Transit through LAX

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rickylee

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In the past, I have avoided QF11 or QF107 into LAX as my outbound flight into North America, choosing whenever possible to transit through DFW on QF7. This is because my ultimate destination is always one on or near the East Coast and I have managed a 0% success rate of having my baggage arrive with me when transiting through LAX.

In recent years, I have flown exclusively through DFW.

However, two weeks ago I was compelled to take QF11 on a day when the QF7 service was not available. I was given an Express Connection card by ground staff on arrival and I breezed through passport control, baggage collection, re-checking baggage, walked to Terminal 4, and settled in the AA lounge, all in a record 22 minutes.

Beats the hell out of transiting through DFW. Lesson learnt.
 
Never heard of an express card at LAX, even flying in F, although I was never transiting onto another 1W flight. What were your circumstances?

Edit: not questioning the having an express card just wondering about how it happened (ie so I can get one next time :) )
 
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DFW is supposedly now using e-gates for AUS passport holders from 1st June, I can confirm early next if noone beats me to it.

Rickylee, what was your connection time? did they somehow know you were on a tight connection and give you the card for that?
 
What is this 'express card' you speak of. Never seen or hear of it!
 
However, two weeks ago I was compelled to take QF11 on a day when the QF7 service was not available. I was given an Express Connection card by ground staff on arrival and I breezed through passport control, baggage collection, re-checking baggage, walked to Terminal 4, and settled in the AA lounge, all in a record 22 minutes.

Beats the hell out of transiting through DFW. Lesson learnt.

I find LAX to not be as bad as oft described.

Ricky: who gave you the express card ? QF ground staff?. I have always thought there was no express lane at LAX. Was the express card for arrival TBIT or T4 for connecting flight.
 
If you have a "tight" connection at Lax, the ground staff give you an express card on arrival at TBIT. My understanding is that this card allows you to jump the Q at T4 security. Not sure if it allows you to jump the Q at immigration at TBIT. I was refused one as my connection was for 4 hours at Lax.
 
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With the express card this morning off QF93 (basically enabling use of the US citizens and residents queue) it took a good half an hour even as first off the plane. It seems we were behind qf107 and qf15. One of the supervisors was visibly annoyed by the number of pax with express cards and started limiting them to one queue instead of 2.
 
Ricky: who gave you the express card ? QF ground staff?. I have always thought there was no express lane at LAX. Was the express card for arrival TBIT or T4 for connecting flight.

So did I. Then I was told last year that AA started offering a "Fast Track" service in LAX, but QF was not indicated as one of the other airlines with the same service. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was met by QF ground staff at the gate (arriving at TBIT off QF11) and handed me a fluoro-orange "Express Connection" envelope with my name on it and my connecting boarding pass inside. When I got to the passport control area, I was ushered to a queue on the right containing only people with these orange passes. After bags came out, I was led to the front of the baggage re-check queue. I was left to my own devices for the walk to T4, but once I got there, not only was I placed in the Priority security screening queue, I was placed at the very front of it by TSA staff.
 
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Rickylee, what was your connection time? did they somehow know you were on a tight connection and give you the card for that?

My connecting flight was just under 4 hours away ... to ORD on an AA flight from T4. The orange Express Connection card had my name on it and my boarding pass tugged inside.
 
Never heard of an express card at LAX, even flying in F, although I was never transiting onto another 1W flight. What were your circumstances?

Edit: not questioning the having an express card just wondering about how it happened (ie so I can get one next time :) )

Please refer to my post above as to circumstances, but I would add that I was actually economy on this occasion, but I am QF PW and I am always transiting to an AA flight.
 
Last time I transited LAX on QF a long list of connecting flight numbers were read out, if you were on one of those flights you won the orange lottery. My transit was 4 hours, but I didn't get one. I was fortunate and made it through in a very quick time.
 
So did I. Then I was told last year that AA started offering a "Fast Track" service in LAX, but QF was not indicated as one of the other airlines with the same service. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was met by QF ground staff at the gate (arriving at TBIT off QF11) and handed me a fluoro-orange "Express Connection" envelope with my name on it and my connecting boarding pass inside. When I got to the passport control area, I was ushered to a queue on the right containing only people with these orange passes. After bags came out, I was led to the front of the baggage re-check queue. I was left to my own devices for the walk to T4, but once I got there, not only was I placed in the Priority security screening queue, I was placed at the very front of it by TSA staff.
Sounds like it was a 'gift' from the LAX oneworld Global Support centre
Global Support - oneworld
 
Update - and I'm tempted to start a new thread.

