Originally Posted by
BernardBlack
I'll be arriving on DL0040 from SYD (or possibly a late change to one of the VA flights from SYD/MEL) on a Thursday morning (Sep 14) ~08:00. This will be in business/Delta One, on an award.
I have a separate cash fare onward to DEN in first. This departs much later (~15:45) to allow for inbound delays and a much cheaper fare than the ~12:30 flight. I may well want to try a same-day confirmed change to get something with a shorter layover once I have more confidence in inbound arrival time.
So, questions:
1. Does DL0040 do CBP processing at T2 rather than TBIT?
2. I assume VA in MEL (my origin port) *can* check through my bag all the way to DEN given the partnership with DL?
3. If I want to have SDC as an option, am I better off *not* checking my bag beyond LAX, and then asking at/before checkin at LAX for the changes? Or can it be done even after my bags are tagged (and possibly out of my hands)?
4. Can an agent at the airport (checkin, transfer/recheck) do the SDC or do I need to call the reservations line?
5. Does the answer to Q3 change if I end up on one of the VA transPac flights?
6. Assuming I have to clear security again after CBP, whether arrival is TBIT or T2, and that T2/T3 are connected airside by bus for DL pax, what's the quickest/easiest terminal to reclear security?
In US you must collect bags and bring through customs regardless of if tagged onward or not. Thus it's pointless to have them tag it all the way to DEN, unless you're only in coach to DEN and have to pay for bags. If thats the case get them to tag it all the way to DEN to avoid paying for bags ay LAX.
As for SDC, since it's a separate wholly domestic ticket, baggage isn't an issue. You can SDC online, via phone, or twitter 24 hours prior to booked flight. However if you want bags to arrive with you, it's better to do SDC before rechecking bags. This will cause system to see new flight numbers and reroute to your new flight. If you drop bags and then SDC, your bags may arrive on the original flight. In this case you'll need to return to airport to pickup. DL won't pay to deliver since you SDCd after rechecking bags.
All recent SYD flights arrived at T2.
You always reclear security after international flight. Since you're flying to DEN, you'll exit international artivals in T2, go up level to departures and recheck bags at T3. You can't check bags for DEN flights at T2, even if flight departs from T2. I find T3 security usually less hetic than T2. However to then get to T2 requires a bus, which can eat up 20 minutes of time. Also T3 sucks. Very few establishments and quite frankly reminds me of a 50 year old Greyhound bus station.