LAX: recent experience

[Melburnian1]

A friend asked me but I could not answer as I've not recently been there.

Arriving on VA ex SYD (or a bit later in the morning ex BNE), how do AFFers find the immigration procedures and customs procedures at LAX? What is a typical amount of time with an 0630 or 0700 arrival in the morning that it takes from exiting the aircraft door to exiting the 'sterile' area of the airport?

If my friend declares food such as apples, will she typically be thoroughly searched at the USA equivalent of our quarantine section of Oz's Border Force? Are we looking at an extra 45 minutes, typically, for that 'secondary inspection' phase?

 

[Quickstatus]

It's become a lot easier to exit TBIT at LAX after arrival on an international flight. The entire terminal has been redeveloped and is much better.

The "smart gates" or automatic passport kiosks have vastly improved waiting times at immigration mainly

We never travel with food. The quarantine/customs checks are non existent. There is a secondary check but no one ever gets stopped. It's really only a place where they collect the customs declaration. My view is you will only get checked if you tick yes to the questions. But if you did not declare and were checked then it can be bad news.

The luggage collections now takes up the most time especially if you have oversized luggage such as ski bags.

I estimate it takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour if you have checked luggage to exit TBIT.

I think fresh fruit cannot be brought into the US

 

[ozjuice]

pretty much all through the new passport control in 20 minutes at that time of day. It's a good time to land.

 

[suze2000]

My experience was over an hour's wait. You can only use those e-gates if you are TSA Pre-check or US Citizen. Awful.

 

[amaroo]

pretty much all through the new passport control in 20 minutes at that time of day. It's a good time to land.

+ 1

My experience last month was same.

I'm not TSA approved or a Seppo.

 

[Quickstatus]

My experience was over an hour's wait. You can only use those e-gates if you are TSA Pre-check or US Citizen. Awful.

Au contraire: you can use electronic kiosks if you have entered the country using that passport previously. Aust citizens allowed as are other visa waiver countries . Have done it with family this year. Worst you can get using elec kiosks is a receipt with an "x" which directs you to a proper screening agent if for some reason you weren't eligible

Using the kiosks with new passport even if you have been to US before just means you get an X on receipt - proceed as above. No big deal

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/automated-passport-control-apc

 

[coriander]

Our last two trips through LAX were timed at 18 and 22 minutes from exiting the aircraft to standing on the street outside (after giving the cases back to AA for ongoing flights to SFO or LAX). e-kiosks make the passage through Border Security so much faster.

A parallel question: how is TSA Pre-Chek administered/awarded? On QF93 in October last year in PE, I was given BPs for LAX-SFO and SFO-LAX (in Y) with TSA PreCheck. In March this year, we flew LAX-LAS, LAX-LAS-JFK (in J) with TSA Prechek. Returning JFK-LAX (again in J), there was no TSA Pre-Check on the BP - the first time we've missed out on TSA PreCheck in the last four trips to/across LOTFAP.

As Julius Sumner Miller would ask "why is it so?"

 

[RooFlyer]

Arriving on VA ex SYD (or a bit later in the morning ex BNE), how do AFFers find the immigration procedures and customs procedures at LAX? What is a typical amount of time with an 0630 or 0700 arrival in the morning that it takes from exiting the aircraft door to exiting the 'sterile' area of the airport?
<snip>

Typical wait times to clear customs (only) can be searched here for major airports, for different time periods throughout the day. Baggage will take a bit longer, but is not usually the problem.

 

[sausagefingers]

Can my kids use the Kiosks? we've all been to the US 3 times previously on our currently passports and the girls are 12 & 8.

 

[DC3]

.... how is TSA Pre-Chek administered/awarded? ....

The average Australian holiday-maker, who is not part of a Trusted Traveller Program, is not normally eligible for TSA PreCheck (on entry to the USA), from my understanding.

As far as USA domestic flights are concerned, who knows? My 2016 USA domestic flights had the TSA PreCheck tick on the boarding passes about 50% of the time, and I'm not otherwise eligible. This was also my experience in 2015 as well.

It seems totally random and may be due to other (unexplained) reasons. The TSA does not seem to provide information on this.

 

[Quickstatus]

Can my kids use the Kiosks? we've all been to the US 3 times previously on our currently passports and the girls are 12 & 8.

Yes, and I think it does not take their biometrics - photo or fingerprints. You might get an X on their receipts meaning you are directed to an agent for check.

Families can do the APC - ie can assist one another through the process.

 

[newmarket]

TSA PreCheck has nothing to do with entering the country. PreCheck only applies when flying specific airlines and is a 'fast pass' through security. Generally shorter lines, no need to remove shoes, liquids or laptops.

