Transit at LAX

[Pohutu]

I'm hoping that the collective wisdom of PPRuNe can help save my sanity.

Despite having vowed never to do so again, I recently transited at LAX en route from NZ to the UK.

On arrival at LAX, I had, as usual, the delightful dilemma of spending the transit time in a cattle holding pen or running the gauntlet of US immigration. Since I felt that having a shower would be in the interests of both me and my fellow passengers, I decided to go through immigration. An hour later, I finally got through immigration. Then just customs and security to go, and I finally get to the shower with 5 mins to spare before boarding :(.

Everywhere else in the world seems to manage to keep transit passengers airside without going through immigration, and from a passenger's perspective it's hard to see why LAX is different. It is very tempting to just rant about our American cousins not understanding international travel, etc. But there must be a reason for the system, since it takes up resources that could otherwise be used for other security work, it lengthens the immigration queue for everyone not in transit, and it removes a large pool of potential customers from the shops at the airport.

Can anyone help out with what the reason for the system is? It would help me to cope with the queue a little better if I knew.

Pohutu

[ExXB]

I'd love to be able to tell you why the yanks (and the Canadians, to a similar extent) would rather have you in their queues than in their shops (ignoring the fact that LAX doesn't have in-transit shops)

What happens at LAX to NZ passengers is not the worst. My wife and I flew Nadi-Vancouver on FJ's flight via HNL. We didn't want to get off, the airline didn't want us to get off, but to secure the safety of American citizens the CBP wanted us to get off.

Why? Nobody knows! If we were really black-hats and were going to do something nefarious, wouldn't we have done it before landing at HNL? Mind you security at NAN was much better than at HNL (where they ordered my wife to take her flip-flops off. An obvious hiding place for nasty stuff)! :ugh:

My recommendation - next time go via HKG (sorry Tightslot) - the Chinese will welcome you with open arms to their bars and shops, with no need to clear immigration.

[Wannabe Flyer]

If I am not mistaken, even prior to 2001 American Immigration required all passengers transiting thru the US to clear customs and immigration even if the final destination was not the US (including having a transit visa for those countries that required it). They also have a rule that one has to clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry (a lot of other countries do not require this). A wise person would not transit the US to avoid this hassle and the wise US retailer therefore does not set up fancy duty free in anticipation of little or no transit traffic

This is in my opinion a way to discourage or prevent those who seek to illegally enter the USA from trying such means

As a nationality that requires a visa to almost every country this is so the case in recent times to the following

1) EU if on a schnegin visa. One has to clear immigration at the first point of entry to the EU even if only in transit to another EU state

2) UK one requires a transit visa if you are transiting the UK (unless going to the USA with a valid visa or one of the original 11 EU countries).

3) China

4) Australia

This still does not take away from what a pain the :mad: some airports can be, but guess in the times we live in when we gotta strip to our undies then we need to take the time to appreciate that in the end it is for the safety. All it takes is one Moron!!!

Hong Kong I love as it is smooth as butter and the amount of 10 hour transits I do thru there traveling across the world has given me fast track status.

[WHBM]

If I am not mistaken, even prior to 2001 American Immigration required all passengers transiting thru the US to clear customs and immigration even if the final destination was not the US
Not in the situation described here, on a through aircraft stopping in the US. Back in those times BA used to have a through aircraft London-Seattle-Vancouver, and we just stayed on board at Seattle.

[radeng]

Same with the BA flight to Japan, stopping in Anchorage. But it is best to avoid transit in the US, especially, I'm told, at LAX.

[ExXB]

If I am not mistaken, even prior to 2001 American Immigration required all passengers transiting thru the US to clear customs and immigration even if the final destination was not the US (including having a transit visa for those countries that required it). They also have a rule that one has to clear customs and immigration at the first point of entry (a lot of other countries do not require this). A wise person would not transit the US to avoid this hassle and the wise US retailer therefore does not set up fancy duty free in anticipation of little or no transit traffic

This is in my opinion a way to discourage or prevent those who seek to illegally enter the USA from trying such means

As a nationality that requires a visa to almost every country this is so the case in recent times to the following

1) EU if on a schnegin visa. One has to clear immigration at the first point of entry to the EU even if only in transit to another EU state

2) UK one requires a transit visa if you are transiting the UK (unless going to the USA with a valid visa or one of the original 11 EU countries).

3) China

4) Australia

This still does not take away from what a pain the :mad: some airports can be, but guess in the times we live in when we gotta strip to our undies then we need to take the time to appreciate that in the end it is for the safety. All it takes is one Moron!!!

Hong Kong I love as it is smooth as butter and the amount of 10 hour transits I do thru there traveling across the world has given me fast track status.

Not at all airports/airlines. I recall AA had an intransit facility for International to International connections at MIA. I used it a few times. I don't need a US visa, but was happy to avoid the hassle.

The Schengen situation is different. You clear immigration at the first point of arrival in the zone, you don't reclear at your actual destination. Where as some-one transiting LAX enroute to Heathrow will clear US immigration and UK immigration at the respective airports.

When I arrive in PAR/AMS/FRA enroute to ZRH I clear immigration at that airport, but no immigration formalities at ZRH

[Pax Vobiscum]

I think (purely intelligent guesswork) that the reason that transit is poorly handled at LAX is that there is so little of it. Antipodes-UK is almost the only routing likely to require transit there - if you're heading further east, it makes more sense to go via Asia. With so few transit passengers, it probably doesn't make sense to make special arrangements for them.

I'm told that several airports in the southeast of the US see more transit traffic (Europe to Central America) and handle it rather better than LAX.

[ExXB]

Antipodes - Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, C/S America, ROE (rest of Europe)
W. Canada - Mexico, Caribbean, C/S America,
Asia - Mexico, Caribbean, C/S America,

I know AC carries a significant amount of connecting traffic on the latter via Vancouver and Toronto (both allow some semblance of International to International without passing customs)

I think the reason why you don't see connecting traffic via LAX is because it is such a bloody awful experience, not that people don't want to do it. Canadians are about the only ones that don't need visas, 15 or so countries visas are waived under certain circumstances, but everyone has to go through the gestapo ... I'm tempted to join the communist party, just so I can answer yes to that question.