Conflicting reports

[magnumpi17]

Hi guys
I am travelling from Perth ,WA to Tortola, BVI very soon. I arrive at LAX at 0700 hrs 30th April 2009, and don't depart for San Juan Puerto Rico until 2330 hours that night. As my luggage is checked through, I was going to take a city tour for about 6 hours, then hang out at the airport later that day until my flight. I was speaking to the Qantas Club office, as I am a member to find out where the lounge is loacted. As Qantas have booked me onto an American Airlines flight, I have been advised I can't access the Qantas Club (I won't have a Qantas boarding pass) but can access the Admirals Club. Also the lady advised me that I can' t leave the airport whilst I am in transit. (Something about my luggage being unattended) Is this true? Last time I transitted through LAX, my bags went on a conveyer belt after customs as they were checked through to my final destination.

 

[Dave Noble]

If they will allow the luggage to be checked through with such a long connection, then once it is on the conveyor you can go off and do what you like for the day

I wouldnt be too surprised if they cannot check through

The AA lounge in Terminal 4 is quite easy to find and is near gate 42


Dave

 

[NM]

Your AA departure is from Terminal 4. The lounge at Terminal 4 is actually a joint Qantas Club and Admirals Club lounge. Your Qantas Club membership allows you access to that lounge. Just show your boarding pass and Qantas Club membership card and you will not have any problems with access. The staff at the lounge are very familiar with the access entitlements.

If you already have your onward boarding pass, then you may even be able to go through the security screening point at Terminal 4 and into the lounge to freshen up before heading out of the airport for a day of touring.

As Dave suggests, there may be a problem with the through-checked luggage. Note that even though you are technically transiting LAX, you will still be required to collect your checked bags at LAX and escort them out through Customs channels.

If the bags have been checked through to your final destination from Perth, then you can re-deposit them with the TSA screeners just after you exit from customs. If they have only been tagged to LAX, then you have to lug them to Terminal 4 check-in and I doubt they will accept them so early for check-in. I am not aware of any luggage storage facilities at LAX, but they may exist.

Whether or not the bags are able to be checked through to your final destination will depend on the rules applied by the check-in system. I have had bags checked through with long transits and I have also had situations where the systems would not allow them to be checked though a long transit and I had to collect the bags and re-check them myself at the transit point. These have mostly been overnight transits, but involve less transit duration than your example.

 

[JohnK]

I would not worry. Unless things have changed in the last 18 months your luggage should be checked through to final destination and you should get your boarding passes issued in Australia even with that length connection.

In August 2007 I was on QF11 SYD-LAX which arrived at LAX ~10:00am and then on an AA red-eye flight LAX-DCA which departed at ~9:30pm and then also AA flights DCA-STL and STL-ORD the next day. I was given all 4 boarding passes in SYD and my luggage was checked through to ORD even with the ~11:30 hours transit at LAX. At LAX I collected my luggage and re-depositted it after customs. I went to the AA desk first and they printed off new boarding passes for me and printed their own labels to stick on the luggage. I was then free to do what I pleased until ~9:30pm.