AF 001

Hi,

did anyone have experience if the US-Customs denie entrace to US in JFK when just stay for 3 hours?
Explanation: I want book a flight from FRA-JFK-FRA form Friday-Sunday
In the same way I book a flight JFK-FRA-JFK from Friday -Sunday.
My connection time in JFK will be 3.5 hirs, to catch my return first segment flight back to FRA on Friday.

Is that enought time, and did the customers allow me that to entrance the US (I think I must pass emigration because I arrive witch OK and leave with AF)?

The same will happen on Sunday when I arrive from FRA and take the return to FRA (both by Delta)!

By the way, total cost aprx. 700.00 € for around 16. Miles!
I can submit the Routing is anyone intersted

Thank you for your help

pepsii

I am sure you will have to clear immigration/customs before turning around - no matter what airline it is. Could you ,please, share the routing ?

fluegelwesen

yes - you have to clear immigration/customs.

at immigration the officer might ask you some more detailed questions then usually, if asked tell him the truth and nothing else. have all paperwork of your trips and itns ready and explain him why you are only in town for 3 hrs.

if the first officer likes you and the way of your travel, you are ok. if the officer finds this a bit crazy, you might end up in their immigration office and have to explain your trip to the supervisor. again, tell him the truth and nothing else. immigration can take abit longer but you should not have any problems.

the last time I had an international turnaround in the US I went through this procedure as described. the last question of the supervisor was if he can do this trip for himself, too. I told him where to book it. he was happy.

and yes, please share your routing!

djohannw

As to the routing, how about doing DUS-ATL-MIA which is on sale at Expedia.de for 342€ on certain dates (all included). Add a MIA-MCO-CVG-FRA return nested into that (also on Delta) for $468 all included (e.g. booked on Orbitz), and you are slightly above 700€ for about 21K Elite-Miles (on Flying Blue), about 3,3ct for each. A Platinum gets ~42K RDMs out of that, or about 1,67ct for each.

Greetings - Dirk

SEA-Flyer

I flew NRT-JFK-LHR-FRA-FCO last year with a 2.5 hour layover in JFK. I had to clear customs, but it wasn't a big deal. They didn't seem overly concerned about my itinerary / routing.

Kiwi Flyer

A group of FTers had 4 hour turnaround at EWR for the double inaugural world's longest flight SIN-EWR without an issue.

aaflyer81

As a word of caution, if questioned by an ICE official about your peculiar routing answer truthfully. Most of them laugh about "mileage runs" and are familiar with the term.

AF 001

Hi all, and thanks for the answers (and sorry for my late reply)!
Here the informations to my booked flights, at the moment they are still open, exept FRA-JFK on the 27th, T-is closed since yesterday:

First flight:

12:45pm FRA 3:30pm JFK Nonstop 8 hr 45 min Delta 107
Boeing 767-300ERCoach (T)

7:25pm JFK 9:30am FRA

Arrives 28 Nov Nonstop 8 hr 5 min Delta 106
Boeing 767-300ERCoach (T)


Second flight:

7:15am STR 3:30pm JFK Multi-stop
Paris-De Gaulle
(1 hr 10 min layover)
Frankfurt
(1 hr 35 min layover) 14 hr 15 min Delta 8491
Airbus A320
operated by Air FranceCoach (T)

Delta 8404
Airbus A320
operated by Air FranceCoach (T)

Delta 107
Boeing 767-300ERCoach (T)

Subtotal 720.00 €

Therefore I get 16700 QF-Miles, with Plat Bonus 33400 Miles, can hold my Platinum Status and can spend the weekend with my girl :-) (and I save the train-ticket Frankfurt-Stuttgart-Frankfurt, because I work in FRA under the week and live in STR )

One question, did anyone have an idea, what I should fill in the immigration form in the "wherde did you stay in the US-field", because I stay just three hours in JFK, and I don´t want get in trouble with the US.Immigration!

Thanks, AF 001

fti

For "where are you staying" I would write "transit".

Asienflieger did three back-to-back round trips last month between Toronto and Europe. As a German citizen, his third time into YYZ in five or six days he was questioned heavily by the Canadian immigration authorities. He told the truth and they let him into the country (only to turn around less than 24 hours later and head back to Europe).

When I was on my mileage run to LCA and returned to the US three days later, I said to the immigration officer that I was out of the country to earn enough miles to reach the next status with the airline, thus my reason for visiting three countries in three days. He seemed to nod as if to say, "I have heard about you guys" and waived me through.

The key is to tell the truth.

AF 001

Thank you, I will share my experience(s) after the flights :-)

COpltASgldPHX

I did a mileage run last year with a turn (2.5 hours) in YVR. Had to speak to 3 immigration and 1 customs official which burned nearly 2 of those hours. When I explained to all 3 Canadian immigration officials my reason for the trip they looked at me as if it was the first time they had ever heard of this. I guess it all depends on where you go and who you speak to but I did find it hard to believe that 3 immigration officers working at an airport would be unfamiliar with mileage runs.

AF 001

A little afraid what the day (specially the immigration) will bring to me, I started this MR in Frankfurt on the 23rd noon time. Check in of Delta in Frankfurt very unfriendly (maybe I disturb them by talking). Maybe 70 Pax on the flight, get 2nd row in Eco, was happy, Seat next to me was empty, but the last two passengers was two mothers with her (crying) children (aprx. 1,5 years old). They put one next to me on the window (with her children), what I did not understand when they have an empty plane, why they haven given her an seat who the next seat for the children was available? Anyway asked flight attendand and moved to emergency exit row :-), which was also not bad.

