Help pls SYD-LAX-YYC Qantas/WestJet

[sydney]

Hi and help please..
Our 18 yr old son is travelling alone for the first time to meet up with us in Calgary, via LAX. He and we are nervous. I need some guidance please so that he does not miss his flight to Calgary.

His 3 flights are on the same booking reference and was booked as a Qantas Classic multi-city award as below.

• SYD-LAX QF11 • 17:45 - 14:25
• LAX-YYC WS1515 • 18:05 - 22:09
• LAX-SYD • 3 weeks later

We'll all fly on a separate ticket from Calgary to US, before he flies home alone again from LAX.

1. Is SYD-LAX/LAX-YYC considered a transit flight or 2 separate flights and does he need to check himself in again in LAX for his WestJet flight?
   I know he needs to collect any checked bag at LAX and go through customs, but if he has carry on only, will Qantas be able to check him into the Westjet flight as well or does he need to check in to Westjet separately after LAX customs? Am wondering if he'll have enough time to check in for his WestJet flight, if Qantas can't check him into both flights.
   Our family usually checks in at least 3 hours in advance for international flights, so this will be shorter since he has to clear customs first. He already has an ESTA.
2. Also, should I rebook his return ticket on a separate one way booking, so that it is not automatically cancelled in the event that he misses his Westjet flight?
   
   Thank you.

 

[BrianQQ]

If all segments are under one ticket, your Calgary boarding pass should be issued and your bags will be tagged to Calgary.

Upon clearing customs, your son will need to collect their bags (if they have checked bags), and then drop them off at the "Connecting Flights" area.

Once done, your son will pass through TSA and then be at departures level at TBIT where he can proceed to walk to Terminal 3 (where WestJet leaves) via the TBIT-T4 connector (near the AMEX Centurion lounge entrance)

 

[Quickstatus]

Welcome @sydney

1. Whether transiting or not in LAX, he will need to go through immigration and collect bags, then recheck the bags at WestJet

2. As all sectors are on the single ticket, QF will tag the bags through to YYC and provide a boarding pass for both flights.

3. Upon picking up bags in LAX, proceed through Customs check and go up the ramp on the right. There is a Transfer area where onward tagged bags can be dropped off.

4. Son will then be land side. Just walk to terminal 3.

5. At T3, just go through security

6. If for some reason QF does not check the bags through and does not provide a boarding pass, just take the bags and do a normal check in at WestJet at T3. Then go through security.

7. The remaining flights won't automatically get cancelled if he misses the flights. So it is not necessary to split off the return flights.

@BrianQQ
You don't access the TBiT-T4 connector to go to T3

 

[Thibault]

I would also add that it might be a good idea to use the CBP MPC app to go through immigration quickly. (Mobile Passport Control (MPC))

It is a very easy process and can save minutes to hours (and stress) passing through the US.

Data access is required, could use wifi at the airport or mobile data.

 

[BrianQQ]

BrianQQ

Ah my apologies, I probably went in through TBIT when I transitted at LAX, been a while

 

[SYD]

Ah my apologies, I probably went in through TBIT when I transitted at LAX, been a while

But the main point is DON’T exit TBIT to the street after bag drop.

Head to the transfer screening point that then takes you back into TBIT departures - from there head around to T3 via the new airside connector.

 

[sydney]

Thanks everyone!

I'll copy your step by step instructions for him.

Will get him to download the CBP MPC app and tell him to go to the transfer screening, and NOT exit TBIT to street level.

I actually toyed around with one of us flying YYC to LAX to catch the same flight with him back to YYC.

That seems anxious and overboard, but on our first and last trip to the US nearly 20 years ago, we travelled to LAS through LAX with our 4 eldest (2 to 10 yrs old) and it was a stressful confusing shemozel with United SYD-LAX delayed by 10 hrs and we almost missed our LAX-LAS flight as we had no idea what was happening.

We then missed our LAS flight to NOLA, due to exceptionally long queues & extra security screening at LAS, which required us to book an extra hotel night in LAS & buying new tickets - all out of pocket. It was a worst case scenario experience. This will be our second time to the US.

 

[RooFlyer]

A map may help. This shows the 'arrival flow' through immigration, collect bags, customs, baggage drop off and exit NOT to the street. But I would ask @SYD, being more recently familiar, if that's the exit on the bottom left that he referred to.

 

[SYD]

A map may help. This shows the 'arrival flow' through immigration, collect bags, customs, baggage drop off and exit NOT to the street. But I would ask @SYD, being more recently familiar, if that's the exit on the bottom left that he referred to.

View attachment 439573

Yes, last time I arrived at TBIT I dropped of my bag and turned right towards TSA and T4 (as shown). It’s a hell of a lot quicker than exiting and going to another terminal by the road because you’ll be joining the masses trying to get through security rather than just the smaller crowd flying in and transferring (although not sure what it’s like mid arvo with the current QF11 timing).

I’ve not been back thru since the T3 connector opened - so I don’t know if there’s another TSA checkpoint on the other side of that map?

BTW, if for some reason the bags aren’t tagged through, he should still try at the service desk in the bag drop area before resorting to schlepping the bags and himself around the road to T3.

 

[Quickstatus]

There is an airside (after security) upstairs connector between TBIT and T3.

And @RooFlyer's suggesting of using the security entrance in his picture can work - the reason for this is that it is often not busy.

Though I think it is just as easy to walk out onto the street to go to T3 and then upstairs to departures - follow blue arrow




Airside connection between tbit and T3

 

[sydney]

You guys are all amazing.

THANK YOU!

Am consolidating your info and maps to print out a hard copy for him just in case his phone dies. Will have a soft copy on his phone too.