SFO vs. LAX customs/immigration
 

Just curious whether other people share my experience clearing immigration and customs at SFO and LAX.

At SFO I have a consistently smooth and easy experience. I typically breeze through immigration and customs. It's easy to re-check your checked luggage, and the whole facility is a lot nicer than LAX.

At LAX I make it through immigration no problem, but am batting 1.000 with getting held up with customs. Maybe I look more suspicious when I travel via LAX - who knows. Half the time I get the dreaded red mark on the customs card and I have to go off to the side for special handling. This is never happened at SFO.

Anyone have similar experiences?

I've been held up for secondary inspection at LAX once in about twenty trips thru customs. I attributed it that one time to carrying a ratty looky duffel bag.

I have had very few issues ever at SFO. At LAX, however, I have had every item in luggage inspected, I have had lines that have been unconscionable (no one really could find the end of the customs line)... of all my entries into the US (the majority of which are @ SFO, LAX, and IAD), LAX takes the cake on "issues."

Among foreigners the ports of entry with the largest concentrations of minority immigrants tend to have a bad reputation: HNL, LAX, JFK, MIA...

I usually go through unimpeded at my usual gateways (SFO, DTW, BOS), with a preference for SFO.

No experience at LAX, but replace "LAX" in the first post with "SEA" and you've got my experiences. Much prefer SFO.

My biggest issues have been at LAX, T5 (where AA used to arrive). I have never been grilled harder by the customs agents than there, other than at MEM! Otherwise, MIA, ORD, and even LAX TBIT have all been relatively easy - few if no questions.

I've still never been pulled into secondary to have my luggage inspected (coming into the US), but the grilling I get when coming back into my own country really sucks.

In the '80s and '90s, SFO customs had a bad reputation for being pretty heavy handed - detaining folks, forcing them to take laxatives. They lost some lawsuits and I haven't heard much in the way of complaints since. I had a girlfriend have a very rough go of it during those times. They literally ripped earrings out of her ears because they believed she purchased them in the Orient and she couldn't get them off.

I've always found SFO painless. LAX hasn't been bad, but I don't find them as friendly.

HNL can be a pain.

Not carrying a US-passport, I avoid immigration at LAX when ever possible - lines (and organisation) for immigrants can often be terrible (about every second time I had to ait over 50 minutes, the maximum was once, when arriving together with PremEx late afternoon from FRA on LH, the UA immigration terminal was already closed and we had to go though Bradley, I waited 2 hours and 15 minutes ... and poor PremEx) had to wait outside for me all that time ... .

On the US westcoast it is for me much easier through SFO.

On the US estcoast, I prefer BOS for immigration.

I have been stopped at SFO customs the last 2 times through. August was an agricultural inspection and September was a "Random" selection by the useless guy that stands at the entrance to customs rechecking your passport.

I have gone thru LAX 5 times been inspected 1.

SFO 5 times been inspected 2.

SJC 3 times been inspected 1.

BOS 1 time with no inspection.

ORD 1 time with no inpection.
SEA once with no inspection.

I've entered the U.S. at LAX literally over 100 times and have only had my bag searched twice, both times since 9/11. And they were very nice about it. No problems at SFO. Maybe it helps that I'm white, clean cut and I'm a U.S. citizen with an INS Pass.

Hi,

I have flown into SFO ( Intl terminal ) twice recently and usually had a 20minute wait at Immigration ( not too bad and better than expected).

However at LAX when flying into Terminal 2 ( KLM WBC and VS Upper class) we have had no queues in front of us at immigration so alomost straight through.

A few years ago ( flying BA WT into Tom Bradley) there was about a 30 min queue).

No inspections either time.

Overall a faster processing time at LAX T2 but SFO is a better airport esp on departure ( with the VS Clubhouse prior to a 10 hr trip back to the UK) http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Regards

TBS

Out of a number of times, I only got questioned only once and at LAX. That was my first SIN trip early last year. I had 3 bags (one bought in SIN) and not much in each one. (I was lazy & didn't combine into 1 or 2 bags). They asked me how long in SIN & I said 2 days. Red flag in their eyes. They asked me how I could afford to fly to SIN for a short time. Try cheap ticket & mega miles! Showed them a printout of previous overseas trip. Gave the customs officer an education on airline points, cost per mile, etc. After going through my bags & finding nothing illegal, they let me be on my way. I did tell them I may miss my flight to ONT.

On future trips, when they asked me how long in the country, I will count the time from departure from the US to entrance to the US. I will say I have been gone 5 days although I spent 2 days & a night in SIN. Not being dishonest but a different way of answering their question. On my future trips, I only had one carry on bag. They say, only one bag? I tell them Rick Steves (PBS videos of Europe--they usually recognize him) recommend to travel light. No troubles since.

chemist - you hit the nail on the head, when it comes to the two problems I have with at customs.

1) I've travelled 15,000 miles to stay for two nights
2) Two nights or ten nights, I always travel with a ten-pound backpack. And that's it.

I've developed a similar strategy. This includes entry in the other country; when they asked "how many days do you plan to stay?" or "how many days were you gone?" I count every "day" I can. Left U.S. day 1, arrived Singapore day 2, left Singapore day 3, arrived U.S. day 4, etc.

I'm fairly young and can mumble something about "doing the backpacker thing" when questioned about why I haven't "retrieved my baggage," but I like the Rick Steves thing ... I may give it a try!

I would also somtimes find many countries visited in a short amount of time will trigger flags, or certain countries visited (what were you doing in Amsterdam?). I'm a dual citizen, so when I travel outside the US, I use my Australian passport for all stamps, and only use my US passport to re-enter the US. That way I just say where I came from on my arriving flight as my overseas destination.

What do I look like to customs? I'm a 31 year old clean cut white male who uses Tumi luggage and often travels alone. It only causes some issues returning to the US for some reason.

I gotta big red or black flag http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif Everywhere is hell for me. The immagration guy gives me a funny look and either sends me to a special office ala EWR. Or writes in a code, and when it comes to customs clearance, I get to go to the special table and get everything looked through, and lots of questions asked.. They especially love me in HNl, and my home airport SFO (yet SFO is quite friendly at times..)