Immigration in NYC was hurrible, 5 flights from Delta arrived exactly at the same time, it takes one hour in the lane. The agent comes out to the lane and sad "after this guy I have a break, please use t he next lane", that makes me hoping that he don´t want ask me to much....!
I put in the arrival form "Transfer" in the adress field, he just aksed, where are you going, I told him "to Parsi tonight", he stamped my passport and wished me a good flight! At the customs they put me out of the line (routine check), but the officer got a problem with his computer, when he put my pasport number, there was an arabic! name showing up. So he called his Supervisor and asked what to do, and the Supervisor told him to check with the immigration officer (which was in the break). So I informed him about that, and he said to me "oh, good to know" and sent a colleague to search for him. He asked me if I have a connecting flight, I sais "yes" and he told me, I should not be nervous, it take just 10 minutes, it looks like an system error, theyve got an warning this day and they have to check any irregularies, He aksed me what I am doing in the US, I explained him the MR, we was looking to me an begins to smile and asked if I´ve flown in first. I sad" no, in Economy" and he was laughing, and could bnot understand, how can people just fly for fun. Minutes later his colleague cames back with my passport, and told me, everything is ok now. They explianed me the way to terminal one and wished me a good flight!

In T 1 I enjoyed the AF Lounge, which gets really a great improvent since I stayed there last time, now have removed teh first clas section and you can use both levels, they serving good food (french cheese, bread, sandwichs, torteletts and champagne), so you can sleep the whole flight and have not to wait for dinner. I was informed, that I was number three on the upgrade list, unfortunately 5 seats in economy was left, to bad, because the flight was that overbooked in economy before, that they changed from a Boing 777 to a Boing 747..for this flight!

In Paris I enjoyed my first shower after nearly 24 hours in the arrival lounge in CDG and was happy to arrive on tim ein Stuttgart.

The second run on the 27th was a little bit more complicated, AF in Stuttgart was not able to check trough, Delta blocked the flight from FRA to JFK, so they just checked my luggage trough JFK, the Check in girl was wondering about the Routing STR-CDG-FRA-JFK, and she was wondering more after she get my answer about the reason of my trip :-)! But anyway, she checked me in, after we solved the problem about my "staying adress in the USA".
In Paris, my connecting have had an delay from more than one hour, I was not sure to get my connecting in FRA, and I was asking an AF-Agent, if it makes sence to reebok me on a flight direct from CDG, but she told me, that she could do nothing (typicall AF-Asnwer) somebody in Frankfurt will me when I miss my connection. I was explaining to her, that I have a connection in JFK, but it does interest her!

In Frankfurt, we arrived 40 bevore the departure to JFK, I was try running to the DL gate, but Securyty denied accsess to the gate without boarding Pass. So I was running to the Delta Counter, they informed me again very unfrindly to go straight to the gate, I will get my boarding pass there. Behind me was other passengers, which also was refused at the security, so after we complained they printed an "delay pass" with our ilternarys for each passengers, which allowed us, to go to the gate.
I was seated in first row in coch, but the seat next to me was an "double sized passenger", not very comfortable, but the flight was nearly full!
Immigration in JFK very easy, just asked me "where are you going?", I sad "Frankfurt tonight", he answered "welome in the USA"...!

Check in in JFK at Delta was horrible: I was thinking that I am in a third world country, and not in an airport in a western country. Old, smelling and very chaotic system. I was asking for the Medallion check in (with AF-Plat), I was informed, that this counters does not exist anymore, but I may check in at the Business Countzers in Terminal 2. So I moved, but in Terminal two I was refused to check in (only for Business Passengers), so I moved back to terminal 3. Interesting way how Delta treat Elite Plus Members!
A nice Lady checked me in at the Self Check in Area, but I have to stand in the line for check my luggage, and later aprx. 45 minutes for security.
On the first Delta Lounge I was refused with my Platinum Card, but on the second one I was greeted by a warm welcome, got a shower :-) and soemthing to eat.
I get two seats eachother in a brandnew Boing (all other Delat Aircrafts was very old) and cold so sleep the whole flight to Frankfurt.
Standing 1 hour on Taxi in JFK about traffic and got an delay of 40 minutes in FRA

I think Delta has very unfriendly staff in Frankfurt and very old aircrafts , the Lounge & Check in roules for Skyteam Elite Plus Members are more then worse (except you fly business), the only good thing was the friendliness of the flight attendands on all Delta flights!

I think I will prefer AF for my future flights, for sure more expensive, but a AF have a modern product and a better service for premium FF in all.

Thanks to all of you who gave me the information to make this trip possible.
I got my miles already and saved my Platinum Staus, but will try to travel a little bit more next year, so that I don´t need such trip on the end of 2007 (it was a little straining...) :-)

OH-LGG

What do Guys think, is 2 hrs turnaround possible in JFK (T8)?

Tomorrow AY starts to sell Z-class (economy) tickets HEL-JFK-HEL for 299€.

Finnair's schedule is HEL-JFK 2:20pm-3:55pm and return JFK-HEL 5:55pm-8:50am.

Can You make it in 2 hrs thru the immigration and get back to departure gate?

id9795

2 hours is too short a time to take the risk. Especially if multiple flights land at the same time and there is a long line at immigration!