Originally Posted by
DFB_london
You can start as many threads every time. But what you encountered is just JFK.
Without GE it can be 10 minutes or much longer like you experienced. That’s just the way it is. Frustrating yes. Random- yes. But hasn’t changed for years. And for the record- my longest wait ever (pre GE) was at Terminal 8, so perhaps you’ll be posting after your next trip on the AA forum?
Terminal 8 is better than Terminal 7 right now for a few reasons.
The BA terminal (T7) suffers from peaks and troughs of arriving passengers who are all getting off large wide-bodied aircraft. These surges of passengers are difficult to manage for CBP.
Terminal 8 is quieter now than before - AA has cutback some flights - but it’s international arrivals are more varied, 737s and 777s etc.
I guess it depends on the time of the year but I’d wager that T8 has a higher proportion of US citizens arriving who can be processed quicker.