SJU-JFK Customs & Immigration?
Nov 2, 2009, 1:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3
SJU-JFK Customs & Immigration?
Hi everybody! I'm a new member and I'm Italian (sorry for my bad english).
I'll have to fly from San Juan to JFK with Jetblue (after a cruise with carnival).
In San Juan I'll clear custom & immigration when I'll disembark out of the ship and at the airport (USDA).
Do I have to clear customs and immigration also in JFK (as for international flights)?
I'll have a connection to Italy in JFK (within 2h30m), so I hope to save time skiping Custom & immigration in JFK.
Thank you in advance for your kind help.
Andrea
I'll have to fly from San Juan to JFK with Jetblue (after a cruise with carnival).
In San Juan I'll clear custom & immigration when I'll disembark out of the ship and at the airport (USDA).
Do I have to clear customs and immigration also in JFK (as for international flights)?
I'll have a connection to Italy in JFK (within 2h30m), so I hope to save time skiping Custom & immigration in JFK.
Thank you in advance for your kind help.
Andrea
Nov 2, 2009, 1:06 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Northern New Jersey
Programs: OnePass, AAdvantage, TrueBlue, HHonors
Posts: 2,709
Hi everybody! I'm a new member and I'm Italian (sorry for my bad english).
I'll have to fly from San Juan to JFK with Jetblue (after a cruise with carnival).
In San Juan I'll clear custom & immigration when I'll disembark out of the ship and at the airport (USDA).
Do I have to clear customs and immigration also in JFK (as for international flights)?
I'll have a connection to Italy in JFK (within 2h30m), so I hope to save time skiping Custom & immigration in JFK.
Thank you in advance for your kind help.
Andrea
I'll have to fly from San Juan to JFK with Jetblue (after a cruise with carnival).
In San Juan I'll clear custom & immigration when I'll disembark out of the ship and at the airport (USDA).
Do I have to clear customs and immigration also in JFK (as for international flights)?
I'll have a connection to Italy in JFK (within 2h30m), so I hope to save time skiping Custom & immigration in JFK.
Thank you in advance for your kind help.
Andrea
BTW, welcome to Flyertalk.
Nov 2, 2009, 1:07 pm
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Last time I checked, Puerto Rico was U.S. territory. We don't have customs checkpoints when you travel within the United States (though sometimes you'll see INS roadblocks near our southern border).
Unlike some other countries, there is no outbound checkpoint at JFK (or any other US airport) - we don't care who leaves!
Unlike some other countries, there is no outbound checkpoint at JFK (or any other US airport) - we don't care who leaves!
Nov 2, 2009, 1:08 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Rochester, NY
Programs: AA EP and former UA 1K
Posts: 113
Caio, Once you clear customs in San Juan you will not need to clear customs again traveling from SJU to JFK. You'll probably need a little extra time to arrive at the gate, collect your bags and transfer to your outbound flight but you should be fine even with some delays. Have a good trip back to Italia.
Nov 2, 2009, 2:57 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: PIT
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As others have said, the SJU-JFK leg is treated as a domestic (US) flight. There is no customs on the SJU-JFK route.
There is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection at the SJU airport however. The inspection consists of having you taking your bags to the USDA inspection x-ray machine at the airport and having the USDA inspector run your bags through the x-ray. After your bags have been x-rayed a special sticker is placed on your bags and you can take the bags (and check them) at the JetBlue check-in counter.
There is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection at the SJU airport however. The inspection consists of having you taking your bags to the USDA inspection x-ray machine at the airport and having the USDA inspector run your bags through the x-ray. After your bags have been x-rayed a special sticker is placed on your bags and you can take the bags (and check them) at the JetBlue check-in counter.
Nov 2, 2009, 3:51 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Welcome to FlyerTalk!!
My carry-on bags received no extra inspection when departing SJU for JFK a couple weeks ago. There were officials on the jetway asking folks their nationality and I suppose that they could do more checking if desired but in my case I slinked past into my seat and a nice nap.
My carry-on bags received no extra inspection when departing SJU for JFK a couple weeks ago. There were officials on the jetway asking folks their nationality and I suppose that they could do more checking if desired but in my case I slinked past into my seat and a nice nap.
Nov 4, 2009, 7:57 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2008
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I'm not sure what the actual rule is, but my own experience is that sometimes the person operating the USDA station wants the carry on bags to go through the USDA x-ray while other times the operator didn't want them to go through. Perhaps it depends on the size of the bag? In any case the TSA (security screening) does not seem to care if the USDA sticker is on the carry on bag or not. So if you do not have your carry ons xrayed, I doubt anyone would notice.
Nov 4, 2009, 11:38 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Caio, Once you clear customs in San Juan you will not need to clear customs again traveling from SJU to JFK. You'll probably need a little extra time to arrive at the gate, collect your bags and transfer to your outbound flight but you should be fine even with some delays. Have a good trip back to Italia.
Nov 4, 2009, 6:53 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Northern New Jersey
Programs: OnePass, AAdvantage, TrueBlue, HHonors
Posts: 2,709
Yes but JetBlue does not fly to Europe. Only way to book and have the bags all the way through is to be flying Lufthansa or AirLingus from JFK to Italy. Otherwise everything will need to rechecked at JFK.
Nov 4, 2009, 8:37 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Orlando, FL, US
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I knew the OP would have to change airlines, but I wasn't sure if single ticketing, or baggage interlining was available. If the OP is on two separate tickets, then any delays on on the SJU-JFK could cause a mis-connect and put them at the mercy of the JFK-Italy airline.
Nov 5, 2009, 11:22 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
jetBlue currently has only a couple interline baggage agreements, namely with EI and LH. Anything else will require reclaiming their bags and checking them at the new carrier.
Nov 14, 2009, 11:32 am
#13
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 35
Hi everybody! I'm a new member and I'm Italian (sorry for my bad english).
I'll have to fly from San Juan to JFK with Jetblue (after a cruise with carnival).
In San Juan I'll clear custom & immigration when I'll disembark out of the ship and at the airport (USDA).
Do I have to clear customs and immigration also in JFK (as for international flights)?
I'll have a connection to Italy in JFK (within 2h30m), so I hope to save time skiping Custom & immigration in JFK.
Thank you in advance for your kind help.
Andrea
I'll have to fly from San Juan to JFK with Jetblue (after a cruise with carnival).
In San Juan I'll clear custom & immigration when I'll disembark out of the ship and at the airport (USDA).
Do I have to clear customs and immigration also in JFK (as for international flights)?
I'll have a connection to Italy in JFK (within 2h30m), so I hope to save time skiping Custom & immigration in JFK.
Thank you in advance for your kind help.
Andrea
Dec 2, 2009, 5:40 am
#14
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Arlington, Va.
Posts: 321
I flew out of SJU this past Sunday and the USDA employee required us to put all bags through. This included checked luggage, a large carry-on, laptop bag and my mother's tiny purse. He said it all had to go through.
Dec 12, 2009, 7:52 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: PIT
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Posts: 335
Today, I only needed to send my checked luggage through the USDA Xray, my small laptop bag did not need to go through.
Who knows what the actual rule is, but just be prepared do whatever the USDA person says!