NOLAnwGOLD

Probably enough time, not sure how many flights are arriving internationally but assume that customs will probably more pretty quickly...it is a legal connection time.

LALAland

Or you could go DL 16, which goes on to ATL and connect to DL 1116 and be collecting miles instead of sitting at LAX; in case you have a customs delay (which LAX is customs is very busy at that time of day). Since DL 16 is a continuation flight on to ATL, you'd clear customs in ATL not LAX with at 2 hr 25 min window.

Colin

ahh, the internet. Gotta love it. A PM no less.

LALAland

Not to mention you'd stay on the 777 for 5 more hours as opposed to the metal you'd be on LAX-JFK. Glad I could help. Safe travels to you and your friends and family..

LALAland

Your way is 4:10 less in travel time', but this Itenerary earns more miles and is less stressful; re: do we or do we not have enough time to clear customs in LAX; and if we don't; are there 5 seats avail on the next flight. I'd confirm this change and relax (which you will want to do after such a long haul home)... good luck. P.S. I used the 29th, but but these are should work everyday except for Tuesday -- why not on a TUE--- I have no clue.

Itinerary Details
11/29/2009 Through 11/29/2009
------------------------------------------------------------

Depart: SYD - Sydney, Australia (SYD)
Arrive: JFK - New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK)
Via: ATL - Atlanta, GA (ATL)

Segment 1:
Depart: SYD 11:20a 11/29/2009 Terminal: 1
Arrive: ATL 3:05p 11/29/2009 Terminal: S
Flight: DL 16 - Delta Air Lines
77L - Boeing 777-200LR Passenger
Operating Carrier: Delta Air Lines
Connecting flight leaves in 2 hours 25 minutes

Segment 2:
Depart: ATL 5:30p 11/29/2009 Terminal: S
Arrive: JFK 8:09p 11/29/2009 Terminal: 3
Flight: DL 1116 - Delta Air Lines
M88 - Boeing (Douglas) MD-88
Operating Carrier: Delta Air Lines
Total Duration: 24 hours 49 minutes

SDQBound

As far as I know, EVERY PASSENGER has to clear immigration and customs at the port of entry to the U.S. Passengers continuing on the domestic portion of an international flight, still have to go through the inspections upon arrival to LAX, and then do the normal connecting procedures. Sometimes you don't even flight the same equipment and just have a smaller aircraft for the domestic leg, although this is not the case for DL16.

Of course, I might be wrong. Was there a change in the DHS/Customs Procedures in the last 72 hours while I was out of the country, and I wasn't aware of it?

LALAland

Actually, you make a good point and may be correct; the question comes in where there is no change in equipment (which in this case here in not); do they make everybody deplane and clear customs and re-check and re-board. I hope the OP looks into this -- eventhough, the route suggestion I made still makes better sense. I think (and only think) that if DL 16 is still considered a INTL flight and comes into ATL on the E concourse; INTL flyers bags will be routed to customs for re-check, whereas DOM tagged bags for folkes who borded to ATL (or beyond) will be dispatched to baggage claim in ATL or transferred to their connecting flights. I do know that bags and passengers who have not cleared customs can or are seperated on a 'stop-over' (at least they are when making connections in other countries). The real test will be -- does the TA in SYD check the PAX bags to LAX or all the way to ATL.

If they only check to LAX then your theory is true -- if they check through to ATL, I'm correct. But again, from the OP -- I rather be flying than sitting at LAX.

LALAland

I just checked with DL INTL desk and you are right. I will PM the OP and warn of my error. They will be required to clear customs in LAX, re-check and re-board. DL 16 will keep the same FLT# and the OP will have 1:35 mins to claim bags, clear customs, re-check and re-board in LAX-ATL conn to JFK. 15 extra mins, more miles and a &&& ride to Atlanta + if miss connection in ATL, more options for later flights into LGA. Thank you for the correction.

StefanNYC

Yes.
(If I'm really lucky, I might score an op-up... but all of us certainly won't.)

Monday the 30th.

StefanNYC

Of course. (No check was really necessary How could one possibly imagine separating, on the domestic segment, those passengers who haven't cleared customs from those who have?)

This, however, is an interesting point -- thanks for mentioning it. So, in Delta's view, 1:35 should be quite enough for doing the very same thing we'll need to do. Speaks in favor of accepting the risk and sticking with our 1:20 connection. (Yes, of course if the inbound is late, then the 1:35 is still 1:35, but the 1:20 won't be...)
The extra 200-odd miles gained from connecting in ATL doesn't seem to be worth the hassle even for me -- and certainly not for my family...

