cww

This worked well. Thanks to everyone for their tips and encouragement.

ND76

Mrs. ND76 and I are headed for HKG on Delta.
We arrive back into SEA at approximately 0755 local time, with our onward flight scheduled to leave at 0930 (which means being on the plane by 0915). What are the average wait times to go through CBP at SEA (I have GE, my bride does not)? What is TSA like after CBP? Is there any pre-check there? Thanks for any help you can provide.

EmailKid

Really depends on arrival time - and I've never been there that early.

Usually pretty quick, but on my last trip the flight was delayed, WAY delayed arrival, and with two widebodies just ahead of us it took about an hour Just before lunchtime IIRC. Someone else may have a better idea when the widebodies arrive, or just look at airport arrivals on one of flight status web sites.

Then you hop on the train and go to whickever terminal for departure - didn't have Pre that time, so didn't look for it, but probably should be in main departrure terminal (C and D IIRC).

ryw

I did the HKG-SEA flight in June - I had GE, my travel companion did not. There was no GE line for me. Maybe took about 15-20 minutes for them to go through immigration. I still had to wait for my checked bag at the carousel though, and think I only had to wait about 5-10 minutes for them to finish with immigration after I got my bag. There was a bag re-check desk, and then the connection line which funnels you into a TSA checkpoint, and the local arrivals line (which I believe takes you to the underground tram and out to the unsecure side of the main terminal). The connection line did NOT have a precheck lane, and probably took a good 30 minutes to go through as a line had formed and there were several folks in wheelchairs ahead of us. So probably about 50 minutes for us to clear back to the secure side (If it was just me, I'm guessing that exiting via the tram out to the main terminal and going through the main TSA line with precheck might have been faster).

Only having done this flight once, I think if you don't check bags, you have a good shot at making the onward flight. (Perhaps try to sit closer to the front of the plane so you're in front of more people at the immigration and security re-clear line)

EmailKid

If on same ticket this would be a drop off point, as bag should already be checked through to final destination. Pax just have to carry it though Customs and drop it on the belt, and at times there can be folks who help with that.

ryw

Sorry, wrong terminology - yes, it was just the drop off point with the bag checked through to the final destination. (Though there was a staffed desk at the end of the area for pax having any problems/issues).

EmailKid

No worries, this gets posted quite a bit across different fora, so just want to make it as clear as possible for anyone doing this the first time.

Thanks for chiming in with info on (what I assume) is same flight and same time - I've arrived at SEA a few dozen times, but not at this time and IIRC never with checked luggage.

wanna go now

We're arriving on BA 53, 12:30 arrival. We have a separate ticket on AS 178, leaving at 6:50. Is there a way to claim our checked bag before customs, then check it on to the AS flight and get a boarding pass, then use the transiting passenger route? Or, do we have to go land-side to claim and then check in?

EmailKid

What "transiting pax route?"

No such thing in the US - a reason many people refuse to connect in US @:-)

You HAVE to collect your luggage before Customs (after Immigration), go outside security, where you can drop off your luggage at AS counter and spend a few hours in the town of Seatac. Or however you choose to spend the time

wanna go now

The threads above mention that only pax ending their trip in SEA need to go out to collect their luggage at carousel #1 . Other pax stay in the secure area (this is what I called the transiting pax route). If you have a connecting flight and your bag is checked through, you go to your gate. As in, after customs, you place your bag on a belt and it finds its way to your flight.

Our bags won't be checked through. So, is there anyone from AS back where that belt would be for through-checked bags? Would they be able to check our bags to PDX and issue a boarding pass?

I suspect the answer is no. We would need to go land-side, to carousel #1 , to get our bags, schlep on over to the AS ticket counter and check in. Or, take our bag with us to the gate (they will be small enough to be carry-on for the PDX flight if necessary). Probably need to pull off the tag for LHR to SEA so they appear to be carry on for that flight, too.

EmailKid

You may want to re-read those posts @:-)

Trust me, I just arrived on puddlejumper from Canada on AS with NO checked luggage, and after Customs found myself outside of security. I did not look for AS or any employees by the place where you would drop off your luggage, but I am pretty certain that even IF there was someone there, it would be only to assist in putting luggage on the belt.

You HAVE to go outside security when arriving USA @:-)

I do this several times a year for over a decade.

wanna go now

I guess I misunderstood the above. I got that there was a TSA check even for transiting pax, but I thought it was a separate one from the one we'd go through if we go land side to check in. If everyone is funneled out to land side, toward the ticket counters, then I guess we'll schlep on over to AS and check in as if we just got to the airport.

EmailKid

Actually ..... it's a tad more complicated than that. Arrivals are in South Terminal, and in order to get to AS counters (and main airport) you take the underground train (subway). It runs pretty often, takes a couple of minutes, and is actually pretty well marked.

And as you just noted, everyone goes though TSA check before going airside on connecting flights arriving from most non US destination (pre-clearance from most Canadian, Irish and handful of other airports clear security there).

Come to think of it, it was announced that it's coming to Britain, but I don't recall when.

portland67

I need some advice here. My wife and I are coming on the OZ flight from ICN landing at 12:35 and we need to book our connecting flight to PDX. We're going to be in Asia for almost 2 weeks so we're definitely going to have checked baggage. Since we'll have 2 separate PNR's, would you book the 3 or 4 PM AS shuttle down to PDX?

EmailKid

You *should* be safe with a 2 hour and 25 minute connection, though IIRC some heavies from Europe arrive at that time.

One other thing, if soon, the "partial gov't shutdown" is currently having an effect as TSA employees are calling in sick causing longer delays and solution does not appear to be imminent.

Of course as long as seats are available on the next flight they *should* put you on the next flight, but there's never a guarantee. I'm more familiar with UA, to the best of my knowledge they still apply the "flat tire" rule.