SFO Passport Control Mess
May 17, 2019, 12:04 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,460
Really curious if SFO is one of those "lending" personnel to the southern border. The Washington Post ran an article a few days ago about resources being moved from the northern border. Haven't seen anything yet addressing SFO or any other Northern CA airport.
...and this:
US-Canada border transfers raise fear of delayed crossings
...and this:
US-Canada border transfers raise fear of delayed crossings
May 17, 2019, 2:23 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,460
Right. I always conflate the two. So I wonder if the upshot of less CBP agents at airports will be more focused, less scattershot attempts at enforcement. In other words, send people to secondary for real issues, not for forgetting to declare that (deadly) package of Speculoos cookies you slipped into your backpack.
May 17, 2019, 7:25 pm
#35
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,085
I wonder if the SF Chamber of Commerce and the tourism bureau are working on this. Tourism is by far SF’s top industry. The city will pay the price if foreign visitors are put through hours of delay at immigration.
May 19, 2019, 9:03 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
The city will pay the price (although how much more is there to pay, given the poop and homelessness issues?), but the schmucks in the Chamber of Commerce will collect their paychecks regardless.
May 19, 2019, 9:11 pm
#37
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,085
Those problems impact SF tourists, but not as much as the locals. The burden of crazy long immigration lines at SFO for foreigners hits tourists almost exclusively. A lot of these folks are going to think twice about spending their euros, yen, etc. here ever again.
May 25, 2019, 12:23 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
Because when you are stuck in a massive queue with seas of people on the extreme right of the Immigartion Hall, you cannot even see the Global Entry kiosks let alone work out how long that queue is. I'm surprised @tom911 doesn't realise that you have to focus on what's facing you. And, as I say to all those who keep on saying, smugly, that you should just use Global Entry, it's not available to everyone. To those of us for whom it is not available, arriving in SFO is torture, even if the time with the Immigration Officer, when you finally get there, is less than 30 seconds.
As for GE it is a no brainer for anyone who qualifies including families. My kids would never tolerate 4 hours in line. If you don't qualify for GE then maybe you want to fly into the US at another port of entry until this gets sorted out.
I flew in on Sunday on UA949 and it was rammed. I took pictures but have not uploaded them as yet so if you can imagine the line stretching out the hall down to about gate 94, then you have it about right. I landed at about 1500. GE was as clear as I have seen it. For visitors it was appalling. Something is not working.
May 28, 2019, 11:31 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 403
Need suggestions. Is wait time looong for Non-GE but U.S. citizen trying to go thru immigration at SFO summer (mid August weekday close to noon)? I am looking at a ticket (not purchased yet) which gives me only 80 min connection at SFO from international metal to domestic metal (bit surprised that such ticket shows up available online/United site). Any thoughts? Will I be risking too much?
May 28, 2019, 11:47 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
Need suggestions. Is wait time looong for Non-GE but U.S. citizen trying to go thru immigration at SFO summer (mid August weekday close to noon)? I am looking at a ticket (not purchased yet) which gives me only 80 min connection at SFO from international metal to domestic metal (bit surprised that such ticket shows up available online/United site). Any thoughts? Will I be risking too much?
If not, I would definitely not book this connection. That's at least 100 minutes too short for comfort.
May 29, 2019, 1:10 am
#41
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Came through at 2pm yesterday after arrival from SYD. Walked right up to a Global Entry kiosk along with two friends and were among the first at baggage claim (then waited what seemed like an hour for Qantas's baggage contractor to get all the bags out). Visitor line went out to the end of the rope line but did not backup through the terminal as noted in some prior reports.
Last edited by tom911; May 29, 2019 at 10:08 am Reason: left out the word "not"
May 29, 2019, 10:00 am
#42
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 403
Need suggestions. Is wait time looong for Non-GE but U.S. citizen trying to go thru immigration at SFO summer (mid August weekday close to noon)? I am looking at a ticket (not purchased yet) which gives me only 80 min (1hr20min!! Why this is even available?!!) connection at SFO from international metal to domestic metal (bit surprised that such ticket shows up available online/United site). Any thoughts? Will I be risking too much?
May 29, 2019, 12:58 pm
#43
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,947
Thank you for your reply. After much debate, we decided to take 2 hr 50 min connection over this 80 min connection (1hr20min! still showing as available. I don't get it?!!), so hopefully we, the passenger, and our luggage both can pass thru immigration on time before our domestic connection.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ional-sfo.html
the MCT is "xx-UA I-D is generally 80-105 minutes (but without Global Entry this is very tight)"
As often stated on FT, the Minimum Connection Time and Sensible Connection Time can be two entirely different things.
May 30, 2019, 1:26 am
#44
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,162
80 minutes is VERY doable - IF you have Global Entry, TSA Pre, and no baggage. It's even likely doable if you only have one or two of those things. It's doable for me even as a non-US citizen as I have an ABTC and can use the crew line.
If they didn't allow this as a connection, you'd have people that fit into the above criteria complaining that they were forced to wait 4 hours for the next flight when they were through immigration, security and at the gate within 20 minutes of the plane arriving.
Whether it's a sensible connection for you will depend on your situation. The fact the airline allows it doesn't mean it's a good option for you.
If they didn't allow this as a connection, you'd have people that fit into the above criteria complaining that they were forced to wait 4 hours for the next flight when they were through immigration, security and at the gate within 20 minutes of the plane arriving.
Whether it's a sensible connection for you will depend on your situation. The fact the airline allows it doesn't mean it's a good option for you.
Jun 21, 2019, 9:58 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
Arrived at 3pm here (just like OP) with 3 other flight simultaneously - there was only 2 dozen or so in the USA line and the other line was maybe 1/3 full. Nothing like the photos above. Maybe this has been fixed.