tomatozoe

Hey, I bought the air tickets from Seoul to LAX, then LAX to IAD. I just have some questions about re-check in baggage, etc.
1) I take the Asiana airlines from Seoul to LAX. I think I will arrive at Tom Bradley International Terminal. After arriving, I need to clear the customs first. Then, the question is: where shall I get my baggage? Still at TBIT? the same level?
2) Then, how to re-check in my baggage? I will take UA flight from LAX to IAD. Is there sth for re-checking baggage close to customs at TBIT? Or, I need to take my baggage to Terminal 7, where is UA terminal for domestic flights?
3) Where can I get the boarding pass card for UA flight(LAX to IAD)? I think I need to go to terminal 7, to UA's ticket counter. Am I right?
Sorry for the weird questions. Any information is appreciated! Thanks!

kef0913

Welcome to FT!

You will claim your baggage and clear customs in TBIT. Then you will recheck your bags for your domestic flight in T7. You can walk around from TBIT or take the airport terminal bus. LAX is shaped like a horseshoe with TBIT at the "bottom" of the U shape and T7 at the "upper" right. I don't think (and someone please correct me if I am wrong) that there is a way to check your bags for your UA flight at TBIT.

LAX is pretty well signed, so you should not have trouble finding the baggage claim on the lower level. One note though. All departures at LAX are on the upper level, baggage claim and arrivals are on the lower level. After getting your boarding pass at the UA ticket counter or kiosks you will need to go back upstairs for your domestic departure.

Again, this information will be readily available at the airport and from the staff there.

Have a good trip.

pgtravel

When you arrive at TBIT, they will direct you downstairs to immigration. After you pass immigration, you'll claim your bags at the carousel right there, and then you'll go through customs. You shouldn't have any trouble finding your bags.

Once you pass through customs, you will see an area for baggage re-checking. I am almost positive that United has a counter there so you won't have to carry your bags any further. You definitely don't want to take them all the way to T7 on your own.

Are all your flights on one ticket? In other words, did you buy one ticket ICN-LAX-IAD or did you buy an Asiana ticket from ICN to LAX and then a United ticket from LAX to IAD? If you bought one ticket for the whole itinerary, you should be able to get your United boarding pass in ICN. That's part of the benefit of traveling on Star Alliance carriers. If not, it's not a big deal, because you'll have to go down to Terminal 7 anyway. You can check in there and then go through security.

And don't worry - these aren't weird questions!

tomatozoe

Thanks for your detailed info. Much appreciated!
Just one more question. Are IMMIGRATION and CUSTOMS the same thing? or they are different procedures at the airport when I arrive?

And, seems that I need to get the boarding pass by myself at LAX for UA flight. So, I check-in the baggage first, then go to T7 to get the boarding pass, is it all right to do it in this way?

How much time do I need to go from TBIT to T7? Can I walk to T7?

Thanks again, pgtravel and kef0913!

number_6

First is immigration, than you pick up your baggage and go to customs. Your baggage at ICN should be tagged to IAD .... if it is, you can then drop it at the recheck desk after customs. If it is not tagged to go to IAD but only to LAX, you may have to carry it to UA checkin at T7, so try to get it properly tagged at ICN check-in. T7 is a 10 minute walk from TBIT; there is also a free bus that takes you between terminals, but the walk is quite nice after a long flight. As for BP, you can normally get that at ICN.

pgtravel

As number_6 said, they're different. You go through immigration first. That's the process of checking your passport and making sure that you're eligible to enter the United States. Then you get your bags and go through customs. Customs is where they check to see if you're bringing anything illegal into the United States.

I think number_6 summed it up best about getting from TBIT to T7. If you have the time, walk up to the departure level and walk around the horseshoe. It's usually nice to get an ocean breeze after that long of a flight.

tomatozoe

great! so all the terminals are connected. I can go though one by one from the upper level?

kef0913

yes they are all connected via sidewalk. You cannot travel from terminal to terminal indoors. You do get the ocean breeze, but pgtravel makes it sound like you will be getting fresh air. The air at LAX is too tinged with bus exhaust to be called fresh.

pgtravel

Ha! That's definitely true. You do get a very distinct fuel smell at the airport, but it's still better than walking on the lower level where the fumes are trapped even more.

kef0913

No argument here.

tomatozoe

Hey, guys, thank you for your info.
I just check the Asiana airlines website. Asiana Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance network of airlines. My flights are all in one ticket. So, seems that I can get all the boarding pass at ICN. And I do not need to take my baggage by myself to T7, just reclaim it after I am through the customs... Cool~~