Transit time in SFO - enough time?!?

[bnroz]

Hi,

Im looking at booking QF73 next year which arrives in SFO at 10:15am. I am than needing to book a flight to Chicago, there is one that departs SFO at 12pm, will i have enought time to go through customs, baggage, etc and checkin to internal domestic flight or not?

i am travelling with my family (2 adults and 2 small children), so hopefully we can get thru customs quickly (family with small children line ).

would i be able to make this 12pm connection or not?

 

[11sjw]

I've made similar time differences through LAX, admittedly on my own. If you point out to staff that you have a connection to make they're generally ok about helping you out.

Just out of interest how late is the next flight?

 

[bnroz]

the next one is around 1:30pm or 1:45pm.... the quicker the transit it time the better and the quicker to our destination, especially with 2 children (aged 3 1/2 and 8 months)

 

[bnroz]

I've made similar time differences through LAX, admittedly on my own. If you point out to staff that you have a connection to make they're generally ok about helping you out.

Just out of interest how late is the next flight?

Also... just out of interest, would the staff really help you out if you had a connection, as i did this in Melbourne last year arriving from USA with a small child in tow, we said to customs people in the baggage collection area we have a connecting flight that we are going to miss (there was a massive lineup to check baggage with customs). they said bad luck go to end of line!

 

[Maca44]

SFO is a lot quicker to transit through than LAX, and customs and immigration officers actually treat you like a human being, unlike LAX from my experience. Depending on what carrier you are using from SFO to ORD, you "should" have enough time if both your flights are on the one PNR, however, you should be cautious in the event QF73 is delayed for some unknown reason albeit it usually has a good track record for being on time. I know what it's like travelling with small kids, but it might be better to take one of the later flights, just in case. Also, if you book your flights all the way through from SYD-SFO-ORD you will be protected in the event of a delay, then no problems.

 

[11sjw]

the next one is around 1:30pm or 1:45pm.... the quicker the transit it time the better and the quicker to our destination, especially with 2 children (aged 3 1/2 and 8 months)

I hear you. This time last year we did PER-MLB (o/night)-LAX (2 nights)- YYZ (9 nights) - PHL (6). Then went JFK - NRT (4) - SYD - PER. All with a near 2 year old in tow. What we thought was going to be a good thing was that we were in Business all the way (RtW tix 280K points each). Trouble is she only slept more than 1.5 hrs on the 2nd last flight!!

Sometimes the airports can be good to go for a walk and change the scenery. By the end of it ours did not want to get on an aircraft or get in a car.

 

[harvyk]

That should be enough time if everything goes like clockwork, especially as the customs hall is just about empty when QF73 lands, so it's just your plane that needs to clear customs. (At least it has been the previous times I've taken QF73).

Make sure everything is booked under the one ticket and you'll be fine (as you'll be automatically bumped onto a later flight if needs be).

Also remember that the delay may not be clearing customs, but getting past security for your onward flight. Whilst it may not be a problem if your a FF with your connecting carrier (or a FF with the connecting carriers alliance) and they let you use a priority line if your just a joe blow you may be in for a bit of a wait whilst getting past TSA...

 

[bnroz]

I hear you. This time last year we did PER-MLB (o/night)-LAX (2 nights)- YYZ (9 nights) - PHL (6). Then went JFK - NRT (4) - SYD - PER. All with a near 2 year old in tow. What we thought was going to be a good thing was that we were in Business all the way (RtW tix 280K points each). Trouble is she only slept more than 1.5 hrs on the 2nd last flight!!

Sometimes the airports can be good to go for a walk and change the scenery. By the end of it ours did not want to get on an aircraft or get in a car.

wow, that would be hard work with a 2yr old, we have taken our son twice already to USA, once all the way to DC and that when he was 1yr old, then earlier this year to ORlando and a few other places when he was 2 1/2 yrs old all in economy wish i was able to fly Business, but no-can do, not enough points

 

[Maca44]

wow, that would be hard work with a 2yr old, we have taken our son twice already to USA, once all the way to DC and that when he was 1yr old, then earlier this year to ORlando and a few other places when he was 2 1/2 yrs old all in economy wish i was able to fly Business, but no-can do, not enough points

If you are doing this trip on points you might consider putting into the QF website an award flight from SYD-ORD, although when I have done this it only allows you to transit through LAX. For example only, I recently booked an award F class seat for next year SYD-SFO at a cost of 140K points, and then realised that I could have gone SYD-LAX-ORD for 168K points, so changed. So, for 28K points I am flying F class LAX-ORD, and protected because they are on the same tix. The same might work for you in Y flying to ORD, and might save you some points.

 

[bnroz]

If you are doing this trip on points you might consider putting into the QF website an award flight from SYD-ORD, although when I have done this it only allows you to transit through LAX. For example only, I recently booked an award F class seat for next year SYD-SFO at a cost of 140K points, and then realised that I could have gone SYD-LAX-ORD for 168K points, so changed. So, for 28K points I am flying F class LAX-ORD, and protected because they are on the same tix. The same might work for you in Y flying to ORD, and might save you some points.

thanks for that, i did look at that, but we are also using points for 2 adults one-way from JFK to ADL, so we dont have enought, basically using every single points we havem, may have about 1000 left

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Having travelled on QF73 a couple of weeks back SYD to SFO I was amazed how smoothly everything went on arrival ie baggage collection and customs and immigration. It was far less crowded than SYD for example.

Firstly find out what the legal minimum connecting time is in SFO for an international to domestic connection. I thought it was a two hour minimum but that may be just LA. It's no good asking QF in SYD to through check your bag to ORD if it's under the minimum connecting time as they or any airline for that matter won't do this. In short book the first legal connecting flight.

Secondly irrespective of whether your connecting flight is in the same booking as QF73 SYD/SFO as long as QF have a baggage agreement with the SFO/ORD airline they will tag the bags through to your final destination. You must tell them your connecting flight when you checkin so they can add flight in for the bag tags to print out correctly.

On arrival in SFO you must collect your bags and clear customs first (even though bags are tagged through to ORD). When you exit the customs hall there is an area for bag drop for through checked bags - this is where you would go. Anyone whose bags are only tagged through to SFO will have to exit the customs area and checkin directly with the next carrier.

You may even find you get your SFO/ORD boarding pass in SYD. If you don't you will need to see the airline before going through security in SFO to the boarding gate as you must show photo ID and boarding pass to TSA before passing through the screening point.

If you do have plenty of time to spare once clearing customs you could always ask at the bag drop counter about taking the earlier flight but I'm not sure who this counter is staffed by ie. TSA or the airlines themselves. If it's TSA they're not going to be able to help you so you would have to exit customs with your bags then go to the airline and see if they can change you.

Personally if travelling with a young family I wouldn't bother with the hassle as the airline may want to charge you a change fee and supposing you did transfer you to the earlier flight they may only have scattered middle seats left and you obviously wouldn't want to be split up with little ones in tow.

Cheers Oz

 

[straitman]

thanks for that, i did look at that, but we are also using points for 2 adults one-way from JFK to ADL, so we dont have enought, basically using every single points we havem, may have about 1000 left

bnroz,

Remember you can buy top-up points if this helps.