Immigration/customs at LAX

[kiwi2768]

Ok, so what's it really like? Who's been there recently? Does it really take as long as 2 or 3 hours to get through?

We won't be using locks on our bags. I've got some of those little plastic luggage seals, each with a number on them. I didn't want to spend the money on TSA approved locks, only to have them broken/damaged. The seals do not need to be cut to be removed - from what I can see they just need to be twisted in a certain way. I just have to make sure I've got the pull-off piece with the seal number on it.

From what I can gather from reading various posts here and on other sites, the immigration/customs people at LAX aren't the most happy people on the planet.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

It varies... I have whipped through there in 30 minutes when the stars aligned and the gods were kind.. longest was two hours but that was due to an ESTA issue...

One major factor is the number of A/C arriving at the same time.. a few 747/A380s and the system there chokes...

I have had some really nice people at LAX... However, on average I would say it is my least preferred point of entry... But avoiding is hard to impossible..

I allow at least two hours to get through and actually prefer three so I can shower and relax before my connecting flight (so far always out of T4)..

Add to your time calculation the time required to re-clear security.. I dont know about changes that only involve TBIT but if you need to change to T4 for example, this can add some significant time... There is no way to do a security side transfer between TBIT and other terminals (you can however do a security side transfer from T4 to TBIT)

 

[kiwi2768]

I was just wondering about clearance times because we will be booking a hire car to pick up at LAX. Fly into LAX, pick up the hire car, go to the hotel and take off on our driving holiday the next day, then fly out of LAX about 2 months later. When we fly out we will most likely be at the airport 3-4 hours before the flight is scheduled to depart.

I assume that when I book the hire car and put the flight details on the booking, the hire car co allows for immigration/customs delays?

I've already done the ESTA thing, just need to go in and add the flight details when I've made the booking.

 

[Dave R32]

Last visit for me was November 2009 and it took 23 mins from hitting the aerobrigde to hitting the street outside. Mind you we were very lucky as we arrived just prior to 4 or 5 other flights.

As for the customs people, I treat them like I like to be treated and they have always been polite to me.

Like Cyclogenesis I allow 3 hours for connecting flights as sometimes the domestic terminals can be chaos.

Personally I would prefer to fly into ORD or SFA.

Cheers
Dave.

 

[kiwi2768]

That was quick Dave R32. Can't even get through the formalities at Perth International in that time .

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I've already done the ESTA thing, just need to go in and add the flight details when I've made the booking.

Well, you don't have to do that, its optional.

 

[UP4014]

Went through about 3 weeks ago.

The staff are fine, always trying to speed up your passage, as someone else stated, it's the volume of planes arriving.

LAX is really not that bad. (messy, but there is construction going on with improvements on the way)

Just book the car for a couple of hours after landing, they will have plenty in the lot to choose from when you get there and note the time of pick accordingly.

Matt

 

[Dave R32]

That was quick Dave R32. Can't even get through the formalities at Perth International in that time .

I was first into the immigration / customs hall, a bit daunting to have all those officers look up at once to see who is heaidng their way !!

A quick " Hi nice morning isnt it", they take their happy snap, then off to the baggage conveyor, first bag up the shute was mine..a rare treat. Over to the customs officer who takes my declaration and out onto the street.

I was connecting to Las Vegas on AA and it took over an hour to get checked in (even using self check), drop my bag and wait while it was x-rayed ( I always lock my bag and now wait while they screen them in case they want to inspect inside) and get through security.

Cheers
Dave.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Wow Dave! I have dreams that go like that! (especially the "first down the chute" bit...) Seems to me that the days I get through Immigration the quickest are the days where luggage is the slowest...

 

[Katie]

I went through LA last May (TBIT, on a pretty full A380) and October (T4, on a 747). While I dislike arriving into LA, I can't back it up with any tales of hours and hours of waiting at immigration, although I've had a few times where I've been able to relatively zip through immigration and then wait for "ages" for my bags. But I think the ages just feels worse because T4 is pretty cramped in the luggage area, and you've just come off a 12-13-14 hour flight and want to get to your destination.

I don't think it's ever taken 2hrs to get through immigration, get my luggage and get out. Even the time in 2007 when my flight from BNE was delayed by 3-4 hrs, and my colleague and I hung around after getting our bags, to get our ongoing flights re-booked. Turns out they'd already been re-booked, and we didn't need to wait in line at all. Our luggage tags had the correct flight numbers to our final destination, just at checkin at BNE they weren't sure that those would be our flights, I guess.

