Logistics with flight from Sydney to LA and then LA to Chicago

[eudalek]

Hi,

There is a flight from Sydney to LA (Qantas flight) that arrives at 17:45 and if using QFF points, an American Airlines flight to Chicago at 18:40 (same day) can be booked.

From anyone's personal experience, is this quite ambitious to arrive at 17:45 international terminal (LAX), grab luggage and make my way to the domestic terminal and catch flight to Chicago within less than 1 hr?

Best,

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi,

There is a flight from Sydney to LA (Qantas flight) that arrives at 17:45 and if using QFF points, an American Airlines flight to Chicago at 18:40 (same day) can be booked.

From anyone's personal experience, is this quite ambitious to arrive at 17:45 international terminal (LAX), grab luggage and make my way to the domestic terminal and catch flight to Chicago within less than 1 hr?

Best,

I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be an allowed connection as it wouldn’t meet minimum connecting times.

If they issue it in a single ticket I’d go for it… nothing to lose. But if two separate tickets I’d say it would be almost impossible unless your inbound was around an hour or so early.

The main bottle necks will be waiting for baggage, TSA security to get to the domestic concourse, and then having to be at the gate ready for boarding no later than 15 minutes before departure of the domestic.

 

[eric2011]

IMO wouldn't even think about it.

 

[Hvr]

Two chances of making this connection. Buckley's and none.

 

[Mwenenzi]

There is a flight from Sydney to LA (Qantas flight) that arrives at 17:45 and if using QFF points, an American Airlines flight to Chicago at 18:40 (same day) can be booked.

From anyone's personal experience, is this quite ambitious to arrive at 17:45 international terminal (LAX), grab luggage and make my way to the domestic terminal and catch flight to Chicago within less than 1 hr?,

We assume you have never been to LAX before. Have you endured the USA bag collection and immigration at LAX or any other USA airport before? Then security to the next flight.

The AA 18:40 flight will close X minutes before for check-in/bag drop and you need to be at the gate 15 minutes before (from above).
Would you try for 0:55 international to domestic transfer on separate tickets at an AU airport?

Or maybe you meant 18:40 the next day.

 

[ozflier]

Agree with posters.
The LAX arrival terminal is Bradley and there can be a longish walk just to get to immigration.
I had a connection last week Sydney - LAX - JFK on QF and United respectively with an original conx time of 4 hours.
Needless to say, Qantas left late and arrived leaving me 90 minutes to board the United flight.
I just made it and would not want to do it again!

 

[TomVexille]

Also AA no longer have a bag drop at the exit of TBIT, so while T4 is only next door, you do need to schlep bags over

 

[Quickstatus]

17:45

18:40

Let's do the sums:

1745hrs Flight arrives
1845-1945hrs Get out of immigration/ luggage pickup
1945-2015 Recheck in at AA terminal 4
2015-2100 get through security
What if your flight from SYD is delayed?
Will need to travel back in time....

 

[blackcat20]

No chance.

 

[docjames]

Wouldnt risk it. Miracle required to make that connection.

 

[UP4014]

Agree with all, it's taken me sometimes an hour for the bag to come off, another trip took an hour to get through passport control, another trip again took 45 mins to go through domestic security. Have those things happen on the same day and you need 4 or 5 hours.

 

[MelbFlyer]

I honestly don't understand these 1hr international connections and why they still exist / airlines are still selling these, it's almost as if you need to be Usain Bolt and then some to get through luggage, immigration, customs etc within that short timeframe.

I'd never book an international connecting flight with less than 2-3hrs transit time.

I chanced it a few years ago when going to Japan in 2016 (Melbourne to Tokyo, and then Tokyo to Osaka on separate bookings).

Flight scheduled to land at 9:05am in Tokyo Narita, domestic flight then at 11:55am.

My outgoing flight from Melbourne was delayed by 1.5hrs, luckily we made up time on the flight due to tailwinds. Managed to land in Tokyo 15mins later than scheduled and made the connection.

 

[justinbrett]

I honestly don't understand these 1hr international connections and why they still exist / airlines are still selling these,

They're not - this is a DIY separate booking connection and is an illegal connection.

Even though QF will interline separate bookings if one is points and the other cash, they won't interline this as it's an illegal connection.

 

[elanshin]

I honestly don't understand these 1hr international connections and why they still exist / airlines are still selling these, it's almost as if you need to be Usain Bolt and then some to get through luggage, immigration, customs etc within that short timeframe.

I'd never book an international connecting flight with less than 2-3hrs transit time.

The Asian airport hubs like HKG, TYO are highly efficient. I was super surprised yesterday when I landed at HKG, waltzed through immigration and my bag was on the carousel already (less than 10 minutes after landing at gate). Out of customs and rechecked/bag dropped into my connecting flight all within 30mins of getting to the gate.

Heck JAL checked me in at CTS 22minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart and my checked luggage made it onto the plane no problems.

 

[MelbFlyer]

They're not - this is a DIY separate booking connection and is an illegal connection.

Even though QF will interline separate bookings if one is points and the other cash, they won't interline this as it's an illegal connection.

Whilst not the case for this one as the OP is looking to book separately, there are still tickets that are being sold with barely a 1hr connection time, I simply wouldn't be comfortable booking such a itinerary.

 

[BD1959]

Whilst I agree with the general thoughts that I would not, ever book a connection this tight I also don't agree that an hour's is impossible.

On Qantas, maybe, but last October I arrived at TBIT on AY1, cleared immigration, picked up bag, walked through customs, dropped bag, visited the bathrooms, upstairs to departures, cleared security and was back airside in 50mins.

Again, MCT is 2hrs (so anything below this would be an illegal connection) and I'd be loathed to book a connection so tight as 2hrs - especially with QF - but very occasionally LAX is not so bad ... !!

Regards,

BD

 

[ozflier]

The Asian airport hubs like HKG, TYO are highly efficient. I was super surprised yesterday when I landed at HKG, waltzed through immigration and my bag was on the carousel already (less than 10 minutes after landing at gate). Out of customs and rechecked/bag dropped into my connecting flight all within 30mins of getting to the gate.

Heck JAL checked me in at CTS 22minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart and my checked luggage made it onto the plane no problems.

Similarly Helsinki is very efficient and a one hour connection is doable .
I could say the same thing about Frankfurt but there the baggage is not the issue - it is navigating between arrival and departing gates !

 

[RichardMEL]

I would like to see an example of a 1 hour connection I->D at LAX that's bookable. It's just not realistic.

I agree the only way the OP could seemingly say they could book this 1745-1840 "connection" is via separate bookings, and is, as we all well know, madness to even attempt. With a 1745 arrival (what is that QF17?) you'd be looking at a redeye to ORD departing 2300ish imo. Certainly I wouldn't book a flight east any sooner than 2130-2200. I am very conservative though. I suppose 2000 would be a bare minimum but not as separate tickets. Asking for trouble - specially if a delay.

 

[justinbrett]

Also AA no longer have a bag drop at the exit of TBIT, so while T4 is only next door, you do need to schlep bags over

Really? My last entry at LAX I stayed overnight, and by chance have managed to avoid LAX on my next two trips.

Yet another reason to keep avoiding LAX if that's the case.

 

[SYD]

Also AA no longer have a bag drop at the exit of TBIT, so while T4 is only next door, you do need to schlep bags over

(Ditto) Really??? Isn’t it a common bag drop (conveyor) for luggage tagged through?