Originally Posted by
RobOnLI
The fact that DL16/17 continues to/from ATL has nothing to do with the procedure I listed in post #2 about what will happen when the OP arrives in LAX. The procedure is exactly the same whether you are connecting to the same DL16 to ATL or not. You still must clear immigration and customs, re-check your bag, leave the terminal and go back upstairs to the departures area where you will re-clear security. That's how it's done at T5 at LAX.
Maybe there are plans to change that in the future. But for now I guess it's a better plan than having DL16 arrive at the Intl Terminal and then you have to walk from there to T5 to catch your onward domestic connection.
-RM
That's not just how it's done on Delta or at LAX. That's how it's done in the U.S. I'm not aware of any airport where you would NOT go through Immigration and Customs (obviously have to get your checked bags to go through Customs) at your U.S. port of entry when arriving on an international flight and continuing on to another destination. If your bags are checked through to your final destination and you have the boarding pass for your second flight, you hand your bags tgo a transit desk just after Customs and walk to your gate. In some airports you may not have to leave the terminal, but even in Atlanta, where we did not leave the airport terminal we had to go through security before boarding the next flight. Also had to go through security again at O'Hare (new terminal). If there's a place where you can land in the U.S., but not go through Immigration and Customs until your next destiantion (maybe if no one can board that flight at that point, since they would be domestic passengers?), I'd be interested to hear about it. And a change of aircraft with no flight number change can happen with any airline, especially when a domestic flight feeds to, or from, an international flight (with the international flight often on a larger aircraft). I've seen it on more than one airline.
If you find your connection looks tight, contact airline personnel at the customer service desk and/or transit desk, not on the airplne, and let them know you have a tight connection. You could plead with folks at the Immigration line as well, but I've not tried that. And if you do happen to miss your connection, as long as you have a thru-itinerary, you should be put on the next flight with available seats in your fare class (not always the very next flight) at no extra charge. Oh, last thing: if you bought any liquids/cremes, etc. in Duty Free and have them with you, put them in your checked luggage before handing them off at the transit desk. If you forget, and still have them in your carry-on bags, they could be confiscated at security.