort (lounges etc.)
All flights will be in Y.
I will be coming on AC which would make LAX convenient as they are in the same terminal 2 and from what I hear NZ has a nice lounge at LAX.
LAX also gives the additional choice of flying on the 747-400 which seems to have better seat pitch otherwise I am assuming it's the same seats etc. as on the 777?
I am not sure how SFO compares as I have only arrived once on SQ with no onward connection at that time.
Any advise or opinion is very much appreciated. Thank you.

LAX for sure.
YVR-LAX, you will have pre-cleared INS in YVR and received an onward BP from AC (if not, does not matter). Walk off your AC flight, straight upstairs to the NZ Lounge where they will give you a new BP on NZ stock as well input your passport info. You do not have to leave the airside area, you have just avoided another security check, woohoo.
NZ lounge is very nice, wifi, food, booze, showers, views, space..., it's all good.
As you mentioned, try for the 747 for the space.
On the return, you will clear INS and collect bags on the ground level, proceed through customs with your bag, place it on the connection belt (having made sure that NZ through tagged it in AKL), straight upstairs to the deprture level, through security, back into the NZ lounge for your AC flight.
Connecting between NZ and AC at LAX really could not be any easier.

LAX for sure.
YVR-LAX, you will have pre-cleared INS in YVR and received an onward BP from AC (if not, does not matter). Walk off your AC flight, straight upstairs to the NZ Lounge where they will give you a new BP on NZ stock as well input your passport info. You do not have to leave the airside area, you have just avoided another security check, woohoo.
NZ lounge is very nice, wifi, food, booze, showers, views, space..., it's all good.
As you mentioned, try for the 747 for the space.
On the return, you will clear INS and collect bags on the ground level, proceed through customs with your bag, place it on the connection belt (having made sure that NZ through tagged it in AKL), straight upstairs to the deprture level, through security, back into the NZ lounge for your AC flight.
Connecting between NZ and AC at LAX really could not be any easier.

Thanks Taupo, just what I was hoping to hear. How are immigration line ups in Terminal 2?

Thanks Taupo, just what I was hoping to hear. How are immigration line ups in Terminal 2?

I have waited anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes, sometimes their will be a couple of Aisan arrivals at the same time. I found the cure though. As a Canadian, I made myself a US Resident and go to the lonely US Resident INS agent, they are more than happy to welcome you and send you on your way. Touch wood, I have never been turned away, worked for me in Denver and Houston as well.

As a Canadian, I made myself a US Resident and go to the lonely US Resident INS agent, they are more than happy to welcome you and send you on your way. Touch wood, I have never been turned away, worked for me in Denver and Houston as well.

I don't think I would be quite that couragious as you are in fear that I might be denied entry because I was trying to enter the U.S. through the wrong immigration line. On the black list it would say:"YVRCNX tried to enter the US illegally by pretending he is a US resident":D

Thanks Taupo, just what I was hoping to hear. How are immigration line ups in Terminal 2?

Before my latest transit through LAX T2 several days ago, my experience of gate to lounge time northbound has been from 30 minutes to over 2 hours (yes that's right over 2 hours) with an average well over 1 hour. I was stunned on my last flight to get through in about 5 minutes most of which spent in security queue not immigration.

Southbound is much easier process and no brainer for LAX. Northbound I think it is a tossup between LAX and SFO. I've done NZ->AC at both airports and both have good and bad points.

I need to add a warning here for LAX ... I'm a *G and was flying C on NZ coming back from AKL last week. My bags were tagged with the orange priority tags, etc. I had two bags checked, but had given them to NZ at different times. I kid you not that one of my bags was the LAST bag off the flight and it came down in a bucket with a couple of other ones. They totally ignored the priority tags from what I saw, and as I got to watch the entire flight's luggage come down, I saw the mish mash order it was delivered in. By the time I did get my bag, the line to exit customs was huge which just added to the fun of the trip :td: I cleared around the same time as the NZ crew with their luggage in tow ... btw, if three lines form, stay right - that one seemed to be the fastest moving one.

LAX ground handling is notorious for not caring about priority tags. Sounds like it hasn't improved :(

I cleared around the same time as the NZ crew with their luggage in tow ... btw, if three lines form, stay right - that one seemed to be the fastest moving one.I guess that is better than watching the crew clear with their luggage in tow, before any of the paying customers have...

I guess that is better than watching the crew clear with their luggage in tow, before any of the paying customers have...

You must be talking about Jetstar international there.

6 flights flown with them, and crew bags are first off and they are out before my bags are in sight.

Personally, while slightly annoying, I guess it's a small benefit that they can have