Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

Consolidated GUM connection time and logistics

Old Apr 8, 2023, 3:56 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA

A.B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM)
Main Terminal, POB 8778, Tamuning, Guam 96931

Note: Check-in counters open 3 hours prior to departure time and close 60 minutes prior to departure time in Guam. (Exception: Check-in counter closes 90 minutes prior to departure in Guam to Honolulu)

New UA Club for GUM now open
Print Wikipost

Consolidated GUM connection time and logistics

Old Nov 27, 2014, 3:58 pm
  #121  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
Originally Posted by HkCaGu
Now I have some questions for those who had done HKG/MNL-GUM-HNL recently: (1) Do you go through two CBP checks, once off the plane, and again at Gate 8/9 before you board? (2) Is there any need to fill out the Guam customs form at all? (3) Do they still scan BP at the gate lounge entrance and have a 45-minute deadline to enter?
(1) One check entering Guam, where they collected the Guam customs/tourism form and gave my passport a cursory glance. A second check at Gate 9 before I boarded, which was much more thorough.

(2) No personal experience.
Miles Ahead is offline  
Old Nov 28, 2014, 12:39 am
  #122  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 202
Originally Posted by ama0314
Here's a random question about GUM. I didn't know that there was a UA lounge at GUM, do you get access to the lounge if you're flying first class? I'm asking because I've only been in a lounge once, in MNL and it was a UA flight but not a UA lounge (can't remember the name of it). We were given access because we were flying first. I have a trip coming up where I will fly first from MNL to GUM and then GUM to HNL, will I get access to the lounge in MNL as well as GUM? Or just MNL?

Forgive me for asking such a question, but I'm definitely a novice when it comes to stuff like this.

ETA to address the OP's question. GUM is easy peasy! You'll get off the plane, go through immigration, go back through security, then head to your next gate. When I went through in May, immigration just looked at my passport and sent me on, didn't even ask questions.

you forgot to mention you have to clear Guam customs
moyeung is offline  
Old Nov 28, 2014, 12:55 am
  #123  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 202
Originally Posted by HkCaGu
Actually Guam is within US cBP jurisdiction but not US Cbp jurisdiction. Guam never had its own immigration department as far as anyone can remember. The CNMI used to be autonomous in terms of immigration, while AS's immigration autonomy remains to this day.



The only US territories with a civilian government but not their own customs is PR. If you meant immigration, Guam and the CNMI (since 2009-11-28) are both under UScBP, except Guam is more relaxed for Asian tourists and CNMI still has a large foreign labor force that cannot go anywhere else in the US (except for GUM airside-only transit for Filipinos). So there is a check at SPN for GUM and at GUM for HNL, but in the other direction you'll never see USCBP.



Nowadays HKG-GUM is not dependent on GUM-HKG and is now using the SGN-HKG 73G/738 that has sat at HKG since ~10 am. This should help avoid incoming flight delays, but given the state of UA maintenance, can lead to another possibility.

If they decide to misconnect, there are two GUM-NRT to get you to the US mainland. The early flight may be useless during winter due to scheduling, but it's a B772 that is often far from filled up.

Now I have some questions for those who had done HKG/MNL-GUM-HNL recently: (1) Do you go through two CBP checks, once off the plane, and again at Gate 8/9 before you board? (2) Is there any need to fill out the Guam customs form at all? (3) Do they still scan BP at the gate lounge entrance and have a 45-minute deadline to enter?

45 minutes is barely enough for the UScBP to clear everyone onto GUM-HNL, so to my knowledge, if someone has a complicated entry to the US (new immigrant, new work visa), it can indeed be processed at HNL after the flight lands. There had been an extreme case of a petitioned child's visa expiring on the day before the 21st birthday, hence invalid for GUM entry, but valid for HNL.
the plane in question was having some maintenance work being done at HAECO while laying over in HKG, bad weather hit HKG and they couldn't tug the plane over from the hangar
btw 1) 2 CBP immigration checks are still done
2) you have to clear Guam customs on transit flights
3) 45 min more than enough time especially if you are a premier member
complicated immigration questions are handled when they come inbound to guam, outbound is to check for you admissibility to the mainland
moyeung is offline  
Old Nov 28, 2014, 1:16 am
  #124  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,896
Originally Posted by moyeung
2) you have to clear Guam customs on transit flights
Is that done on the UScBP floor? You're not going downstairs to "regular" arrival customs (after baggage claim), right?

Originally Posted by moyeung
3) 45 min more than enough time especially if you are a premier member complicated immigration questions are handled when they come inbound to guam, outbound is to check for you admissibility to the mainland
I was referring to the deadline for GUM-HNL preclearance. When I used to take CS 2, they'd start working and boarding the whole 764 load (now 772) some time after the BP-scan deadline (T-45). If you're not scanned at the entrance of the lounge, they offload your bags. That period of time is obviously not enough to process a new immigrant. That is probably done in HNL, hence the extra day of visa validity.
HkCaGu is offline  
Old Nov 28, 2014, 2:02 am
  #125  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 202
Originally Posted by HkCaGu
Is that done on the UScBP floor? You're not going downstairs to "regular" arrival customs (after baggage claim), right?

