Help needed, Transit at LAX to SFO

[Jacqdegreat]

I am taking QF flight from Melbourne direct to LAX this weekend.

Upon arrival at LAX, we are going to SFO at Terminal 4 in LAX. Our ETA at LAX is 0700, and our ETD for SFO is 1000, people been advising us that we are not going to catch the plane in time due to custom and immigration clearnace at LAX.

We tried to change our flight, but the next flight from LAX to SFO has fully booked out. Because we are using Qantas FF points to redeem our tix to SFO, Qantas said they are unable to connect us all the way from MEL to SFO.

Do u think we are able to make it? Is there anyway for us not to check out from the airport (example a transit lounge in LAX), check out lugg, then check in our lugg again to SFO?

Thanks for the urgent help!

 

[simongr]

WHo are you flying with LAX-SFO? Is it on a single ticket/itinerary?

 

[MelUser]

(1) Relax you will be fine.

(2) I am guessing that your connecting flight is on American Airlines?

(3) You collect your bags, clear customs, come out of the terminal, turn left to terminal 4 (next door).

(4) Walk upstairs to the departures level, find check in and take it from there.

(5) Remember relax.

 

[Jacqdegreat]

Thanks for both of your reply.

I am travelling with my hubby to SFO, transiting LAX.

Maybe we should really be relax and ignore all those nightmare stories from friends about the custom and immigration.

Now i feel comfortable at least I know we hv enough time for the transit.

Thanks.

 

[NM]

(3) You collect your bags, clear customs, come out of the terminal, turn left to terminal 4 (next door).

QF93 from Melbourne arrives at LAX Tom Bradley International terminal (TBI). When exiting the terminal, its a right turn to head for Terminal 4.

Note that your bags should be tagged to SFO. However, you need to collect them upon arrival at LAX and escort you bags through customs (after immigration). As you exit through customs at LAX TBI, follow the signs for connecting passengers, which will direct you to the right and up a small incline where you will find a TSA baggage screening point where you re-deposite you bags if they have already been tagged to SFO.

If the bags were not tagged to SFO, or if your inbound flight was late and there is a possibility the bags won't make it to the right terminal for loading onto the aircraft in time, you will be asked to carry your bags to the check-in area at Terminal 4 rather than leaving them at the TSA screening point at the exit to TBI.

3 hours should be ample time, unless your inbound flight is running late.

 

[Voyages]

people been advising us that we are not going to catch the plane in time due to custom and immigration clearnace at LAX.

I agree with the other FFs, you have a lot of time @ LAX unless QF93 is running late. It might give you some extra sense of comfort if you ask them nicely to allocate you 2 seats all the way to the front (unless you're already flying J class).

 

[odysseus]

Same topic, but different terminals... I'm transferring from V Australia to Southwest for the same itinerary.

It's a bit confusing but it appears V Australia arrive in Terminal 3, but I somehow get to Tom Bradley to go through Immigration. I then have to get to Terminal 1 as I believe that's Southwest. Any thoughts on the best way of doing this, and/or how long it will take? I'm hoping 4.5 hours is enough!

 

[NM]

Same topic, but different terminals... I'm transferring from V Australia to Southwest for the same itinerary.

It's a bit confusing but it appears V Australia arrive in Terminal 3, but I somehow get to Tom Bradley to go through Immigration. I then have to get to Terminal 1 as I believe that's Southwest. Any thoughts on the best way of doing this, and/or how long it will take? I'm hoping 4.5 hours is enough!

Seems strange they would route you to TBI for immigration. But either way it doesn't make much difference. There is a shuttle bus that circles the terminals. It runs on the lower level (arrivals) and operates clockwise, going TBI->T3->T2->T1 and then back down the other side of the horseshoe.

The pick-up locations for shuttle buses are pretty well marked at LAX. From memory the inter-terminal shuttle picks up from the centre traffic island. But there should be LAX staff there to ask and direct you to the shuttle. It runs pretty often. I would allow 30 mins from exiting customs at your arrival to getting to check-in area for departure and you should be fine. Depending on the timing of the shuttle arrival, it could be 5 mins to find the pick-up point, as little as 5 mins or 20 mims for the shuttle part of the transfer, and another 5 mins up to the departures area at the departing terminal.

 

[odysseus]

!

Thanks NM!

The information on the terminal 3 clearance came from Wikipedia - not definitive, but I haven't seen any reports yet about it otherwise either.

"Note: V Australia's and Alaska Airlines' international arrivals from airports without United States border preclearance are processed at the Tom Bradley International Terminal."

Los Angeles International Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guess we'll see how that works when I get there though. Cheers!

 

[Techie]

Same topic, but different terminals... I'm transferring from V Australia to Southwest for the same itinerary.

We flew Qantas to LAX and had a further flight on Southwest to LAS last weekend. One problem was that Qantas could not tag the baggage to LAS because they "were not affiliated with Southwest".

We had 3.5 hours between the flights and that was more than enough. I wish we had less time as LAX terminal 1 was a pretty miserable place, overcrowded with queues everywhere.

 

[Zorro]

Last Nov I had a 3 hr connection between flights at LAX from TBIT to T4 and did it with plenty of time to spare - so long as you follow NM's advice re baggage recheck-in up the ramp (as we did) all should be OK. QF issued multiple boarding pass in SYD to final destination - we even had time for a few drinks at the AA club in T4.