JFK Immigration Queues
Nov 24, 2019, 9:11 am
#31
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Nov 24, 2019, 9:12 am
#32
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Fast track immigration like they have at LHR. I’m surprised they don’t have one already given how many business travelers JFK gets!
Nov 24, 2019, 9:23 am
#33
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Nov 24, 2019, 9:45 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
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I have a radical suggestion:
Reasonable and predictable processing times for all the passengers who are paying for immigration services via their passenger service charges, security charges, dubiously bovine "9/11 security" charges, and so on.
Average 15 min, max 30 min wait ought to be fine.
We are, after all, paying for this dire service we receive today!
Reasonable and predictable processing times for all the passengers who are paying for immigration services via their passenger service charges, security charges, dubiously bovine "9/11 security" charges, and so on.
Average 15 min, max 30 min wait ought to be fine.
We are, after all, paying for this dire service we receive today!
Nov 24, 2019, 10:11 am
#35
Join Date: Jul 2007
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I have avoided JFK because of past experiences of waiting for ages to clear immigration. However, this year with my love for AA growing with each flight taken, decided to fly LHR-JFK-BWI . JFK immigration and baggage reclaim was a breeze and the flagship lounge was great. I don't know if this is typical of T7 or is it T8 but flying into and out of the same JFK terminal on both occasions with AA got a thumbs up from me.
Nov 24, 2019, 11:07 am
#36
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The US does not offer FastTrack as a conscious choice.
The sole expedited service is GlobalEntry.
The back-and-forth here is that this thread really has nothing to do with BA, yet is posted in the BA forum. Numerous similar threads already elsewhere.
The sole expedited service is GlobalEntry.
The back-and-forth here is that this thread really has nothing to do with BA, yet is posted in the BA forum. Numerous similar threads already elsewhere.
Nov 24, 2019, 11:23 am
#37
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This is mostly though not entirely the case in the sense that BA is in charge of the terminal and the work taking place in it. The immigration situation is what it is because of the lack of space in the T7 arrivals hall which is notably insufficient to set up machines for ESTA passengers. Prioritising work to increase that space would undoubtedly be extremely expensive but it may not be impossible. As it happened ba has prioritised work in the departure area so far.
Nov 24, 2019, 12:05 pm
#38
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I would rather arrive in T7 than T8. All things being equal on the immigration side, so much faster on T7 arrivals.
Nov 24, 2019, 12:10 pm
#39
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Nov 24, 2019, 12:20 pm
#40
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It felt like I walked a mile on a recent CX arrival into T8. My last INTL arrival at T7, on IB, less than 5 minutes after deplanning, I was breathing fresh air (landside) - GE, no checked luggage for both and always. Airtrain -> subway -> 45 minutes later, I was in Manhattan.
Nov 24, 2019, 12:47 pm
#41
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The same thing we US passport holders do when entering a country where we are not eligible to use the e-gates. Plan accordingly.
Nov 24, 2019, 12:50 pm
#42
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The comment was made by the OP in answer to someone who suggested that Global Entry was the solution. It was merely highlighting that GE is not an option for everyone - just as, precisely, it would not be an option for US citizens to use domestic egates in countries where they are not eligible to do so.
Nov 24, 2019, 1:36 pm
#43
Join Date: Oct 2010
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At TSA in SFO you have an entry line for TSA Pre, one for Premium travelers and one for regular ones. But the Tensa lines for Premium and regular converged to the same sets of scanners. When I asked why the separate Tensa queues but no separate scanners I was told that the law states they have to threat everyone the same. Overheard something similar told to someone asking it to CBP.
Nov 24, 2019, 2:54 pm
#44
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,225
Indeed. But it won't help you if you're planning a NY shopping spree this Christmas because - ironically - applicants must expect a long wait between handing over their $100 and hearing the outcome. Conditional approval used to come within days, then weeks, now it's into months for the majority.
Nov 24, 2019, 3:03 pm
#45
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At TSA in SFO you have an entry line for TSA Pre, one for Premium travelers and one for regular ones. But the Tensa lines for Premium and regular converged to the same sets of scanners. When I asked why the separate Tensa queues but no separate scanners I was told that the law states they have to threat everyone the same. Overheard something similar told to someone asking it to CBP.
No idea if they do one from one queue then one from the other as all the times I've used it I've been the only one in the queue from flagship.