 

[kiwi2768]

Do they ask questions such as what you're going to see, where you're going to go, how much money you have for your trip etc?

I've got a notebook where I've been making lists of where we're going and what we're seeing. We'll probably get one of those travel cards and preload it with US dollars, as well as take a little cash. If we load the travelcard with, say, US$10,000 I'm not sure how we prove how much money is on the card.

 

[Dave R32]

Do they ask questions such as what you're going to see, where you're going to go, how much money you have for your trip etc?

I've got a notebook where I've been making lists of where we're going and what we're seeing. We'll probably get one of those travel cards and preload it with US dollars, as well as take a little cash. If we load the travelcard with, say, US$10,000 I'm not sure how we prove how much money is on the card.

They usually ask why are visiting, if it is business then they will ask what type of business, I dont remember them asking about where else you may be visiting within the US.

On the I94 form you need to fill in the name and address of your first nights accomodation....dont skip it or just think that the Hotel name will be enough, back in 1991 my wife once spent an hour waiting to the side of the line as she couldnt give them the address of the hotel I was staying at, finally the immigration people paged me out in the arrivals area and I had to vouch for her......I did

The money on the card wont worry them, if you had $10K in cash you would need to declare it.

Cheers
Dave.

 

[Katie]

Yes, on the basis on what you've filled out on the green/white form (if you have to fill it out - some AirNZ flights don't require it, I believe, and are using the ESTA submissions for paperless entry.
I'm normally travelling on business, and will say why I'm there (office visit, attending a conference). Then answer questions about what I do, what my company does. I usually bring out the line marketing uses about what software we produce, and I normally get no more questions after that.
I haven't been asked to prove how much money I have or if I can support myself finanically for my stay - but if I did, I'd show them my credit cards.

When I travelled more for leisure and to visit the man who is now Mr Katie while he worked in the US in the late 90s, I was much more careful about what details I gave about who I was visiting and why. I didn't lie, but I would have said things like "I'm vising friends", not "I'm visiting my boyfriend who's here on a H1 visa". Generally, I had no issues, and only recall having to show my ticket/itinerary once, when I arrived in SFO after spending 3 winter months in Germany and heaps of winter luggage. The agent didn't believe I was only staying three days. After assuring her uni was starting that week, and it was just breaking up the trip home, she let me in.

They are unlikely to want details of your trip, unless they are concerned for some reason or suspect you are likely to over-stay the period you are allowed to say or suspect you of wanting to seek work.

 

[UP4014]

Do they ask questions such as what you're going to see, where you're going to go, how much money you have for your trip etc?

I've got a notebook where I've been making lists of where we're going and what we're seeing. We'll probably get one of those travel cards and preload it with US dollars, as well as take a little cash. If we load the travelcard with, say, US$10,000 I'm not sure how we prove how much money is on the card.

Just know the name and address of the hotel you're staying at in the begining. No need to prove how much limit you have on your plastic. CUstoms people are easy and straight up, if they want to know something they will ask in a polite manner.

It's pretty easy and straight forward, no need to panic about it.

 

[kiwi2768]

Just asking questions as I think of them All of you are a great help.

 

[david870mdg]

Do they ask questions such as what you're going to see, where you're going to go, how much money you have for your trip etc?

.

Last year I had three entries at LAX TBIT all AM off QF flights ex AUS.

Just rush to the front once you disembark (most people just stroll leisurely or tiresome along the long corridor), all coutners are open.
One time I didnt fill in the form and still had time to fill in the ones provided, line up and clear customs / immigration in a speedy matter.

Just be truthful with the immigration agent/s. They will question you, but if you are a legitimate visitor (you have already done your etsa) and can provide legitimate reasons and contacts / address for stay in the US, it shouldnt be a problem.
I've actually had worse experience with my own countries customs / border immigration agents on a few occasions than the US ones (yeh, welcome home.....)

One was a 20 minute clearance customs / immigration and lugage recheck, then at 120 minute wait at AA T4 for my onward flight.... Great.

David

 

[wywk]

I had to go through LAX on the way to Miami in January and my flight landed at 9.30am. It must have been the busy hour, as it took us almost 2hrs to get through Immigration/Customs before we could transfer to our connecting flight. It wasn't a nice experience.

I guess it depends on the time you get there. It was the same experience on the way back. Got to LAX 3.5hrs before our flight back to SYD, it was 8pm, spent about 2hrs in checkin/security etc. Lots of long queues... We went to check-in, got our bags tagged, took our luggage to TSA security check, then went through normal security and immigration. Each time we had to queue up for at least 30mins.