You need to enroll in PreCheck and again it only applies on certain airlines. Up until about a year ago non PreCheck pax would get cleared, but I understand they have stopped that.

I'm enrolled in PreCheck and it is worth the effort, you need to attend an interview, if you travel in the US a lot.

BTW - the program on entry is called Global Entry but Australians are not eligible. A number of nationalities are, but I don't remember which.

hope that helps.

 

[dfcatch]

Our last two trips through LAX were timed at 18 and 22 minutes from exiting the aircraft to standing on the street outside (after giving the cases back to AA for ongoing flights to SFO or LAX). e-kiosks make the passage through Border Security so much faster.

A parallel question: how is TSA Pre-Chek administered/awarded? On QF93 in October last year in PE, I was given BPs for LAX-SFO and SFO-LAX (in Y) with TSA PreCheck. In March this year, we flew LAX-LAS, LAX-LAS-JFK (in J) with TSA Prechek. Returning JFK-LAX (again in J), there was no TSA Pre-Check on the BP - the first time we've missed out on TSA PreCheck in the last four trips to/across LOTFAP.

As Julius Sumner Miller would ask "why is it so?"

An unknown traveller who has never been to the USA before but meets random "OJ Magic 8-ball" profile requirements (eg. little old lady, never-flies-but-spouse-of-a-FF, and other random "he's too old to be a terrorist" profiling) regularly get TSA Precheck.

Whereas regular, security-vetted, Trusted Traveller enrolled, Australians who regularly travel to the US never, ever, ever get it.

Don't complain is the short answer.

Longer answer is that TSA don't have a clue.


OP - immigration clearance at TBIT is taking anywhere from 7 mins through 2 hours.

With bags - I would suggest anywhere from 30-90 minutes is possible, although likely under 1 hour.

And that's all "with APC".

 

[dfcatch]

Up until about a year ago non PreCheck pax would get cleared, but I understand they have stopped that.

Nope - they still do it.

 

[suze2000]

I'm curious as to whether anyone saying you can use the e-gates at LAX have done it since they brought in the ESTA requirements for Australian citizens. Because there was no option for me to use them coming into SFO recently (two weeks ago), nor when I arrived in LAX a month ago. At least, there was no signage suggesting it was possible. There was a US Citizens' queue, a Global Entry area, a new migrants queue, and All Other Passports. Only the US citizens and the Global Entry pax got to use the e-gates.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm curious as to whether anyone saying you can use the e-gates at LAX have done it since they brought in the ESTA requirements for Australian citizens. Because there was no option for me to use them coming into SFO recently (two weeks ago), nor when I arrived in LAX a month ago. At least, there was no signage suggesting it was possible. There was a US Citizens' queue, a Global Entry area, a new migrants queue, and All Other Passports. Only the US citizens and the Global Entry pax got to use the e-gates.

On my experience in the time period 18-6 months ago, it varies. Sometimes e-gates were open to all (with eligible passports), other times they were roped off.

 

[amaroo]

I'm curious as to whether anyone saying you can use the e-gates at LAX have done it since they brought in the ESTA requirements for Australian citizens. Because there was no option for me to use them coming into SFO recently (two weeks ago), nor when I arrived in LAX a month ago. At least, there was no signage suggesting it was possible. There was a US Citizens' queue, a Global Entry area, a new migrants queue, and All Other Passports. Only the US citizens and the Global Entry pax got to use the e-gates.

3 weeks ago. The agent asked what flight I arrived on and then opened a short cut path to the e-gates.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I'm curious as to whether anyone saying you can use the e-gates at LAX have done it since they brought in the ESTA requirements for Australian citizens. Because there was no option for me to use them coming into SFO recently (two weeks ago), nor when I arrived in LAX a month ago. At least, there was no signage suggesting it was possible. There was a US Citizens' queue, a Global Entry area, a new migrants queue, and All Other Passports. Only the US citizens and the Global Entry pax got to use the e-gates.

Yes as per dfcatch, amaroo and the others on multiple occasions. Can definitely use the gates with an ESTA. The signage is quite clear at LAX, I've not used SFO internationally for a few years so cannot comment on the signage there.

 

[suze2000]

3 weeks ago. The agent asked what flight I arrived on and then opened a short cut path to the e-gates.

Aww man!

Also: so basically, it's hit-and-miss. Which gets back to my original advice which was allow an hour to get through immigration. If you get out in 20 mins, great, but that's not been my experience getting into the US.

 

[amaroo]

Aww man!

Also: so basically, it's hit-and-miss. Which gets back to my original advice which was allow an hour to get through immigration. If you get out in 20 mins, great, but that's not been my experience getting into the US.

Hands down beats the last time I visited LAX - Dec 2013, took ~1.5hrs.