Consolidated "Customs and Immigration at LAX" thread
 

Hi all,
I was having trouble deciding to post in the Security thread or this one and went with this one since the Security page is now mostly about bashing the TSA now (not that I mind I don't like them either!)

Anywho, I will be arriving on the late flight from HKG (Cathay) that gets in after 9pm, and am connecting to a domestic AA flight that leaves after 11pm. Should I have cause to be concerned with getting through immigration/customs, then to another terminal and through security?

If it helps I am flying business so I'd get to use any express lines. Thanks!

Hmmm, no customs express lines at TBIT that I've seen. If you land on time, you should have time to make it to an AA flight that leaves after 11pm.

I've been in your situation, minus the transfer since I'm LA-based, and the 9pm international arrivals are numerous. You have to claim all your bags even if transferring. You should be through customs by 10pm max. If your bags are checked all the way to your final destination, coming out of customs, go RIGHT (sign says something like "TRANSFERS"). Up the incline will be an area to re-check your bags. Once they're on the way, exit the terminal to the right (WITH the flow of traffic) and walk the 100 or so meters to terminal 4.

TBIT unpredictable as the winds
 

A family I know came in HKG-LAX (CX/Y) on the 1:xx pm arrival in late March but didn't get out until past 4 pm. They said it was all immigration and not baggage/customs.

The key is the distribution of arrival times on a particular day, which can be unpredictable. TBIT trans-Pacific arrivals are all long-haul from a variety of Asian cities (beyond Japan) and that means knowing the arrival schedules is still meaningless, since every flight can get affected by the jet stream differently.

Am I right to say that being in F/C doesn't help if you're the 5th B747/B777 to arrive TBIT in 15 minutes?

how long does it currently take to clear US immigration & security at LAX?
 

I'm arriving at LAX on an int'l flight. (early afternoon on a
weekday) The airline uses TBIT. How long can I expect
to wait to clear US immigration? (US citizen)

(and then clear TSA security for a domestic flight in
another teminal)

Thanks!

Depends on the time of day and how many people are on the plane with you. ;)

My last trip from Australia, from landing in LA to going through customs and then going to terminal 3 and through security again took me just 2 1/2 hours. Customs actually went fairly quickly (about 45 minutes), but once I got to terminal 3 and had to go through security again, the line was down the escalator and out the door. That was the longest part. The time of day for me was around 11:00 am..........

....
 

It is really hard to predict, but I will leave at least 2 to 2.5 hours. I just went through LAX a couple weeks ago, and the whole process took about 2 hours (Fully loaded 777 arriving around 9 pm). The breakdown is as follows:

Deplane, walk to customs, pass thourgh customs and immigration - 40 min.

Wait for bags to show up at carousel - 25 minutes.

Drops the bags off at the connecting flight station - 15 minutes (only one agent on duty).

Walk to United terminal 7 - 15 minutes.

Go thorugh security check at United terminal - 20 minutes.

Walk to gate - 5 minutes

Arriving on LH in F (so 1st off the plane) in August, took just under 2 hours to get through TBIT, and it wasn't that busy. This was a Wednesday, leaving the plane at 16:50.
My brother arrived from SYD last Christmas in the morning, also took 2 hours to clear TBIT.

Yikes! I have 1 hour 50 mins!

I arrive on AA137 at 3.05pm and Depart on American Eagle at 4.55 to Las Vegas. I believe this is all in T4 though. Assuming I land on time, is the enough? It's a Monday when I land. Flight seems midway full, if the seat map is anything to go by!

I'd say no worries. More than likely you will make it with no problems and if you did miss your connection, American Eagle is not going to give you any grief about putting you on the next flight.

I certainly hope so as this is the last Las Vegas flight of the day! I don't want to lose a night in Vegas as I'm only there for 4!

You will probably be OK because you are NOT in TBIT. TBIT is the armpit of terminals - an LAX disgrace. If you were going through there the others are right, 2-3 hours is a good guess.

However, I have landed at UA terminal 7 with carryon and made it through in 15 minutes. Be glad you are with AA.

A few weeks ago I came in late morning and it only took 45 min. Only problem was the little elevator and some sign saying the stairs were closed (and there really weren't).

As rude and as dumb as you may feel as soon as you get off the plane RUN to immigration because most of the time several planes are arriving at the same time and sometimes just a few extra minutes can make a real difference. I do this and many times about 5 minutes later there are hundreds of people behind me and maybe a hundred ahead of me.

It works for me.

And works for me. I haul @ss off the plane when parking at Bradley. I've jogged in to the immigration hall to find it nearly empty. By the time I finish with the officer it is bedlam.

LAX immigration clearance.
 

Haven't cleared immigration at LAX for sometimes so not sure how it immigration take.

For Saturday afternoon

UA 935 LHR - LAX scheduled arrival 14:35

UA 934 LAX - LHR scheduled departure 16:49

This is not a MR thing, but an unexpected trip that I have to take.

