Will I be doomed?

[FrothDaddy]

Dear Friends,

I came across the following itinerary and for some strange reason it appeals to me greatly as I am hoping to use the long layovers to enter the country/city and see some old friends:

Please tell me that I should be fine to enter move pass immigration at LAX and IAD as an Australian citizen with a valid ESTA. Also, given the long layovers how confident should I be that my baggage would be checked all the way to Geneva? The last thing I would want is to be doomed at each airport for so long if I can't exit. Just want to double check

 

[Gold Member]

14h35m is cutting it mighty fine for LAX immigration and security…

Otherwise, I think you’ll be just fine.

 

[AIRwin]

It may qualify for this?

Your longest trip point-to-point?

What's the longest point to point trip you've done (one way) to get to your destination as a continuous trip (without stopovers on the way)? When coming over to Europe, I realised that I did book myself a very sub-optimal trip - "time in transit" wise: 43 hours door to door. I could easily have...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[justinbrett]

Dear Friends,

I came across the following itinerary and for some strange reason it appeals to me greatly as I am hoping to use the long layovers to enter the country/city and see some old friends:

Please tell me that IView attachment 337540 should be fine to enter move pass immigration at LAX and IAD as an Australian citizen with a valid ESTA. Also, given the long layovers how confident should I be that my baggage would be checked all the way to Geneva? The last thing I would want is to be doomed at each airport for so long if I can't exit. Just want to double check

Because the second flight is a domestic flight, your bags will need to be rechecked at LAX*. You will clear customs at LAX as you obviously need to enter the country to take a domestic flight, but should be able to drop them as soon as you clear customs. At IAD you are free to leave the airport having arrived on a domestic flight, and US don't do segregated outbound international departures, so it will be fine - you won't see your bag again though.

There is no risk of you not being able to exit. You have to exit on a domestic flight. The only risk is UA determining your layovers are too long and short checking them, hence you'd be exiting with your bags. I'm not sure of UA's policy, but I would think <24 hours should be fine.

*it used to be the case that you always had to recheck bags even on I-I trips, but there are now some situations where you don't need to collect your bags when flying I-I. Not applicable to you here though, as you're flying I-D-I.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I think the biggest risk with such long transits is that your baggage may not be joining you!

 

[Quickstatus]

There is no risk of you not being able to exit

Apart from the general risk that US border agents might find some reason to deny entry.

you won't see your bag again though

I think the biggest risk with such long transits is that your baggage may not be joining you

.... during the transit

[nitpicking] [/nitpicking]

 

[justinbrett]

Apart from the general risk that US border agents might find some reason to deny entry.

Well in that case you're not getting on your next flight, you're in the brig until the next flight to SYD.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Apart from the general risk that US border agents might find some reason to deny entry.




.... during the transit

[nitpicking] [/nitpicking]

I was meaning *after* the transit. There's a real risk your bags are sitting in some lonely storing area and by the time shift changes etc occur..it's left ruing its lonely existence.

 

[albatross710]

I like the idea of a day at Dulles to visit National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

 

[exceladdict]

Looks great if you'll sleep on the flights!