International-to-international Connection tips at SFO from SK935
Jan 19, 2023, 3:13 am
#31
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So our connection was quite terrible.
- Arriving on SK935 to SFO on Saturday evening, we landed in the longest immigration line I have ever seen in US. It extended way beyond the immigration hall. It did not help we arrived 10 minutes ahead of time.
- There was no provision, path, or any willingness from the staff to help short connections, neither from the airlines nor from the immigration hall folks. We had to cut an enormous line, which was very stressful; squeezing through a very crowded hall.
- There was no arrival hall bag drop for NZ. The connecting flights bag drop only accepted UA bags.
- There was no bag drop in the departure hall for NZ. The check-in counters have been already closed, despite about 10 persons connecting between SK935 and NZ7. In general, I found this miserable on behalf of NZ.
- After quite some stress, and a lot of running through terminals with bags, we took our hold luggage through security (luckily this worked) and delivered it ourselves to the aircraft, like in a developing country airport.
Jan 19, 2023, 5:19 am
#33
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Glad to hear that the adjustments on the fly to deal with the extra hassle from the US connection managed to work out somehow. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.
Even as I use Global Entry at SFO — and thus get through passport control faster than average at SFO — SFO has had some of the slowest GE lines I’ve been hit by in the last 12 months.
It’s a gamble to count on short-connection passes even if having recently gotten them for a connection for any given combination of flights.
Even as I use Global Entry at SFO — and thus get through passport control faster than average at SFO — SFO has had some of the slowest GE lines I’ve been hit by in the last 12 months.
It’s a gamble to count on short-connection passes even if having recently gotten them for a connection for any given combination of flights.
Jan 19, 2023, 10:33 am
#34
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I am going to try a similar exercise on the way back but via LAX (AKL-LAX-CPH). There hopefully the connection time is less of an issue, as we have a ca. 6h layover. We might end up waiting at LAX departure hall for SK to open the check in counter (when does it open?). Folks down here claim that at LAX the connecting flights bag drop should take all bags, not just united, and we should be able to proceed to a lounge. Still these people have experience with other airline pairs than NZ-SK, so I am only moderately optimistic.
Jan 19, 2023, 2:03 pm
#35
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I am going to try a similar exercise on the way back but via LAX (AKL-LAX-CPH). There hopefully the connection time is less of an issue, as we have a ca. 6h layover. We might end up waiting at LAX departure hall for SK to open the check in counter (when does it open?). Folks down here claim that at LAX the connecting flights bag drop should take all bags, not just united, and we should be able to proceed to a lounge. Still these people have experience with other airline pairs than NZ-SK, so I am only moderately optimistic.
Last edited by CPH-Flyer; Jan 19, 2023 at 9:24 pm
Jan 21, 2023, 8:12 am
#36
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Even as I use Global Entry at SFO — and thus get through passport control faster than average at SFO — SFO has had some of the slowest GE lines I’ve been hit by in the last 12 months.
It’s a gamble to count on short-connection passes even if having recently gotten them for a connection for any given combination of flights.
It’s a gamble to count on short-connection passes even if having recently gotten them for a connection for any given combination of flights.
Jan 21, 2023, 8:53 am
#37
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My last two SFO GE entries took less than a minute. SFO International is incredibly busy around the time the SK, LH and other flights land but gets a lot less crowded a bit later in the afternoon. If avoiding immigration lines is important or making short connections KL605 is a great flight to take. I find LAX and DFW to have the more frustrating GE experiences.
Jan 22, 2023, 10:53 am
#38
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With 2-3 flights to US a year, I can't justify the effort of arranging global entry. My experiences of course referred to general entry at SFO.
Arriving with NZ6 late morning with LAX was quite a different experience. There was no line to border control whatsoever, there was (as people write here) a general connecting flights bag drop setup that worked very well and efficiently. We did not find any transfer security check - we were directed to the general one, but this one was also super efficient. The *A lounge was more than enough, rather enjoyable. So the trip back via LAX is recommended.