I checked UA flight status and it states that both flights both arrive and depart on T7. If that is the case do I need to clear immigration? If I decide to clear immigration, how long would it take?

Thanks,

Any time you set foot in the US you must clear immigration. UA has a station on the lower level of the terminal, so you will clear immigration, exit, and have to re-enter security. But if everything is on time it should take no more than 30 minutes or so.

You're doing a less than 2-hour turn & it's not a MR? What type of meeting can you have that quickly? But to your question...

You will have to clear immigration on UA935 inbound as you're entering the US. UA has its own immigration, so it doesn't take as long as TBIB would. If you're in C or F you should get through pretty quickly. Even if in E you would still be ok. Figure within 15minutes of exiting the plane (assuming C or F) you'd be clearing immigration. Perhaps 30 min if in E.

Once you exit immigration take the escalator upstairs & check-in for your UA934. You won't have to clear immigration but you will have to go through TSA. Figure anywhere from 5-20minutes after you've checked in for your return flight.

Cheers.

The first segment UA 935 is a part of an ongoing trip with numerous stops in the US. It would be too costly for me to change the whole itinerary.

I need to make a quick return to the LHR the very same day because I have a meeting the next day.

I remember going through TBIT last year for LAX-LHR, but when I look at LAX info and UA is not listed in TBIT. Is this a recent change?

If you went through TBIT last year you weren't on UA, unless the flight was really delayed & UA immigration already went home (that happened to me once on UA935). UA has its own immigration.

See my post #17 for timeframes & directions for UA934 after you've cleared. Cheers.

That CX flight comes in during the last big trans-Pacific push of the night...don't be surprised if there are three other 747s from Asia and an assortment of Mexico flights milling about. The comment about sprinting to immigration is not far off.

FYI, the airlines have gone into their "winter" schedule so the international terminals have changed their open hours accordingly. Some flights may have cleared at satellite terminals during the summer, but the international services may be closed now and the flights diverted to TBIT.

How long for customs at LAX?
 

I'm picking someone up at LAX who is coming in from the Netherlands (KLM). Flight arrives mid-afternoon on a weekday. Any idea how long I should allow for them to get through customs?

The International Arrivals at LAX Thread
 

It is 18:30 on Memorial Day, 26 May 2008. My flight, VS 23, arrives from LHR at LAX about 30 min. late. VS 8 departs LAX to LHR also 30 min. late while my ac was slowing down and turning out to a taxiway.

Then within the next 10 minutes, a whole rash of overseas flights suddenly decends upon LAX for arrival. My ac, an A340-600 was on the taxiway when an AA 777-200 arrives, followed by a UA 777, then an LH A340-600, an Air China 747-400 and then an AF 777. These ac were landing on the same runway at a rate of about one ac every 2 minutes or less. Potentially, over 1800 pax were arriving on those ac. When we arrived at the terminal T2, Air China and AF also arrived at T2 the same time. All VS pax arrived at Customs and Immigration the same time as Air China and AF, making for a horrendous check out process of 1000 pax trying to exit T2 Customs/Immigration at the same time. What compounded everyone's misery was the lack of sufficient Customs/Immigration staff to process all the pax. The wait time, at least for me to clear Customs/Immigration was clearly over an hour, where queues were snaking all over the baggage claim area due to limited processing staff.

I am curious regarding LAX international arrivals. Outside of the usual holiday domestic arrivals, I would like to pose some questions to our FTers out there who have experienced a similar phenomena at LAX. Have you been part of a 1000 pax plus international arrival stampede to Customs/Immigration at LAX before, which may have been similar to the one above? If so, what were your experiences like? Which LAX terminals have these phenomena taken place in your experience for international arrivals only? Have you noticed it occuring frequently, and if so, is there a time or times during the day where the above scenario may be more likely than not? Just very curious. I look forward to your reply.

It has nothing to do with the holiday...it is always that way.

This is a piece of my http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-angeles-..._desc&start=80 review of LAX with a touch of humor (I am Cheri A).

[International Passenger] If you are arriving at LAX on a international flight and you are unlucky enough to experience immigration and customs in the Bradley Terminal (All foreign carriers arrive here). JUMP UP FROM YOUR SEAT AS SOON AS THE DOORS OPEN ON THE PLANE AND RUN....Run past everyone. Most foreign arrivals come in around the same time and you might end up with only 100 people in front of you in line and not 2,000 people or more.

International arrivals for non-U.S. citizens/residents seem to be a miserable experience at most U.S. airports these days.

Here's my (limited) experiences this year. UA SYD-LAX clearing at LAX T6/7 - only 6 others from a previous flight in front of us. had to wait about 10 minutes.

My partner arrived at PDX from AMS on Saturday. No other flights in front but she was 3rd in line. Had to wait 20 minutes.

OTOH, HNL (from NRT) was a breeze in January. few souls coming from Asia?

