VIP arrival service at LAX ?

[IainF]

My wife & I are landing at LAX on 24th December at 3pm and due to the fact that I am incredibly impatient, I am wondering if there is a "pay for service" scheme that will allow expedited entry.
We have used such a service in various other airports around the world and I am happy to pay in order to avoid the 1-2 hour wait for customs/immigration that Tom Bradley consistently seems to have.
I have googled but can't seem to find any real info.
Anyone here got any ideas ?
Cheers
IainF

 

[adrian]

AA have a 5 star service for a smallish fee:

AmericanAirlines(R) Five Star Service

I haven't read the details, but would assume that you would have to be arriving on an AA flight? You don't say who you are flying, but I guess there is a chance you are on an AA/QF codeshare from SYD/MEL/BNE.....

 

[serfty]

Who are you travelling with and of what booking class?

Do you have an onward connection? if so, how long and with what carrier?

 

[drron]

AA have a 5 star service for a smallish fee:

AmericanAirlines(R) Five Star Service

I haven't read the details, but would assume that you would have to be arriving on an AA flight? You don't say who you are flying, but I guess there is a chance you are on an AA/QF codeshare from SYD/MEL/BNE.....

Would be unlikely to be available at Tom bradley as AA uses T4.

 

[777]

You could fly VA - by all reports the international arrivals at Delta's terminal 5 are much more efficient than TBIT. Sounds like you've booked already though.

 

[thewinchester]

After some digging around, if you have a connecting AA segment at LAX, their five star service is available. According to an article on AusBT, they indicate service will see you through Customs/Immigration using the Diplomat & Crew lanes.

However, a comment on the same article suggests that, at least for DFW, AA 5* won't meet you until after clearing customs.

As for VIP services at LAX, there seems to be at least three providers around but none of them mention specifically any customs services or expedited clearance they might provide for inbound INT pax.

Having said this, if you have a ticket connection departing within T-120min of arrival, as of Sept 2011 there is an express lane available. Details of this were posted over in this thread.

On the core issue of LAX immigration clearance times, this isn't a new problem. According to an LA Times article of November 2011, the problem has become so bad that LAX Airport Director Gina Marie Lindsey has filed a formal complaint with US CBP Commissioner Bersin.

The correspondence to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan D. Bersin also noted that on one day in July only a third of the airport's 60 immigration booths were staffed and more than 2,700 international passengers had to be held on airliners because of processing delays.

Director Lindsay was reported as saying that unless CBP gets their act together at LAX, the works to expand the CBP post as part of the multi-million Bradley West expansion program would be a complete waste.

It should also be noted that LAXTEC (a non-profit corp. which pretty much controls TBIT, owned by all the carriers homed there) has a permanent advisory board which in part is responsible for working with US FedGov partners on problems at the terminal.

 

[IainF]

Thanks for the advice guys.
I am flying on Air NZ and staying in LA, so no connecting flights and the AA service won't apply, sadly.
If any airport needed a VIP service, this is it.
Looks like I am ging to have to suck it up & stand in line for an hour or so....
Cheers
IainF