SFO international-domestic transfer in 1hr 40mins possible?
Nov 18, 2012, 6:53 pm
#16
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Portland
Posts: 11,571
Just to share what I've found out..
I've emailed AA and their agent confirmed that I will NOT have to pay for the 1st two checked in baggage because my domestic flight on AA is within 24 hours of the international Singapore Airlines flight.
Their policy does not require the passenger to be flying AA on both the international and domestic flight..
I guess different airlines practise different baggage policies..
And to provide clearer picture:
I'm not a FF member on any of the airlines.
I'm flying economy on both flights.
The international and domestic flights are on separate PNRs (bought separately).
I've emailed AA and their agent confirmed that I will NOT have to pay for the 1st two checked in baggage because my domestic flight on AA is within 24 hours of the international Singapore Airlines flight.
Their policy does not require the passenger to be flying AA on both the international and domestic flight..
I guess different airlines practise different baggage policies..
And to provide clearer picture:
I'm not a FF member on any of the airlines.
I'm flying economy on both flights.
The international and domestic flights are on separate PNRs (bought separately).
Did you book the SQ flight through AA? I'm not sure how they would know you've had an international flight within the past 24 hours unless they handled the ticketing. It's not uncommon for airlines' customer service centers here to provide very wrong information, and for the agents at the airport to simply say "tough luck" when you show up. I'll be curious to hear how this ends up working out.
Nov 19, 2012, 12:51 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: SIN
Posts: 10
Did you book the SQ flight through AA? I'm not sure how they would know you've had an international flight within the past 24 hours unless they handled the ticketing. It's not uncommon for airlines' customer service centers here to provide very wrong information, and for the agents at the airport to simply say "tough luck" when you show up. I'll be curious to hear how this ends up working out.
I booked both tickets separately (direct with the respective airlines).
Hmm, I'm guessing they will require me to to show them my itinerary & boarding pass for the SQ flight? AA rep told me to let the airport agent know when I arrive.
I'm praying that the info given is accurate, will be printing a copy of that email correspondence and bring along for check-in.
Will report back in a month's time to complain, or 2 months after my honeymoon if the check-in went smoothly.
Nov 19, 2012, 8:59 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SEA, SFO, HKG
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 100K; Cathay Diamond; Asiana Club Diamond; SkyMiles Diamond Medallion
Posts: 198
Show your onward AA itinerary to the SQ agent when you check in your bag at Singapore and ask them to tag your bag all the way to LAX. You will still need to pick it up at SFO as it is your first point of entry into US, you then drop it off to AA at Terminal 2. This way the AAgent need not to issue a new bag tag and their system will not prompt a payment for the bag, you can also save a minute or two as they don't need to issue you a new bag tag. Make sure you inform the SQ agent that you are aware you'll be picking up the bag and clear customs at SFO, sometime they refuse to tag it to the final destination to not confuse the passenger about where to pick up the bags.
Nov 20, 2012, 5:10 am
#21
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,854
Just to share what I've found out..
I've emailed AA and their agent confirmed that I will NOT have to pay for the 1st two checked in baggage because my domestic flight on AA is within 24 hours of the international Singapore Airlines flight.
Their policy does not require the passenger to be flying AA on both the international and domestic flight..
I guess different airlines practise different baggage policies..
And to provide clearer picture:
I'm not a FF member on any of the airlines.
I'm flying economy on both flights.
The international and domestic flights are on separate PNRs (bought separately).
I've emailed AA and their agent confirmed that I will NOT have to pay for the 1st two checked in baggage because my domestic flight on AA is within 24 hours of the international Singapore Airlines flight.
Their policy does not require the passenger to be flying AA on both the international and domestic flight..
I guess different airlines practise different baggage policies..
And to provide clearer picture:
I'm not a FF member on any of the airlines.
I'm flying economy on both flights.
The international and domestic flights are on separate PNRs (bought separately).
Nov 20, 2012, 6:30 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: SIN
Posts: 10
Show your onward AA itinerary to the SQ agent when you check in your bag at Singapore and ask them to tag your bag all the way to LAX. You will still need to pick it up at SFO as it is your first point of entry into US, you then drop it off to AA at Terminal 2. This way the AAgent need not to issue a new bag tag and their system will not prompt a payment for the bag, you can also save a minute or two as they don't need to issue you a new bag tag. Make sure you inform the SQ agent that you are aware you'll be picking up the bag and clear customs at SFO, sometime they refuse to tag it to the final destination to not confuse the passenger about where to pick up the bags.
I'm going to JFK?
Jan 14, 2013, 11:31 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: SIN
Posts: 10
Hello I'm back.
Just to update what happened.
I did not have to pay for checked baggages when I check-in at AA.
