Connections at LAX

[magpie]

I am flying to New York via LAX - I only have a 90 minutes layover - will this be enough time to clear customs and make the flight for my onward journey?

I am travelling with Qantas from Melbourne. Having never been to LA before, I'n not sure what to expect other than all the horror stories I have heard. I am arriving/ departing from terminal B

Thanks for any advice

 

[serfty]

I am flying to New York via LAX - I only have a 90 minutes layover - will this be enough time to clear customs and make the flight for my onward journey?

I am travelling with Qantas from Melbourne. Having never been to LA before, I'n not sure what to expect other than all the horror stories I have heard. I am arriving/ departing from terminal B

Thanks for any advice

Welcome to AFF magpie.

Is all your travel on the one booking and are you travelling to NYC on QF107 after getting of QF93?

 

[NYCguy]

I am flying to New York via LAX - I only have a 90 minutes layover - will this be enough time to clear customs and make the flight for my onward journey?

I am travelling with Qantas from Melbourne. Having never been to LA before, I'n not sure what to expect other than all the horror stories I have heard. I am arriving/ departing from terminal B

Thanks for any advice

I would consider a 90-minute international-to-domestic transfer to be cutting it fine. LAX is a hell-hole. Re-route via SFO if possible.

 

[docjames]

Welcome to AFF. LAX is a common issue for new members!

The timing will be fine if connecting to QF107 to JFK as Qantas will "protect" your booking.

If connecting to any other airline and it's not been booked on the same through ticket (which will be most bookings), i would want more than 90mins and i've been to LAX plenty of times! To AA you may get away with it, but no certainty.

At 90 mins, i'd say you'll make it (just) 7/10 times if your flight arrives on time, but it isnt worth the stress. Try and push the onward flight out a bit further (2.5hr min).

 

[magpie]

Thanks everyone for your input. I am travelling on one booking with Qantas QF93/QF107 -

 

[docjames]

On a through ticket all with QF to JFK then there will be no issues - just dont faff about and you should have time. If you MEL-LAx flight is really late, they'll hold the 107 as long as possible to make it work.


Qantas will help you make the flight, and if it all goes disaterously wrong, they'll help you connect onto something, probably an AA flight later in the day.

So dont worry about it, enjoy your trip. Note you have to collect your bags and pass customs, before dropping the bags off (the tags will already be on them) to be put rescreened and put back on the aircraft. It sounds messy, but is reasonably straight forward. There's usually people standing around diecting you.

 

[magpie]

Thanks again.

This route goes everyday, so I am hoping it will be fine - but having never been to LAX wasn't too sure how easy/difficult it is to connect with an onward journey.

I thought the bags would be checked through to JFK and I would just have to clear customs - just makes it a bit messy to have to claim bags, clear customs, re check bags etc..

At least both flights connect through Terminal B - I assume there will be many others on our flight making this connection as well - hopefully we all make it - Leaving in a couple of days, so I'll soon find out

 

[serfty]

The bag recheck represents a 1 minute walk after customs.

The bags will be already tagged through to JFK from MEL, you don't have to recheck, simply collect, then "drop" them at the appropriate place.

Here's the process:

1. Disembark
2. Walk to US Immigration, queue up and wait
3. Get processed, walk through to baggage claim
4. Wait for/collect bags
5. Walk though customs
6. Walk up and around to the bag drop area; you'll see the signs relating to your itinerary
7. Drop bags
8. proceed through transit security (don't go landside)
9. await your flight to JFK airside at TBIT