LAX international to domestic connect
Jun 27, 2007, 7:29 pm
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Melbourne Australia
Programs: QF WP, NZ G
Posts: 291
LAX international to domestic connect
LAX moved a few months ago to a legal minimum connect of 2 hours for International to Domestic inter-Terminal connections. Anything less and you run the risk of not being protected in the event of a missed flight.
My last few experiences through LAX would tend to agree with that 2 hour window. Taken close to or more than an hour to clear immigration/customs and with the lengthy waits most times in most terminals in LAX to clear security to get back into an airside area, I'd be hesitant to get a short connection.
The TSA site shows an average wait of 19 mins to clear security at T1 at LAX between 1100-1200 over the past month with a maximum time of 26 minutes recorded - must be all those Southwest pax that share T1 with US. You would only need to add a 15 minute delay to NZ getting to the gate onto one of those 20-25 minute waits to lose most of your buffer.
My last few experiences through LAX would tend to agree with that 2 hour window. Taken close to or more than an hour to clear immigration/customs and with the lengthy waits most times in most terminals in LAX to clear security to get back into an airside area, I'd be hesitant to get a short connection.
The TSA site shows an average wait of 19 mins to clear security at T1 at LAX between 1100-1200 over the past month with a maximum time of 26 minutes recorded - must be all those Southwest pax that share T1 with US. You would only need to add a 15 minute delay to NZ getting to the gate onto one of those 20-25 minute waits to lose most of your buffer.
I come in on a Saturday on NZ2, arriving 14:40, and connecting on AA domestic to RNO, departing 17:35.
Just under 3 hours to clear immigration, customs, and change terminals (T2 to T4). (Actually the flight is operated by Horizon Air, so I presume this will be T3). Timing OK?
Hopefully my bag can be tagged all the way through (so all I have to do is put it in the system just as I leave customs). Will NZ tag my bag through to RNO on AA?
Jun 27, 2007, 7:36 pm
#2
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Different airlines have different MCTs (and MCT can vary by airline connecting to, aircraft type etc). Are you all on one ticket or separate tickets? If separate tickets MCT is mostly irrelevant as up to goodwill of the airline if protected or not in the event of missing your onward flight.
NZ should be able to interline and thus check your bags through, provided you show onward ticket at NZ's check in. Whether they will or not is not certain (to me). I have previously been told of 3 hour minimum connection for NZ->any other airline at LAX. As your connection is (just) less than this, NZ may not be willing to tag the bags through since not wanting to take any responsibility if your bags don't make your onward flight. Then again, most check in agents do not seem to be that well clued up on rules at airports on the other side of the world so I'd try anyway.
Regardless of whether tagged or not, you will need to claim bags at LAX and take through customs. If they are through tagged you can then redeposit at rescreening station just beyond customs (on the right). If not then only deposit at check in for your onward flight. You'll need to check in there any way (NZ wont be able to issue boarding pass), so through tagging doesn't save much time in this particular case.
NZ should be able to interline and thus check your bags through, provided you show onward ticket at NZ's check in. Whether they will or not is not certain (to me). I have previously been told of 3 hour minimum connection for NZ->any other airline at LAX. As your connection is (just) less than this, NZ may not be willing to tag the bags through since not wanting to take any responsibility if your bags don't make your onward flight. Then again, most check in agents do not seem to be that well clued up on rules at airports on the other side of the world so I'd try anyway.
Regardless of whether tagged or not, you will need to claim bags at LAX and take through customs. If they are through tagged you can then redeposit at rescreening station just beyond customs (on the right). If not then only deposit at check in for your onward flight. You'll need to check in there any way (NZ wont be able to issue boarding pass), so through tagging doesn't save much time in this particular case.
Sep 25, 2007, 12:04 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NYC, BLR, LHR, SIN and a few others
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Posts: 1,245
In searching through the forums on minimum connection times at LAX, does the above (posted Nov 05) still hold?
I come in on a Saturday on NZ2, arriving 14:40, and connecting on AA domestic to RNO, departing 17:35.
Just under 3 hours to clear immigration, customs, and change terminals (T2 to T4). (Actually the flight is operated by Horizon Air, so I presume this will be T3). Timing OK?
Hopefully my bag can be tagged all the way through (so all I have to do is put it in the system just as I leave customs). Will NZ tag my bag through to RNO on AA?
I come in on a Saturday on NZ2, arriving 14:40, and connecting on AA domestic to RNO, departing 17:35.
Just under 3 hours to clear immigration, customs, and change terminals (T2 to T4). (Actually the flight is operated by Horizon Air, so I presume this will be T3). Timing OK?
Hopefully my bag can be tagged all the way through (so all I have to do is put it in the system just as I leave customs). Will NZ tag my bag through to RNO on AA?
How did you go with this?
I am flying NZ2 arriving @ 13:55, and connecting to UA international on to LHR departing @ 16:49, so again 2h54mins, just shy of 3 hours. Don't need to check bags as I am on a 2 day turn around, but may want to take some things back to the UK, as I may move there later in the year.
Any feedback on your experience would be great, or feedback from others.
tht
Sep 25, 2007, 12:09 am
#4
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2:54 is doable (and I'd expect to make it most times even with separate ticket = needing to check in with UA at LAX), but I've also missed connections NZ->UA at LAX over 3 hours (when already checked in for the UA flight and no checked bags). Depends on the NZ flight being on time and how long the immigration wait is.
Sep 25, 2007, 12:30 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NYC, BLR, LHR, SIN and a few others
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2:54 is doable (and I'd expect to make it most times even with separate ticket = needing to check in with UA at LAX), but I've also missed connections NZ->UA at LAX over 3 hours (when already checked in for the UA flight and no checked bags). Depends on the NZ flight being on time and how long the immigration wait is.
tht
Sep 25, 2007, 1:27 am
#6
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Melbourne Australia
Programs: QF WP, NZ G
Posts: 291
Two things made it a lot easier
(1) I changed to a later UA flight, so I arrived 14:40 and departed 18:30, so 4 hours. The flights were on time.
(2) This was a Saturday and LAX was fairly quiet at UA departures, though international arrivals was fairly busy.
So it was no problem, even though one of the baggage conveyors bringing up the bags stopped for about halff an hour so I was hanging around waiting for my bag.
I also had separate tickets, MEL-AKL, AKL-LAX, LAX-RNO so it was a hassle in MEL to get my bag checked through.
But you are connecting to UA international, which may make things a bit more difficult.
(1) I changed to a later UA flight, so I arrived 14:40 and departed 18:30, so 4 hours. The flights were on time.
(2) This was a Saturday and LAX was fairly quiet at UA departures, though international arrivals was fairly busy.
So it was no problem, even though one of the baggage conveyors bringing up the bags stopped for about halff an hour so I was hanging around waiting for my bag.
I also had separate tickets, MEL-AKL, AKL-LAX, LAX-RNO so it was a hassle in MEL to get my bag checked through.
But you are connecting to UA international, which may make things a bit more difficult.
Sep 28, 2007, 4:24 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: MAN
Programs: F
Posts: 2,898
Useful thread. Thanks. I was booked on LHR-LAX-SAN, with a 2h50 connect between NZ1 arriving and the last UA flight out of the day. Having read the above I decided I would enjoy things a lot more if not worrying about the connect so I have changed the itinerary and booked myself a room at an airport hotel overnight and will fly onto SAN first thing the next morning. Preferable to drearily trudging round LAX at 3-5AM body clock time.