JehanMary

Any frequent travellers on the LHR-JFK who have an update on the current situation at JFK and the immigration wait times?
Unlike most of you I don't have priority so I'll be at the back of the line.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...-lineup-at-us-
immigration-8620762.html

I'm on BA 115 on Thursday with a sched arrival time of 5.20 pm.

I know its is subject to change for any type of matter. Just curious what your recent experiences are.
Tried to search for arrivals on terminal 7 to see roughly what drops down at the same time. I'm not sure I'm getting it all right but htere seems to be a daily Iberia around 5pm and a Qantas from LAX, however coming from LAX they should not have anyone on board who hasn't already cleared immigration, right?

Can anyone please help?

corporate-wage-slave

There is a tool for interrogating CBP's performance in this area (it doesn't include Customs, though that's less painful at T7 than Immigration).

http://awt.cbp.gov/

You're looking for the "British" terminal.

In broad terms mostly it's 20 to 40 minutes of waiting time for Immigration. The 2 hour wait times seem to happen when there are a series of flights delayed late into the night when the number of booths operating falls to below 8 agents, a situation you should hopefully avoid.

In round terms, you should think it will take an hour for aircraft doors open to getting out of the T7 building, with checked luggage, and if it's quicker then that's a bonus. As HBO with Global Entry it's rarely more than 15 minutes for me, which shows the difference GE can make.

Petrus

CWS sums it pretty well. Evenings after 8pm are notorious as there are many flights arriving within a tight span, and it is not seldom that you catch the tail of one or two flights in immigration. 1,5 hours a few times for me

However, in my experience the average is probably 30 minutes of queuing before seeing an agent. I've also found that if you are in F with Gold and the place is busy, Special Services tend to lurk around and call your name to the front of the queue.

BerksFlyer

It's a piece of string.

A couple of weeks ago I was 1h30m in the line for immigration arriving off BA177. Apparently there were a few delayed flights in front which caused a problem. My previous experience of arriving at JFK with BA was approximately 5 minutes in the line. I have had a similar variance at ORD and there are reports of huge variances elsewhere.

I tend to plan worst case scenario and assume up to 2 hours. Anything under an hour and I am content. If you assume you'll be through in under 30 mins you're setting yourself up for disappointment IMO!

JehanMary

Thanks!

I've learned to expect the unecpected when it comes to wait times at immigration.
Had a few nightmares stuck behind an Air India load.
It took forever.

Was just curious if anyon had first hands expericence lately.

windowontheAside

The link posted above will give you all the data which is will be more representative than a few anecdotes.

But then anything can happen on the day - good or bad. Hope your trip is one of the good ones.

crowe

2 hours off ba173 on Saturday, and we were first off . Only 5 agents working...

T8191

Whilst agreeing that the AWT link is a guide, I have to say that the figures they cite are at marked variance with my experience of "Booths open" at IAD.

Oaxaca

Is there any word on if/when APC kiosks will come to T7 for those without GE?

lorcancoyle

That's been scrunched into a knotted ball and placed inside a padlocked box with a vial of poison.

137677

90 Minutes last night ( off BA's last flight of the day) - we were first off but then just joined the end of a very long queue of passengers off the Cathy flight from Hong Kong.

South London Bon Viveur

As alluded to above, it's all about expectation management. If I fly to JFK I brace myself for sheer hell and generally I find that it isn't actually that bad. I need to start doing the same with Heathrow

redpalmetto

Was through in 15 minutes off BA177 on Sunday May 31 about 2pm

JehanMary

Great news!

Forecast shows som heavy rain in the area the upcoming weekend, hope it wont affect traffic too much

Tobias-UK

I flew in to JFK that night from LHR on the BA181 it took 1 hour 45 to clear immigration from joining the queue! The poor couple in front of me was on the earlier BA179 and those poor souls had been in line for 50 minutes before we arrived so for them their wait time was 2 hours 35 minutes.