The OP thanks both wingless and YVR Cockroach for their posts and awaits for more. One observation of mine from Monday's phenomena was that it is one thing to be completely surprised when one walks down a blind concourse to an arrivals hall to see either tons of pax waiting in front of you or almost none at all. Then it is another thing to actually see other international flights arriving on the same runway as yours just did from the window of your aircraft cabin, especially when all those arriving flights after yours are widebodies, before you even exit your ac. In a similar manner that wingless has described, that observation will literally make one jump out of their skins to race to the exit door as soon as it opens and leave the jetway in flames as one tries to beat 2000 other pax to passport control.

I went through a phase of clearing into the US in Honolulu last year precisely to avoid LAX arrival. Unfortunately, this year the detour hasn't been priced feasibly. :(

Thank you for supporting the Aloha State regarding this matter. The OP kindly awaits for more posts regarding stampedes and international arrivals at LAX.

UA has its own immigration/customs so usually the waits there aren't too bad. TBIT, however, all bets are off, especially as the OP notes when all the Euro flights arrive approximately at the same time.

One thing about UA though - if a flight (from LHR for example) is really delayed, UA immigrations may have closed rather than stay open & then the UA passengers will get bussed over to TBIT.

Cheers.

Do place a caveat that your experience is good for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. When my partner and I arrived from SYD, the alien line went all the way tpo the back quickly as only 3 stations were open while 6+ were open for residents (who require much less processing).

On my most recent flight back from Asia (Mid-Feb 2008), we arrived around 10:30/11:00 am. I think a few other Asia flights arrived similarly so I grabbed Dad's arm and said, "Let's make a run for it!"

He went along with this and we were feeling pretty smug when we cleared passport control ahead of a huge crowd that formed behind us.

Unfortunately, there was a baggage issue that then resulted in multiple flights subsequently clearing passport control and convening in the rather tight carousel area...so much for the best laid plans...sigh...

i must say, the best immigration/customs experience in US (having cleared in LAX, HNL, ORD and IAD in recent memory) is actually in YVR :D

Bringing non-citizen gf through immigration together at LAX?
 

Not sure where to put this so I'm putting here as we'll be entering the US via LAX.

As I carry a US passport (but my gf doesn't, and doesn't have a greencard), would I be able to bring her through immigration together with me or would we have to queue separately?

Thanks all.

Unless she is immigrating legally (1st entry into U.S. as a legal immigrant), I'd say it's asking for trouble (the ICE inspector may think she has no intent to return home and may decide to deny entry/deport).

I know with my wife before she had her green card an immigration officer in Chicago told me that since I am a citizen we can use the Citizen/Resident line. I don't know if that applies to girlfriends or not but I would take my chance at the shorter line.

Everybody makes immigration officers out to be so horrible but they deal with this stuff all the time and since you are a citizen I would just to to the citizen line.

Just by using the citizen line along with her boyfriend instead of using the visitors line? I am sure the immigration officer will ask questions but that would happen no matter which line they use and don't think the process with the immigration officer will be any dependent upon the line they choose.

Thanks all. I did some digging on the 'net and I thought this one was a useful link:

http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/i...hp/t65794.html

I think we'll just ask and see if it's possible. Worse comes to worse, I did put a 4 hour layover at LAX ...

:D

I'm planning on flying in to LAX on TG794 from BKK which arrives at 19:20 (7:20pm) on a Friday evening and I was contemplating catching a UA flight to SFO at 22:45 (10:45pm). Given the fun at immigration in LAX with huge lines does anyone have experience clearing LAX passport & customs at that time and whether it reasonable to try to make that connection or should I go for a flight the next morning to be safe? Thanks.

A lot of international flights come in at that time so it is hard to say. I would buy a refundable ticket on UA for that night and if you don't make the connection then cancel it and go in the morning.

My one word of advice...when the door opens on the plane...run...run as fast as you can to immigration. You may look stupid but I swear I have ended up way ahead of thousands because I did that. I usually end up in a line of 200 and shortly after there are 1,000 people behind me.

Arriving internationally in LAX is a disgrace.

I love flying LX but arriving on LX40 is a desaster in the evening with thousands of people in the hall. After immigration you wait even longer for customs :td:

Last time I agreed to do a drug test for a customs dog... what can I say, he didnt alert. Possibly he was overtime already as well !

Fastest experience ever was arriving from HKG on UA. My bag was first and nobody in front of me in T6.

TBIT developed into a big no-go for me... the most convenient is flying into DFW and from there over to LAX ^ Gotta love that airport !

I think TG794 arrives at LAX at 21:25 -- not 19:20. You're confusing departure time from BKK.

I agree that LAX is a disgrace and a very bad welcome to foreign guests or Americans coming home. It's even worse for someone who does not read or speak English!

Since SNA has good service to US hub airports, I prefer to enter the US via a friendlier and more efficient hub airport (ORD, DFW) and connect to a SNA flight. It avoids LAX immigration and customs, gives some time to stretch mid-trip, and shortens the freeway drive home.