What sfosuw said was true: the agent at SIN airport help me tag my bag to JFK, I had to collect my bags at SFO int'l terminal and brought them over to AA in T2 to check in.
I think it's called "Through Check".
Just to update what happened.
I did not have to pay for checked baggages when I check-in at AA.
What sfosuw said was true: the agent at SIN airport help me tag my bag to JFK, I had to collect my bags at SFO int'l terminal and brought them over to AA in T2 to check in.
I think it's called "Through Check".
Nov 29, 2013, 11:04 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 20
I have a connecting flight in SFO, flying in from ICN on Asiana J with a separate PNR connection on Southwest to EWR with 1hr 40min layover on a Friday around 11am. If I print my boarding pass and have no checked luggage can I make the connection?
Nov 29, 2013, 11:53 pm
#26
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
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If you're a US citizen without Global Entry - still probably no problem.
If you're not a US citizen - It really depends...
11am is a bad time to land - there's a number of flights land around that time, and if you happen to come in just behind a few of them the line to immigration can be long. Frequently SFO takes me less than 5 minutes as a non-citizen, but on occasion I've had it take an hour or more.
Asiana arrives in International A, and Southwest leaves from terminal 1 which are close to each other, so only a 5-10 walk/airtrain trip, then security, etc.
Of course, that all depends on your flight arriving on time. If you're late then all bets are off.
Dec 9, 2013, 4:53 pm
#27
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1 hour 40 minutes is easy to do if:
(1) You have Global Entry
(2) Are flying C/F = off the plane early
(3) Don't check bags
(4) Have TSA Pre-check or Clear
If you are in economy and/or happen to land right after another 747 it is not uncommon to wait 45-60m at the CBP checkpoint.
If you check luggage it should arrive in 20-30m, and there is not usually a backup at the customs checkpoint.
As noted above, the airtrain (or walk) from international -> domestic is only 5-10m. However everyone has to clear security again. If you have TSA pre-check or Clear you will be through in <5m and then maybe another 5m or less to your flight.
In sum, I think 1 hour 40 min is quite doable for those (like me) who rarely check luggage. But if you do check bags it could be tight. Particularly if you do not have Global Entry or if you have to wait in a long TSA line (see UA T-3 from 7am-noon).
For me personally, I have GE so I am always off the plane and out to the street within 5-10 minutes of disembarking.
(1) You have Global Entry
(2) Are flying C/F = off the plane early
(3) Don't check bags
(4) Have TSA Pre-check or Clear
If you are in economy and/or happen to land right after another 747 it is not uncommon to wait 45-60m at the CBP checkpoint.
If you check luggage it should arrive in 20-30m, and there is not usually a backup at the customs checkpoint.
As noted above, the airtrain (or walk) from international -> domestic is only 5-10m. However everyone has to clear security again. If you have TSA pre-check or Clear you will be through in <5m and then maybe another 5m or less to your flight.
In sum, I think 1 hour 40 min is quite doable for those (like me) who rarely check luggage. But if you do check bags it could be tight. Particularly if you do not have Global Entry or if you have to wait in a long TSA line (see UA T-3 from 7am-noon).
For me personally, I have GE so I am always off the plane and out to the street within 5-10 minutes of disembarking.
Aug 18, 2014, 12:18 am
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 465
It's irrelevant given the OP's situation, but out of curiosity, I looked up the minimum connection time from International to Domestic at SFO, and it is 1:45 -- which means that it wouldn't be possible to book this on one PNR. Even then, I wouldn't recommend it due to all the variables (flight delays, baggage delivery, immigration, security lines are all unpredictable).
OP, I can't address the issue of checked bags, but your proposed 3:15 connection is starting to look reasonable, although it still doesn't leave a whole lot of room for delays of any sort. I'm currently travelling on separate tickets, and I booked a 5-hour connection, just to be safe (and in my case, there are no immigration or baggage issues to contend with).
OP, I can't address the issue of checked bags, but your proposed 3:15 connection is starting to look reasonable, although it still doesn't leave a whole lot of room for delays of any sort. I'm currently travelling on separate tickets, and I booked a 5-hour connection, just to be safe (and in my case, there are no immigration or baggage issues to contend with).
Aug 18, 2014, 1:09 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 1999
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There might also be free sources for this info, but I don't know of any offhand.
Feb 23, 2015, 4:45 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,965
It looks like they pushed back HND-SFO and my connect time is down to 1 hour 5 minutes (UA-UA). There is really no alternative until the next day. The PNR online seems OK.
Would the itinerary somehow become invalid and I can't check in? Or, they will eventually contact me to fix it? It is an award reservation.
Thanks.
Would the itinerary somehow become invalid and I can't check in? Or, they will eventually contact me to fix it? It is an award reservation.
Thanks.