Transit Question, Int'l to domestic at SFO
 

I have never entered the US at SFO and was wondering if an hour and 50 minutes would be ok to go through Immigration and Customs and head to my domestic connect. All UA flights. If not enough time, what would be a suggestion. Thanks for any responses.

How easy 1h50 is will depend on the time of day, your citizenship, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck membership and airline status, but in most cases will be very doable.

Should be OK if your flights are on time. Really easy if you have Global Entry.

Thank much, US citizen, Global Entry.

Mod, please move if needed.

It depends on:

1. If you have Global Entry to go through passport control. TSA Pre to go though domestic security again.
2. If multiple international arrivials around the same time.

I can do 30 minutes with Global Entry and my plane the only one at arrival.

If you have Global Entry you should be fine, I assume you are connecting to UA. If you don't have GE then you MAY have problems and the lines/waits can be horrible at times.

If you are arriving in the morning, use the PreCheck lines at INTL terminal after you have cleared customs and immigration. The line is usually much shorter than T3 (most INTL travelers don't have TSA Pre). After you have re-cleared security, you can walk airside to T3 to catch your onward domestic connection.

The lines were down the hallway for my 8:30 a.m. arrival from NRT last week.

With GE, I was through in literally two minutes.

As mentioned, this should be fine with GE - in fact, if it takes you more than 15 minutes to get from the aircraft to baggage claim, I would be surprised. One thing to watch out for - I've arrived in SFO when the lines for immigration are backed up into the corridor and people who are unsure where to go just join that line - you want to make sure you bypass any long lines and follow the markings and signs for Global Entry that will hug the wall to the left.

After you claim your bags, follow the same GE signs to exit customs - don't wait in the regular lines with general passengers, there are GE priority lanes there.

After you exit, assuming you had checked bags, head left to the bag drop/re-check area then as suggested, you can choose to re-enter from the INTL checkpoint G, or I've usually had good luck with the checkpoint right where T3 and the walkway to G meet which is the closest one to the Arrivals Lounge, where I usually come up from. If you are eligible for the Polaris Lounge, use INTL G to re-enter.

No longer relevant. Customs is not a separate check at SFO.

Can you explain? I haven't been there in a few months, but I'll be there next month - how does one exit the baggage claim without interacting with Customs? Or once you clear the initial counter or GE machine, you turn in your receipt right there before going downstairs?

They take your form (or GE receipt) at immigration. There's no lineup for anyone after baggage claim, you just walk out. There are some agents standing around, presumably watching for suspicious passengers. Kind of makes sense, having a person there just collecting forms didn't accomplish much.

Are these doable? I checked and these are legal, but not sure if safe.

1. SBA-SFO-MUC-TBS. 66 minutes between SBA-SFO and SFO-MUC. Last year while, connecting SBA-SFO-FRA, SBA-SFO was delayed and I was rebooked on LH SFO-FRA. But with this routing, there seems to be no other UA/LH flight after this. (5/3, 9 PM)

2. SIN-SFO-SBA (UA 28). 1 hr 25 minutes. Should be fine with GE, unless SIN-SFO is delayed. Wouldn't really mind usually, but the SFO-SBA is the last one for the day (10:45 pm).If I miss that I am stuck in SFO till 8 AM next day.

No no no! Don't do it. As you likely know, SBA-SFO is frequently delayed, with major negative consequences here.

Yes, I agree. The TPAC arrivals are if anything usually early.

Thanks! Google flights shows SBA-SFO as delayed 50% of the time. Earlier SBA-SFO flights seem full. It is pricing at over $4k for the economy. Yikes. I guess I'll end up flying LAX-MUC. I was trying to avoid the 405, but alas.