JFK t7 arrivals - what can be done?
Sep 10, 2015, 9:39 am
#46
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BA Gold & HH Silver
Posts: 1,465
Don't bank on it, you'll be tagging onto the back of the 179 (Should be mostly cleared!), 181 and 2 CX Arrivals. Enjoy the slope!
Sep 10, 2015, 12:02 pm
#47
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, AA EXP
Posts: 1,140
Doesn't sound good but thanks for the warning, I'm familiar enough with the slope after last time! I probably need to think about the best way to ensure I'm not too far down the queue as I'll be UD on the B747 this time so will more than likely be in a bit more of a scrum exit compared to coming off from F.
Sep 10, 2015, 3:02 pm
#50
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, Gold for life
Posts: 127
Is there a view on which BA flights are the best for the chance for a low queue at immigration? Was on the 177 on Monday and caught at the tail end of a JAL flight but 40 mins was bearable despite being about 5th off the plane. Just wondered if there were favoured flights as I usually have a fair bit of flexibility on my JFK arrival (although I won't come in on one of the very late flights).
Also how does special services select passengers? I was in club but am GGL and they clearly focussed first on certain passengers in first, and then trawled the queues for other people who were clearly not in first but I was not on the list ( not that it would have speeded me up much by the time they trawled the queue) but did make me wonder on the criteria or whether I just had been missed!
Also how does special services select passengers? I was in club but am GGL and they clearly focussed first on certain passengers in first, and then trawled the queues for other people who were clearly not in first but I was not on the list ( not that it would have speeded me up much by the time they trawled the queue) but did make me wonder on the criteria or whether I just had been missed!
Sep 11, 2015, 6:26 am
#51
Join Date: May 2013
Location: MAD
Programs: IB+, BAEC
Posts: 3,106
Landed last night at 1845 on an IB Flight but there wasn't a gate available for the 346 until 1930. In the meantime BA113 had arrived and so the visitor line was already up the ramnp. The US citizen line was completely empty, though. I was through in 5 minutes (US passport). Would have easily made my connection had it not been cancelled. (Currently posting from BOS still trying to make it to DCA)
Sep 26, 2015, 9:47 am
#52
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold
Posts: 6,913
After yet another wonderful return flight with BA on JFK-LHR with a passionate crew and exceptional service on both outbound and inbound I had a terrible experience at JFK immigration. I arrived on BA181 10 minutes prior to schedule. We were not allowed to leave the aircraft though because the immigration hall was packed and we had to sit on the plane for almost 30 minutes. This was followed by queuing in the immigration hall for another 90 minutes and I was even one of the first to deplane. Really disappointing, particularly after such a great in-flight experience.
Sep 26, 2015, 9:53 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
After yet another wonderful return flight with BA on JFK-LHR with a passionate crew and exceptional service on both outbound and inbound I had a terrible experience at JFK immigration. I arrived on BA181 10 minutes prior to schedule. We were not allowed to leave the aircraft though because the immigration hall was packed and we had to sit on the plane for almost 30 minutes. This was followed by queuing in the immigration hall for another 90 minutes and I was even one of the first to deplane. Really disappointing, particularly after such a great in-flight experience.
If you dare
Over in T8, as I say, they have a few of those Automatic Passport Control Machines set up, they make entry a breeze. Nothing like the system they have arranged at MIA (what a transformation), but even a few machines relieves the pressure for everyone. I don't see why they couldn't be installed in T7.
Nov 9, 2015, 2:56 pm
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,540
BA 3 arrival. Absolute hell. I have never experienced anything that bad. Over 2 hours, queues stretching well above the top of the slope with a whole CX flight in front of us. Shyly asked if there was still a special escort for CWLCY but flatly refused ("we can't do it any more because First class passengers complained"). Absolute shambles the whole time too with people cutting the queue pretending to go to the bathroom to then reenter the queue half way etc. I'm still not sure what it is about the layout which supposedly makes it impossible to install the automated machines and have a feeling that this might have more to do with foreign airlines terminals not being a priority.
Nov 9, 2015, 4:09 pm
#56
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London, Sth Africa or LAS
Programs: VS Silver, BA Blue - finally; but hotels.com Gold :)
Posts: 1,858
. Plan B tends to be AA ex-T3, which is not ideal but generally okay clearing in T8.I've given up on BA3 now with no guarantee, BA1 is less useful to me timings wise than a JFK or PHL ex-DUB when transferring onward.
I much prefer T7 and BA for the Eastbounds though
Nov 9, 2015, 4:12 pm
#57
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BA Gold & HH Silver
Posts: 1,465
I have to say I was impressed with how things were done a few weeks ago in comparison to August. Came in on the 113 on 17/10, landing same time as the IB from MAD... As you can imagine... Carnage! However, to their Credit the CBP agents got the US Citizens queue processed as fast as possible and proactively approached the BA Staff Members to filter the Non-US queue to the now empty US Citizens Booths.