ScottinMEM

From personal experience this is possible if everything is on schedule. Returned from SYD on 16 last month in Y on a Monday morning, connecting to an NW-operated flight to MEM with 55 minutes between scheduled arrival and scheduled departure.

Customs and bag retrieval/recheck all happened relatively quickly; worst was going back through security in T5. I'm sure it's always busy on Monday mornings; probably will be more so on 11/30 with holiday traffic.

But you have 25 more minutes than we did.

timf

A 1:20 connection will be enough as long as the flight is on time. I put in this caveat because of my experience flying back from SYD last month.

My flight was delayed 2 hours turning my 3 hour connection into a 1 hour connection. This was plenty of time, as I still made it to my flight with about 30 minutes to spare. However, someone at the airline must have thought I wouldn't be able to make my connection and bumped me from my originally scheduled connection with no chance of getting put back on. The flight that I got rebooked to was a connection through SLC leaving 6 hours later (all the non-stops were full until 5 PM), although I did manage to get a flight a couple hours earlier after the agent did some searching. Long story short, if you want to play it safe book a longer connection, as you probably won't just get the next flight out should you run late.

318i

Assuming there are enough data points here, but I'll throw in my $0.02 anyway....

I'd say 1:20 is enough time without checked luggage. Because you have baggage checked and you have to reclear T-5 security, this will be a very close connection.

Rough estimate, assuming an on-time arrival, given previous experience with DL16:

6:10am - pull into 58A
6:15am - Y pax off the plane
6:25am - queue up for CBP, after a fairly decent walk from 58A
6:30am - through CBP
6:40am - receive bags from carousel
6:50am - through customs and back into T5
6:55am - luggage recheck
7:00am - through security (status helps) and out to your gate

So that's enough time to catch a 7:30a flight, but slow CBP inspections / less-than-timely luggage / a long queue for customs could add minutes to that schedule. Add another vote for gambling with making the 7:30a flight.

One other point that I haven't seen mentioned yet: T5 CBP doesn't open until 6:00am. As such, that's the earliest you can disembark DL16, which means that an extra 10 minutes at LAX is all you can hope for.

MachOne

I came in on DL16 earlier this month. I agree, the whole process took no more than 40-50 minutes. YMMV.

MO

StefanNYC

Well, I'm happy to report that my gamble of going for the 1:20 connection has paid off; we (and our bags) made it -- but just barely. On the very brink of failure. TSA at LAX T5 was a <censored> <censored> mess!!

The suggested schedule was [the connecting flight departing at 7:30]...

In reality, we pulled into 58A somewhere around 5:25 (I don't recall seeing so strong a tail wind). We were duly informed about the 6:00 opening of CBP... and they started to let us off the plane around 6:10. So much for the extra 10 minutes. Yet, we were through customs at 6:45 (good job, luggage delivery!); rechecked bags by 6:50 (we were asked about our next flight time, and our bags were put through ahead of others. Again, good job!). And, for all that, we were through security at 7:25....

* Upon telling staff that two of us are Medallions, we were told "You have to stand in this [common] line anyway". I didn't see the First Class/Medallion line at first (being unfamiliar with LAX as I am).
* Then, when we finally got into the First Class/Medallion line, it simply stopped. As in, completely stopped. They were just processing people from the common line... then barring everybody from going up the stairs to the actual checkpoints ("There are too many people up there, and it's a safety issue!")... then, when people in the Medallion line raised quite a hype, they stopped processing anybody.
* At the checkpoint, when we were already 10 minutes from departure time, the security guy started s_l_o_w_l_y explaining something about how laptops should be placed separately (which we of course did before he opened his mouth), then inserted someone else's stuff in between ours, then s_l_o_w_l_y told us to wait for something.....

As a result, when we ran (very literally) past the information screens to the gate, we saw our flight marked "Closed". The gate screen said "Flight dispatched". Fortunately, the GA knew better than that. We entered the plane right at 7:30, give or take a minute, and we weren't even the last. The only real casualty was my upgrade (if I actually had one in the first place, which I guess I'll never know -- but if I did, they must have given it to someone else).

Thus: A 1:20 international -> domestic connection has been experimentally proven to be doable, but it is quite a gamble.