Transit time - arriving LAX from BNE on a Sat morn

[kayabela]

I've searched & found a few threads on the question of transit times - allowing for immigration & customs in LA - however the threads date back a bit...

I'll be arriving at LAX from Brisbane at 0630 on a Saturday morning ... I haven't yet booked the onward flight as I'm so torn by how much time I should allow in between.

I'll be arriving via Qantas into the TB terminal - and I would be looking to then fly AA to Atlanta, apparently from terminal 4. I'm planning to purchase a 30-day Admirals Club membership (thrilled that this even allows 2 guests and that we can use it on 3 of our 4 journey legs!) so at least we'll be reasonably comfortable if we do end up waiting around.

Because we're going to Atlanta there is a time difference as well - so we'll get in there quite late if I allow the 4-5 hours I would like to leave as a buffer following arrival ... any tips on how long the wait has been on recent'ish trips would be very much appreciated!

 

[RooFlyer]

LAX (and many other US entry points) is a lot better than it used to be, especially if you have an e-passport. However you will be on separate tickets.

If you have an e-passport I think 3 hours (effectively 2.5 hrs as boarding will commence 1/2 hour prior.) will be OK.

In my recent experience, having an 'old' ESTA (pre recent additional info required) made no difference to going through their electronic gates (the additional qs were not asked).

Some-body may be able to comment on whether you could get the 2 PNRs joined after you book the AA ticket.

 

[kayabela]

Thanks for the info - I hadn't thought of joining the PNRs - definitely worth looking into in case of delays! Perhaps if I book the AA tickets through the Qantas FF booking site, they might then join them

 

[RooFlyer]

I believe if it can be done in any one case, it has to be done manually by some-one; like a travel agent or a QF agent. Give Qantas a call and ask them, but hopefully some-one here can give an authoritative answer. If you can access a good TA, might be worthwhile to ask them. "If I buy this AA ticket through you, can you join the PNR with my QF ticket?" If they say yes, ask them to guarantee it.

 

[docjames]

AA's terms of carriage protect you arriving on a oneworld carrier where you've met the minimum connection time. So if you miss your flight, they'll put you on the next flight with available space. Not ideal but some protection. This is easier if the pnrs are linked but not vital.

The time to transit customs and re-enter security for T4 can be variable, my personal preference is to allow at least 2.5hrs (when arriving QF - but beware - if booked separately, and AA change the flight time to breach the mct prior to travel, they'll ignore the QF inbound and you'll be up for change fees etc.

So in summary, aim for 2.5-3hrs and you should be fine. Under 2hrs can be a bit stressful as a delay at any point really makes things tight.

 

[blackcat20]

3hours for peace of mind, though arriving is a lot easier than it used to be if you can use the kiosks.