JL Connecting Domestic Flight in SFO
Oct 10, 2023, 3:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: HKG
Posts: 18
JL Connecting Domestic Flight in SFO
I have a single JAL issued ticket for the following flights:
- JL58 NRT-SFO 18:10-11:20
- JL5460 (AS3312) SFO-SAN 14:05-15:43
Oct 10, 2023, 4:40 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,667
Unless you're unlucky it's plenty of time. I haven't been through SFO very recently but used to a lot on UA and once on JL, was never any queue that made it memorable.
Are you a US Citizen? If so download the Mobile Passport app (there's a new one now if you haven't used it for a while). It allows you to use a different queue than the general US Citizen queue, usually the same one for crew. Almost every time they tell me their scanner isn't working for the barcode, but doesn't matter, you can still use that queue and unless they've put kiosks back in now for US / Canadian / ESTA then it's definitely faster unless you have Global Entry (in which case the app is useless for you and you wouldn't be worried about a 2hr45min connection).
The continued removal of the Kiosks now really irks me, I can understand why they would have gone away from them during COVID to avoid touching but the US hasn't cared about COVID for a couple years now. Makes clearing in at some of the more terrible airports like MIA and ORD quite painful.
Are you a US Citizen? If so download the Mobile Passport app (there's a new one now if you haven't used it for a while). It allows you to use a different queue than the general US Citizen queue, usually the same one for crew. Almost every time they tell me their scanner isn't working for the barcode, but doesn't matter, you can still use that queue and unless they've put kiosks back in now for US / Canadian / ESTA then it's definitely faster unless you have Global Entry (in which case the app is useless for you and you wouldn't be worried about a 2hr45min connection).
The continued removal of the Kiosks now really irks me, I can understand why they would have gone away from them during COVID to avoid touching but the US hasn't cared about COVID for a couple years now. Makes clearing in at some of the more terrible airports like MIA and ORD quite painful.
Oct 10, 2023, 5:51 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,171
The international arrivals in the A gates that JAL uses tend to be a lot better than the G gates arrivals that United/Star Alliance use. Generally the timing for the NRT SFO flight tends to be good in terms of CBP waiting time for visitors. Even on a relatively bad day, it would be easily doable. I have never seen lines equivalent to the G gates arrivals on the A side.