I was referring to the deadline for GUM-HNL preclearance. When I used to take CS 2, they'd start working and boarding the whole 764 load (now 772) some time after the BP-scan deadline (T-45). If you're not scanned at the entrance of the lounge, they offload your bags. That period of time is obviously not enough to process a new immigrant. That is probably done in HNL, hence the extra day of visa validity.
was just there on the 25 Nov, was hanging at the bar near gate 8 and went down to gate 9 at 0635, regular line had about 50 people, premier line was empty cleared preclearance in 5 min and boarding started about 10 min later
btw yeah, downstairs to Guam customs, the door to the left at USCBP where you used to go to TSA screening is now the precheck line so they closed it off, painless process as your transiting, this trip no questions except to make sure i was in transit, last trip in Oct only asked if i was bringing in more than $10000, but that was probably because i came in from MNL
moyeung is offline  
Old Nov 28, 2014, 8:08 am
  #126  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: united mileage plus
Posts: 145
just did this

I was reading this thread in the hnl lounge the other night after having transited GUM in the morning. I have one big tip for those traveling in e + or -. There is no meal service except for the boxes on sale. If you don't want a box of salt try to get something in the airport or pack your own snacks. Also, for some reason the entry area only showed arriving flight #'s and the immediate area after security and the security check did not have much signage (I saw none but was exhausted so there might have been one I missed). Had I not asked the customs person what gate to head for I would have been fumbling around. I guess it's always #9 for hnl. My flight from hkg arrived early but a problem with the jetway erased the time gain. Don't even ask about a cpu upgrade - n'exist pas. Lastly, if you're doing this as part of a mileage run try to give yourself time between flights for your body to revive - especially if you are traveling in economy. My legs looked like duck pins after this.
fdflys is offline  
Old Nov 28, 2014, 8:14 am
  #127  
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: united mileage plus
Posts: 145
I forgot this

There is no in flight entertainment (excepting the crew) on this flight but you can access the ua app (if you have it). An announcement as we boarded presented this as a positive thing - not so positive if you hadn't brought a tablet.
fdflys is offline  
Old Nov 29, 2014, 10:05 pm
  #128  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DC Suburbs
Programs: DL Gold, Hilton Gold, Carnival VIFP Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 459
Does GUM have a few good shops on the concourse where one can quickly purchase a new bottle of water, a new snack or two and maybe a quick souvenir in between flights? Would they be open around 6 or 7pm on a Saturday for that "hub pulse" of flights? I have a 95 minute connection which is longer than the tight ones mentioned here. And is the wi-fi in the terminal free? (Some websites report GUM has wi-fi).

Thanks!
aoumd is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 2:36 am
  #129  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: QF, SQ, GA
Posts: 159
Hi all,

I'm going to be flying TKK-GUM-CNS on the way home from a dive trip, however I arrive in GUM at 1755, and the flight to CNS departs at 1855. The booking allowed the connection, but it seems a little tight. Has anyone done this before? And how likely are they to hold the CNS flight if I get held up in transit? Never been to GUM before, and don't know busy it's likely to be?

Thanks in advance
TachOz is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 3:40 am
  #130  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,438
Originally Posted by TachOz
Hi all,

I'm going to be flying TKK-GUM-CNS on the way home from a dive trip, however I arrive in GUM at 1755, and the flight to CNS departs at 1855. The booking allowed the connection, but it seems a little tight. Has anyone done this before? And how likely are they to hold the CNS flight if I get held up in transit? Never been to GUM before, and don't know busy it's likely to be?

Thanks in advance
Yep, I had a 1 hour delay on the same flight, the connections will be held for you.
belfordrocks is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 5:03 am
  #131  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: QF, SQ, GA
Posts: 159
Originally Posted by belfordrocks
Yep, I had a 1 hour delay on the same flight, the connections will be held for you.
Thanks, good to know. Ordinarily it wouldn't bother me too much if I missed a connection and just got the next one out, but since the GUM-CNS flight only goes 2 days a week, if I miss it, I'm kind of screwed...
TachOz is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2015, 9:02 pm
  #132  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DC Suburbs
Programs: DL Gold, Hilton Gold, Carnival VIFP Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 459
Originally Posted by belfordrocks
Yep, I had a 1 hour delay on the same flight, the connections will be held for you.
Just curious, any frequent GUM transitees here know how late an incoming flight has to be before connections get missed?

I know it's probably somewhere between the 1 hour you mention here, and the 33 hours late I was when my Island Hopper in February went mechanical, delaying it 22 hours at MAJ and then another 10 hours on pilot rest at TKK before being reaccommed on UA189 TKK-GUM.

Thanks!
aoumd is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2015, 11:37 pm
  #133  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PMD
Programs: UA*G, NW, AA-G. WR-P, HH-G, IHG-S, ALL. TT-GE.
Posts: 2,896
Originally Posted by aoumd
Just curious, any frequent GUM transitees here know how late an incoming flight has to be before connections get missed?

I know it's probably somewhere between the 1 hour you mention here, and the 33 hours late I was when my Island Hopper in February went mechanical, delaying it 22 hours at MAJ and then another 10 hours on pilot rest at TKK before being reaccommed on UA189 TKK-GUM.

Thanks!
Probably have to do with whether further delays will be caused by holding a plane. E.g. evening GUM-MNL comes back MNL-GUM maybe 0430 and can be an hour late and still OK to connect to GUM-HNL. GUM-HKG used to turn back HKG-GUM but now go onward to SGN.
HkCaGu is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2015, 1:31 am
  #134  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,438
IIRC GUM-CNS turns back immediately for CNS-GUM which itself has tight connections to all the Japanese cities... so it is a precarious balance
belfordrocks is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2015, 7:39 pm
  #135  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
Originally Posted by HkCaGu
GUM-HKG used to turn back HKG-GUM but now go onward to SGN.
Yes. In fact, HKG-GUM uses the aircraft of SGN-HKG same day.
garykung is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.