Last BA flight to NYC
Jan 13, 2020, 8:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Last BA flight to NYC
I swore I would stop flying BA to NYC last year and then in a moment of new year madness and probably too much booze I booked another. Lesson learned after 3 hours in immigration. Very last time, either use AA or go via Philly or Charlotte. BAs biggest revenue route and it goes into the worst customer experience.
Jan 13, 2020, 10:21 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,194
You aren’t the first and won’t be the last to complain about T7 immigration.
it got a good airing a couple of weeks ago as well.
as the terminal operator BA have raised this numerous times with the CBP but it’s down to CBP to staff it at the level they and not BA want or need them to.
things should improve in 2022!
it got a good airing a couple of weeks ago as well.
as the terminal operator BA have raised this numerous times with the CBP but it’s down to CBP to staff it at the level they and not BA want or need them to.
things should improve in 2022!
Jan 14, 2020, 12:10 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,225
I swore I would stop flying BA to NYC last year and then in a moment of new year madness and probably too much booze I booked another. Lesson learned after 3 hours in immigration. Very last time, either use AA or go via Philly or Charlotte. BAs biggest revenue route and it goes into the worst customer experience.
Jan 14, 2020, 12:18 am
#4
Join Date: May 2000
Location: HFA
Posts: 1,712
I swore I would stop flying BA to NYC last year and then in a moment of new year madness and probably too much booze I booked another. Lesson learned after 3 hours in immigration. Very last time, either use AA or go via Philly or Charlotte. BAs biggest revenue route and it goes into the worst customer experience.
Shuly
Jan 14, 2020, 12:44 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,354
I started a similar thread in November after an excessive wait at immigration. Prior to that I’d only ever flown AA (well I’d also flown DL & EI but in terms of the joint venture) and always breezes through immigration when landing at T8. As a result, I’m back on AA metal for my NYC flights this year
Jan 14, 2020, 1:15 am
#6
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I started a similar thread in November after an excessive wait at immigration. Prior to that I’d only ever flown AA (well I’d also flown DL & EI but in terms of the joint venture) and always breezes through immigration when landing at T8. As a result, I’m back on AA metal for my NYC flights this year
Without GE it can be 10 minutes or much longer like you experienced. That’s just the way it is. Frustrating yes. Random- yes. But hasn’t changed for years. And for the record- my longest wait ever (pre GE) was at Terminal 8, so perhaps you’ll be posting after your next trip on the AA forum?
Jan 14, 2020, 1:47 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 698
You can start as many threads every time. But what you encountered is just JFK.
Without GE it can be 10 minutes or much longer like you experienced. That’s just the way it is. Frustrating yes. Random- yes. But hasn’t changed for years. And for the record- my longest wait ever (pre GE) was at Terminal 8, so perhaps you’ll be posting after your next trip on the AA forum?
Without GE it can be 10 minutes or much longer like you experienced. That’s just the way it is. Frustrating yes. Random- yes. But hasn’t changed for years. And for the record- my longest wait ever (pre GE) was at Terminal 8, so perhaps you’ll be posting after your next trip on the AA forum?
The BA terminal (T7) suffers from peaks and troughs of arriving passengers who are all getting off large wide-bodied aircraft. These surges of passengers are difficult to manage for CBP.
Terminal 8 is quieter now than before - AA has cutback some flights - but it’s international arrivals are more varied, 737s and 777s etc.
I guess it depends on the time of the year but I’d wager that T8 has a higher proportion of US citizens arriving who can be processed quicker.
Jan 14, 2020, 2:45 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Star Alliance Silver
Posts: 232
It's not that hard for CBP to manage? It's hardly a surprise the planes are arriving at that point in time with that passenger numbers is it? They dont just land out of the blue.
The UK is just as bad - quite why they let US, Australia etc. nationals use the EU lanes LHR I do not know - make them wait.
In fact, I would make every US citizen wait at least 30 mins by default as a "punishment" for the JFK experience.
The UK is just as bad - quite why they let US, Australia etc. nationals use the EU lanes LHR I do not know - make them wait.
In fact, I would make every US citizen wait at least 30 mins by default as a "punishment" for the JFK experience.
Jan 14, 2020, 2:51 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
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Posts: 4,489
It's not that hard for CBP to manage? It's hardly a surprise the planes are arriving at that point in time with that passenger numbers is it? They dont just land out of the blue.
The UK is just as bad - quite why they let US, Australia etc. nationals use the EU lanes LHR I do not know - make them wait.
In fact, I would make every US citizen wait at least 30 mins by default as a "punishment" for the JFK experience.
The UK is just as bad - quite why they let US, Australia etc. nationals use the EU lanes LHR I do not know - make them wait.
In fact, I would make every US citizen wait at least 30 mins by default as a "punishment" for the JFK experience.
On the west coast I found SFO much worse than LAX, so I may just fly to LAX and clear immigration there next time I go to California.
Jan 14, 2020, 2:54 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: London / Brighton
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Posts: 1,634
I swore I would stop flying BA to NYC last year and then in a moment of new year madness and probably too much booze I booked another. Lesson learned after 3 hours in immigration. Very last time, either use AA or go via Philly or Charlotte. BAs biggest revenue route and it goes into the worst customer experience.
If you're a regular traveller to the US then I'd strongly recommend getting Global Entry. Even when the queues to the immigration hall are going up the ramp at JFK T7 I can be from the airplane door to the kerb in under 10 minutes.
Jan 14, 2020, 3:44 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BAEC, AerClub
Posts: 134
I swore I would stop flying BA to NYC last year and then in a moment of new year madness and probably too much booze I booked another. Lesson learned after 3 hours in immigration. Very last time, either use AA or go via Philly or Charlotte. BAs biggest revenue route and it goes into the worst customer experience.
Immigration pre clearance is a major advantage.
Jan 14, 2020, 3:45 am
#12
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,612
It makes me chuckle when I hear people complaining about MAN on here. Compared to JFK, it's like SIN...
And I'm guessing T4 is worse than T7 (not been through T7 for years). Huge queues for immigration (even with the APC terminals), with thousands of people who have no idea where they are supposed to go or what they are supposed to do. On the return, no toilets in the T4 departures area prior to security - which is great after a long taxi ride or train journey.
Jan 14, 2020, 5:33 am
#15
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The issue in the is is you (generally) don’t pay much for it so you have paid for an already stretched low budget service. you get what you pay for. Want better? Convince US politicians to raise taxes and charges then..,.