Air New Zealand Air Points - NZ to SFO and beyond

can you cfm to me that when i go to eurpoe via SFO ( nz8) in nov , i do not clear immigration to connect to the next flight ( LH 455) which leaves 4 hours later.

I am not famailar with SFO at all and all i know is there is a * hub area so presume i get of NZ and stay inthat part of the terminal??

Appreciate the advice .:)

I can't confirm it because it is not true - US airports are not set up for international transit and apart from pax flying on the NZ2/NZ1* services AKL-LAX-LHR vv all pax transitting the States have to clear all formalities and 'enter' even if they are only there for a couple of hours ( and , unless things have changed , don't believe the check-in staff at AKL if they tell you that you wont have to claim your bags at SFO - they can , and should , tag your bags through and give you a boarding pass for the LH flight as well as the NZ flight BUT you will have to claim your bags at SFO and then re-check them )



* I think that someone else also has/had this facility but cant remember who .

I can't confirm it because it is not true - US airports are not set up for international transit and apart from pax flying on the NZ2/NZ1* services AKL-LAX-LHR vv all pax transitting the States have to clear all formalities and 'enter' even if they are only there for a couple of hours ( and , unless things have changed , don't believe the check-in staff at AKL if they tell you that you wont have to claim your bags at SFO - they can , and should , tag your bags through and give you a boarding pass for the LH flight as well as the NZ flight BUT you will have to claim your bags at SFO and then re-check them )



* I think that someone else also has/had this facility but cant remember who .


thanks for that and what is the delay like at sfo for immigration ...... or not too bad??? thank you for the advice i really apprecaite that. i have m,y doubts abt the boarding card for the LH flight on recent flights i seem to always egt a operator who claims that this isnt possible when i know it is. Thats mostly cos i check in in wellington so i am thinking of just sending my back to akl and then check in at teh BP facil;ity they seem to knwo what to do???

what is the delay like at sfo for immigration ...... or not too bad???

Often NZ8 is the only flight in the immigration queue. There are a couple of other flights arriving within an hour either side, so delays or early arrivals might mean you arrive at the same time as one of them.

Another reason why SFO is much nicer than LAX.

I'm usually landside quicker arriving on NZ8 than NZ2/4/6 at LAX, but not always. There are several widebody flights arriving within a short period of time and a wait (for non-US) of an hour is not impossible.

kiwiandrew - NZ1/2 through pax still have to do immigration processing even if just staying in the holding pen. The difference is they do not need to do customs, claim bags, or go through main terminal security.

kiwiandrew - NZ1/2 through pax still have to do immigration processing even if just staying in the holding pen. The difference is they do not need to do customs, claim bags, or go through main terminal security.

Kiwi Flyer thanks for the info , I hadn't realised that .

Why not connect through Hong Kong or Singapore? No immigration/customs harassment, no holding pen, get off the plane, go straight to departures, get back on the plane. I'm sure there are tons of flights going to Europe from there.

[QUOTE=Kiwi Flyer;10540506]I'm usually landside quicker arriving on NZ8 than NZ2/4/6 at LAX, but not always. There are several widebody flights arriving within a short period of time and a wait (for non-US) of an hour is not impossible.

Thanks for that , so once through is there a tfr belt like lax and in yr opinion will i get my BP all the way to FRA from NZ? Or will i need to go t TFR desk and is that a drama at SFO? Your opinion of full check in in wlg vs akl wold be apreciated , i know some people swear by checking as far as akl and then doing at the business check in etc.

I never check bags so not entirely sure but I assume there is a bag drop just past customs. If not, it is not far to the check-in desks for LH.

I'm not sure why you'd want to check through only as far as AKL. You can still use the premium check-in lobby immigration (as *G pax on NZ flight) even with checking in somewhere else.

The immigration and customs experience is typically far, far better at SFO than at any of the LAX terminals.

Yes, there is a connecting baggage desk at SFO

http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/orphan/arr-dep/index.html

If Air NZ won't tag your bags all the way through and you need to take them to LH, then LH and all the other international departure check in counters are simply up one level (by escalator or elevator) after you exit customs.