2stepsahead

flightplan :
BRU - PHL
PHL - LAX
arrive in philadelphia at 1:30 pm
depart to lax at 16:00 pm

When I arrive in phili , what happens next ?
I mean do I need to go to customs or immigrations or something ?
or is all this done in lax ? or in phili and lax

thank you

Eastbay1K

All @ PHL. You will enter the US there. All the formalities will occur there, including immigration, customs, and then baggage re-check. Then your flight to LAX is domestic - you just grab your bags and go.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

You will go through customs and immigration at your U.S. port of entry, which, in this case, is PHL.

QueenOfCoach

First, on board the Philly flight, you will be given a Customs Declaration form and an Immigration form. Fill them out (black ink) on the plane, and stick them in your carryon bag.

When you land in Philly, you will be "herded" into the Immigration and Customs area. You will be interviewed by a BCP agent, photographed and fingerprinted. (This is very fast.) This is where you turn in your Immigration form. You will get your passport stamped, then will proceed to the baggage claim.

Here you will pick up your own bags, carry them through the Customs part of BCP and turn over your customs declaration card.

On the other side of Customs, there will be a place to re-check your luggage for your LAX flight. The workers there will see your bags are tagged for LAX, then take them from you. It's usually very efficient.

You will then emerge into the International Arrivals area of the Philly airport, where you will see lots of people waiting for loved ones. At that point you are in the insecure (landside) part of the airport. You will need to figure out which gate is your LAX flight, and head to that concourse. (There will be people to ask, if you are confused.)

You will go through TSA security, and then proceed to your LAX flight. Here you are a domestic passenger. When you arrive in LAX, you will just leave the plane, follow the "Baggage Claim" signs, go to the proper carosel, pick up your bags and leave the airport.

I'll give you a tip about LAX, my home airport. The signage in Term 4 for which baggage carousel serves which flight is lousy. Usually they announce the carousel number while the flight is coming in to land. Make a mental note of that number. It's possible you might not have any signage in the baggage claim area, or it might be inaccurate. I don't know why it's so awful there, when other airports manage to do it properly, but that's the way it is.

rotanes

Most likely the OP will not need the immigration form, if he/she is a from a country under the visa waiver program. Usage of these forms has been stopped a couple of month ago for those countries.
The OP has to register under the ESTA website 2 days before the flight (if he has no visa).
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

2stepsahead

thank you queenofcoach for the info (only carry on though)
yes rotanes , i already registered for esta papers , i got clearance (which is valid for 2 years).
queenofcoach you say they will interview ? I am there for some vacation and for some MR . will they understand ? or should i leave out the MR?

rotanes

stay cool and when they ask, tell the truth. They are usually very nice to you if you are nice to them

Some useful information also here:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id...to_the_u_s.xml

clacko

dont carry any liquids or get them from onboard duty free as they will be taken at security at phl when you go to the lax flight....if you do, put them in your bag and check them to lax....the inspection at bru will also take them....

good luck....

2stepsahead

I hope you mean liquids, in bigger bottles, more than 100ml ?
yes I know I cant bring them with carry on. Is that what you meant ?
Or will they take my liquids, in little bottles smaller 100ml, in PHL ?

clacko

just the larger sizes including gels...good luck....

rotanes

.... and no food (except something like cookies etc.)

2stepsahead

I brought a shaving stick (palmolive 50g) in my cary on in the past.
And I just put it in my 1Lziplock bag with other liquids.
Anyone know if I can just put it in my carry on bag and not in the ziplock-bag?
because I had to remove the alluminiumfoile and it gets messy after use in the ziplock bag.
Cant I just leave in the box and put in my carry on?
shaving stick = hard soap

Norus

Are you sure about that? I came back on a SK flight (CPH-EWR) a week ago, and FA's handed out both I94's (white form) and Customs form (blue).. Somewhere down the line they have said to stop with the paper forms and just use ESTA, that needs to be approved 72hrs prior to take off, but for now it seems like they still do both?!

fruitinspace

The I-94W (green form) for passengers applying for entry under the visa waiver program, for business or pleasure, has been phased out in favor of ESTA. It is still occasionally issued at the border for VWP applicants who forgot to apply for ESTA or whose passport details have changed.

The I-94 (white form) for passengers who hold a nonimmigrant visa (e.g. for work or study) remains in use. ESTA is not required for visa holders.

Everyone completes a blue Customs form.

Norus

Well, there you go. I did not know there was both a I94 a n d a I94W.

I stand corrected.