JDiver

Unfortunately, your issue is with AA as the operator of your first flight; they jumped on the new oneworld exception to interlining on separate PNRs. (MH never did; JL, CX and QR walked their adherence back, but this he,ps only if they operate the initial flight.)

JL doesn't adhere to the oneworld rubbish separate PNR "no through checking" business. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ne-2016-a.html.

JonNYC

Indeed, and, of course, it's not like any sleep will be lost on the airlines' side about this:
in terms of their insistence on this policy.

TWA884

This has nothing to do with the cost of your airfare or LAX.

You're arriving on an international flight. You must clear immigration and customs at the first airport where you land in the United States. Every arriving international passenger who connects to another flight must pass through TSA security screening after exiting the federal inspections area. The only way for you to avoid the TSA screening on your way home from Japan is to take a non-stop flight from Tokyo to Phoenix or to connect in a third country.

fanger

For the return, you've always had to recollect bags on your first arrival into US, as I'm sure you recall. So behind security connector is only useful if the TBIT security is faster than T4 or T5, which I've never found to be the case. Also they don't have precheck, AFAIK.

JDiver

In my experience, the TSA security checkpoint in the TBIT arm of the connector may not have PreCheck, but negligible lines make it considerably speedier than any other of the options relating to T-4 et al. Described further in the Wikipost and some posts.

yumiaz

I see...
Unfortunately, there is no direct flight between PHX to NRT or HND...
A few (or several) years ago, there was a talk of PHX - NRT direct flights movement... but it disappeared!!!

yumiaz

Well, I just hope that they will open up Checked Baggage Inspection System and
South Matrix Interline Baggage Transfer facility soon, so that (I'm assuming) we can use the T4-TBIT Connector and the South Terminal Tunnels (in my case TBIT - T5) without dragging the suitcases... as I'm due to travel from PHX - LAX - NRT around trip in this Sep then at the end of this year... XX

fanger

In any case, you have always been able to re-check your bags as you exit TBIT after passing through immigration and collecting your bags. Then you need only walk with your carry ons to whichever screening entry you prefer. As JDiver mentioned, there should be screening open next to the bag re-check. I've never used it myself but if you re-clear security there you should be able to walk to whatever gate in T4-5-6 that you desire (apart from the Eagle's Nest remote terminal).

Of course you will be able to check through your bags to their final destination on the outbound.

TWA884

To the best of my understanding, yumiaz is traveling from Japan to LAX on JAL and continuing to PHX on Delta on separate PNR's.

I believe that JL and DL do not interline bags and that only bags that are already tagged to their final destination can be re-checked at the exit from the federal inspection facility at TBIT.

yumiaz

Thank you all for helping me with this dilemma.

I just called AA customer services to ask them directly about LAX situation.

She told me that unless the whole itinerary is on the same reservation, not only they won't be able to interline bags, but unfortunately they stopped taking recheck-in bags at TBIT to domestic flights if the reservations are on separate PNR's (is that what you call? That's new word for me! lol)... AND they don't have any future plan to restart...

Oh BTW, TWA884, the cost goes up $439, as of now, if I reserve everything on one PNR... and That's a lot of difference for me! I'd rather give that money to my mom in Japan!

So, sadly this new supposedly awesome feature of connecting South Terminals at LAX is for the privileged people... seriously.

That's my reason for purchasing the tickets separately... And well, for this Sep's case, AA flight from LAX back to PHX was too long layover time (4.5 hrs), so I got DL which is 2 hrs sooner...

TWA884

Another option is to travel with carry-on luggage only. That way there is no need to leave the secured area to retrieve and recheck bags.

yumiaz

Well, of course, that's true and I understand, but I always have hard time reducing my stuff, and believe me I have cut down over the years... and usually I go to Japan in Winter when I need thicker clothing.

This Sep is exception as we are attending to one of my nephew's wedding.

But thank you for the reminder.

fanger

Well don't stress about it. It's an easy walk, especially on the lower (arrivals) level. No more than 10 minutes with no streets to cross.

ashill

PNR = "Passenger name record", aka "record locator" or just "reservation".

I feel your pain; AA's refusal to interline bags to oneworld partners on separate tickets is an absurd policy, albeit increasingly the industry norm. It is also absurd that joint venture partners like AA and JL aren't willing to sell you a fare on one ticket that costs no more than the some of a one way on AA followed by a one way on JL. Given the fares, I'd book the tickets the same way you did.

However, stupid airline ticketing policies have absolutely nothing to do with whether building the connector is useful for common folk. Resorting to hyperbole by saying the connection "is for the privileged people" doesn't help you, in my personal opinion. Though your situation (in which a connecting itinerary is far more expensive than separate nonstop tickets) is certainly not unheard of, it's not the norm. For most connecting itineraries, it is cheaper or comparably-priced to purchase one ticket.

Not too long ago, buying an interline ticket with the better-timed DL flight would have been no problem. With today's mega-mergers, that's no longer the case, unfortunately.

Fanjet

Every person coming off of a flight from TYO into LAX will have to exit security (and go through C&I) regardless of whether or not they have checked luggage.