NB. The amenity kit in SK Business is comparable to the one in UA Premium Economy
Arriving with NZ6 late morning with LAX was quite a different experience. There was no line to border control whatsoever, there was (as people write here) a general connecting flights bag drop setup that worked very well and efficiently. We did not find any transfer security check - we were directed to the general one, but this one was also super efficient. The *A lounge was more than enough, rather enjoyable. So the trip back via LAX is recommended.
NB. The amenity kit in SK Business is comparable to the one in UA Premium Economy
Jan 22, 2023, 12:51 pm
#39
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With 2-3 flights to US a year, I can't justify the effort of arranging global entry. My experiences of course referred to general entry at SFO.
Arriving with NZ6 late morning with LAX was quite a different experience. There was no line to border control whatsoever, there was (as people write here) a general connecting flights bag drop setup that worked very well and efficiently. We did not find any transfer security check - we were directed to the general one, but this one was also super efficient. The *A lounge was more than enough, rather enjoyable. So the trip back via LAX is recommended.
NB. The amenity kit in SK Business is comparable to the one in UA Premium Economy
Arriving with NZ6 late morning with LAX was quite a different experience. There was no line to border control whatsoever, there was (as people write here) a general connecting flights bag drop setup that worked very well and efficiently. We did not find any transfer security check - we were directed to the general one, but this one was also super efficient. The *A lounge was more than enough, rather enjoyable. So the trip back via LAX is recommended.
NB. The amenity kit in SK Business is comparable to the one in UA Premium Economy
Just landed in LAX in the morning arrival rush. No rush at immigration though, was in the rental car shuttle about 40 minutes after the wheels touched the ground. TBIT has improved to a constant efficient flow, or the arrival numbers are still pretty low.
Jan 23, 2023, 1:52 am
#40
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That's fast. I used to have to wait like 40 minutes to get on a rental car shuttle at LAX. I guess they have finally completed the road work.
Jan 23, 2023, 8:45 am
#41
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No, still quite a bit of construction chaos from building the people mover. But now that all the standard taxis, car hailing apps, and ride share apps have to pick up away from the terminals at LAX-It traffic at the arrivals level is much better.
Jan 23, 2023, 9:34 am
#42
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LAX did a great job at better placing hotel and rental car shuttles and Uber pick ups which leads to far less chaotic pick ups and drop offs. The general traffic on 'World Way' seems to be far less dense and busy than it was. LAX non GE immigration can still be a mess depending on when you arrive, LAX GE immigration is a breeze.
Even at 2-3 entries a year, GE is only 30 bucks each, totally worth it.
Even at 2-3 entries a year, GE is only 30 bucks each, totally worth it.
Jan 23, 2023, 10:55 am
#43
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LAX did a great job at better placing hotel and rental car shuttles and Uber pick ups which leads to far less chaotic pick ups and drop offs. The general traffic on 'World Way' seems to be far less dense and busy than it was. LAX non GE immigration can still be a mess depending on when you arrive, LAX GE immigration is a breeze.
Even at 2-3 entries a year, GE is only 30 bucks each, totally worth it.
Even at 2-3 entries a year, GE is only 30 bucks each, totally worth it.
A $100 one-time fee is required with your Global Entry application and must be paid at time of application submission through the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) system. You can pay by credit card or through an electronic bank transfer.
The fee is non-refundable, even if an application is denied."
Jan 23, 2023, 11:00 am
#44
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"Non-Refundable Application Fee
A $100 one-time fee is required with your Global Entry application and must be paid at time of application submission through the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) system. You can pay by credit card or through an electronic bank transfer.
The fee is non-refundable, even if an application is denied."
A $100 one-time fee is required with your Global Entry application and must be paid at time of application submission through the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) system. You can pay by credit card or through an electronic bank transfer.
The fee is non-refundable, even if an application is denied."
Jan 23, 2023, 12:21 pm
#45
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If you apply right after renewing a Danish passport, $100 last for max 10 years, Swedish passports only last for 5 years which means at least $20 per year. Maybe it makes sense for frequent business travellers, but not every company would pay for that including Mr's ex-employer.