Business associate of mine went though LAX on Tuesday this week and apparently there is an new immigration hall operating at LAX (apologies if this is old news, but new to me). Same basic set-up, but new area ... part of the refurbishment.

Pax, a QFF plat, travelling QF J on disembarking got an Express Card thrust into his hand by agent at the air bridge, printed with his name, QF member #, arrival flight, and connection flight (Westjet to Canada). His connection wasn't 'tight' - 2 hours which for a J pax is usually plenty.

The express card enabled him to use a USA citizens lane in the (new) arrivals immigration hall, and got him through LAX arrivals in 10 minutes.

Coupled with the other reports in this thread, I think we are seeing the long hoped-for better LAX transit.

If so, hooray!!\

Any other reports of plat/J pax on QF getting express card, as per other airports?
 
Update - and I'm tempted to start a new thread.

Business associate of mine went though LAX on Tuesday this week and apparently there is an new immigration hall operating at LAX (apologies if this is old news, but new to me). Same basic set-up, but new area ... part of the refurbishment.

Pax, a QFF plat, travelling QF J on disembarking got an Express Card thrust into his hand by agent at the air bridge, printed with his name, QF member #, arrival flight, and connection flight (Westjet to Canada). His connection wasn't 'tight' - 2 hours which for a J pax is usually plenty.

The express card enabled him to use a USA citizens lane in the (new) arrivals immigration hall, and got him through LAX arrivals in 10 minutes.

Coupled with the other reports in this thread, I think we are seeing the long hoped-for better LAX transit.

If so, hooray!!\


Any other reports of plat/J pax on QF getting express card, as per other airports?

I went through last week. Was the same hall i used in feb and in april. So i guess it depends on how long since you went through was pretty new then. Have never seen these express path cards, although only ever flown airnz/VA into lax.
 
I went through last week. Was the same hall i used in feb and in april. So i guess it depends on how long since you went through was pretty new then. Have never seen these express path cards, although only ever flown airnz/VA into lax.

I and business assoc went thru together last March and was the same old set-up and he also went thru last month. So he says its very brand new set-up (immigration processing area).

Just relaying what I have been told by a 10 x per year QF TBIT transit passenger.

And hoping its true :)
 
I and business assoc went thru together last March and was the same old set-up and he also went thru last month. So he says its very brand new set-up (immigration processing area).

Just relaying what I have been told by a 10 x per year QF TBIT transit passenger.

And hoping its true :)

Hope so too, can report back first hand in 2 weeks. Although i am really hoping that Australia gets entered into the global entry program soon. I envy those machines while waiting in line.
 
Same hall last month as it was three years ago, it's just that the passage from plane to immigration hall has been revamped.
 
Same hall last month as it was three years ago, it's just that the passage from plane to immigration hall has been revamped.

No, as of Tuesday this week, experienced TBIT pax reports new immigration area. Yes. the new gates etc area have been in operation for months, so not that.

I'm surprised no-one else has reported this, so I was a bit skeptical, but he was adamant.
 
The new immigration hall and luggage carousels were in use as far back as April, but once bags are collected PAX are channeled through a corridor to the old customs processing area after which there are two ramps - you still go up to the right to transit/redeposit or up to the left to exit.

This Thursday I came through on QF11 - I was in business and was one of the first to arrive into the immigration hall where I found there were only the staff there, the hall was devoid of PAX from other flights.

They have had a system for some time where those with with short connections get expedited processing, both for immigration and customs. Such PAX need to look out for an agent just after the airbridge where they are handed an express flouro folder with their name scrawled on it and containing ongoing BP's

I experienced this once a year or more ago where had a schedule change reduce a booking's LAX transit to 1:55 ... No viable option was available for later connections to CVG so it was decided to stick with it. On arrival I was provided with said folder.


I did not perceive any newish policy to expedite the processing for statused passengers without short connections. For those it still appears to be the case that any one you overtake during a brisk walk for the aricraft to immigration may save 30 seconds.
 
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