US doesn't do transit. You'll have to do the full immigration thing, collect your luggage, clear customs, go landside, change terminals and then check your bags again.
But you still have to reclaim them for customs, don't you?
At least I had to - both ways - when I went through Miami to Panama earlier this year. And I asked just about everyone I could find to check it was really necessary.
There are no signs for connections. And everyone you stop and ask - be it airline or US border staff - tells you that you have to clear immigration fully even though you are clutching the onward BP.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by windowontheAside
But you still personally have to go landside and back to airside don't you? Or is there way to avoid immigration and just stay in transit airside?
That is unfortunately necessary. All US airports (that I can think of) effectively the same way in that respect, no such thing as international transit.
I wonder how ITI is pronounced? I Tee I? or Ittee? (That's a new one on me too, though I did know that Miami is unusual in the US, in that it allows baggage transit - due, I believe, to its unique role to the Carribbean nations).
"International arriving passengers must claim their luggage before clearing U.S. Customs. Some airlines check bags directly from international city of origin to international final destinations (ITI). Please contact your airline for more information about ITI bags."
