Originally Posted by
fanger
Are any US international terminals set up so that you can't just up and leave the terminal on a whim? We don't have exit control like most other countries.
LAX is my home airport, and I am getting confused reading the past two pages of this thread.
Let me state what I believe to be the case:
If you arrive in TBIT from an
international flight, and you were not pre-cleared by CBP at the origin, then you will be segregated from the rest of the terminal and directed to the CBP area for immigration and customs clearance. You will exit to the "landside" part of the airport, and will need to re-clear TSA security to enter "airside", where the lounges are located. You will need a departing flight boarding pass to re-clear TSA security, or a special pass issued by the lounge for reasons of a business meeting in the lounge.
If you arrive from a
pre-cleared international flight or from any domestic flight, then you go into the main terminal where the lounges are located, mixing with departing passengers. If eligible, you can visit a lounge there or just leave the secured area and go landside, collect any checked baggage and leave the airport. If your connecting flight is in T4, then you need to walk over to T4 (very short walk), go through T4 TSA security and visit the Admirals Club in T4.
Incidentally, is there PreCheck available at TBIT? I left on an early flight last month (~8:30) and security was a mess- 45-50 min with only two lines working, no premium line open. Is it always this bad?
No Pre-Check in TBIT. Last month I was on a domestic flight (LAX-MCO) that departed from TBIT. I had to stand in the long line with everyone else, but thanks to my Pre-Check status, I was allowed to keep my shoes on and go through the metal detector. I asked a TSA employee about no Pre-Check in TBIT. She told me most flights from TBIT are foreign carriers that do not participate in the Pre-Check program. My domestic AA flight was an exception.