[MartynSinclair]

Anything more than 40 minutes is generally a worry, especially when there are connecting flights. The worst I have experienced in the USA was at LAX when the line too just over the 2 hours. I hear on many occasions though about aircraft landing and pax being ‘held’, would this be considered as “kettling” for no apparent reason, in corridors for anything up to an hour, with no explanations given.

I understand why USA is constantly nervous, I understand USA have immigration controls and I understand why USA uses extra measures.

However, I would not expect the treatment on arrival in the USA to be compared to GRU – NBO or any other third world nation.

I do get very annoyed when I hear our American cousins moaning about the lines when clearing through the UK.

US citizens, ESPECIALLY AIRCREW, get it real easy when they arrive in the UK. As pax we do not see how the US immigration service treat crews entering the States, but there are some appalling stories, with some crew specifically requesting that they are not asked to go to the states, both pilots and cabin crew.

**The only way to fast track in the US is to ask for a wheel chair and I have unfortunately witnessed people using it – disgraceful.**

I think we should have a separate line for Americans in the UK, to include diplomats, who always feel they have rights beyond us normal lower grade class of travellers. Make all Americans pay for pre clearance and have fingerprints and photos taken. Demand to see where they are going, irrelevant of who they are.

How I would love to see a thread headed “WHY ARE AMERICANS FINGERPRINTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED WHEN CLEARING CUSTOMS OUTSIDE OF AMERICA?”

Apologies for the thread drift, but I do feel better!

Edited by Martyn Sinclair
**meaning that I have witnessed perfectly able pax, requesting wheel chairs for the specific purpose of fast tacking immigration. I was not meaning to imply that it was disgraceful people who needed wheelchairs, used wheelchairs**

[FirstClassWannabe]

I must have been really lucky as I find Miami quite good. I have arrived on both BA and Swiss and never queued for more than 20 minutes, DFW about the same and JFK was about 30 mins. LAX was also ok. I always smile at the immigration staff and remain polite and generally I have never had a problem, although the guy at MIA earlier this year was a little unfriendly, but you can get that anywhere. Main problem is when so many international flights arrive at the same time, so I try to avoid that wherever possible, even at BHX where if you arrive after the Emirates, you will have a long long wait!

[LPPSKrisflyer]

I’m pretty sure it’s Brazil who have implemented special checks on US citizens on arrival – they are all fingerprinted and photographed. How sensible!

[FlyingChinaman]

While I am not in favoured of a tit-for-tat approach on Immigration clearance, it does send out a strong message to these government of getting equal treatments.

May countries have reciprocal visa requirements imposed to foreign nationals entering their country. Turkey and Indonesia are just some examples.

[Senator]

Hello,

My worst experience was on AF in First from CDG to IAD a few years back. It took me 3hrs to clear Immigration, get bags, and a secondary screening by US Customs.

In the 90s, when SAS had three flights arriving within 15min at EWR from ARN, FBU (see if any remember this) and CPH in combination with CO flights it could be really bad. The same with ORD.

I came across on the LCY-JFK last time which was a breeze. CLE I was first in line in December and I have been able to join the LH/LX HON and VIP Pax at JFK T4 and been cleared through in 10min.

Best experience was perhaps SFO on the LH flight from FRA. I think it arrives at a good time to avoid the mad rush, so from door opening until being the rental car was 20min.

[TravelwaveBerlin]

30min in queue at LAX but waiting 2 hours for baggage….
If i have the choice EWR or JFK?

[dubtraveller]

Living and travelling from Dublin, I am luckily spared the above horror stories when I do travel to the US.
For those above – and where the BA LCY-JFK may not be an option – would it be worth transiting through Dublin? Admittedly, it is then a case of heading on EI or CO, AA, DL and US!!

[wisi1965]

If the US would separate arriving passengers and transit passengers to another country and not asking them to clear immigration and customs this would help everybody. I queued in LAX for 3 hours just to miss my connection to Mexico City!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[M.Moose]

My first trip 4 years ago took me over an hour clearing JFK. Subsequent trips (in/out) – JFK, LAX, SFO, ATL were much shorter.

Last year, JFK was the record for me. Thanks to my APEC Business Travel card (Asia Pacific Economy Coorperation) , I walked from the plane to the immigration counter without having to queue!

[RHMAngel]

@wisi1965 “If the US would separate arriving passengers and transit passengers to another country and not asking them to clear immigration and customs this would help everybody”

You hit the nail on the head.

Experience DFW (Dallas) exactly that. Queued for hours, then to the huge annoyance of those who had queued, a TON LOAD of passengers were queue jumped who had not only just arrived but some were transiting, and we (the hour plus standers) were asked to have compassion and let them jump so they didn’t miss their transit flight.

I’m all for those not missing it, BUT clearly this happens regularly, and you had ALOT very upset folks, including me. Some I believe were lying, and just joined in the jumping – men were more likely to speak up they thought this was happening…cue near riots and women calming their partner’s down…

Did they open more counters to get the transit passengers through, No – passengers were jumped in. Finally after protests, queue jumping stopped (when those who’d been in line an hour plus had shouted long enough). One old lady practically fainted waiting in line, so she was moved with sympathy, but the rest of her (young) family (daughter & kids) had to wait.

Did those folks make their connection, who knows… but I don’t blame passengers, I blame US immigration organization, this happens a LOT, so don’t make out its a “one off”.

Unless its a very late flight, I vote there should be a law of a minimum 3 hours transit in US…don’t think you can do it in 30 minutes.

US Immigration you make no friends. Think even DFW beat JFK & LAX…

Best so far, is Washington Dulles – 20 minutes, is that a record for US immigration ??!

[MartynSinclair]

RHMAngel

Thanks for your posting, DFW is my next trip and then on an internal flight, same airline.

It would annoy me a lot more if I did not have a through ticket and had missed my connection, but at least with a through ticket if there are immigration delays, then at least I get moved to another flight.

This thread has provided some positive news because the majority of contributors have, suprisingly made some quite positive remarks about the length of time it is currently taking to clear. I know in the past there have been serious delays and all is not rosy, but it does seem that attempts are being made to speed the process up. I am not sure the same can be said about landside to airside (but thats for another thread).

The comment about transiting passengers makes a lot of sense, direct them through a different section, however, I doubt very much whether US immigration will do anything that deviates from the current standard.

Be interesting if pax could keep this thread updated with

**Date

**Arrival time

**Airline

**Point of entry

to see how things are going.

[RichHI1]

Three points about DFW.
+1, (communal CBP) in previous experience the people running the lines are very approachable if you have a tight connection and I have been told to go to US Citizens line more than once when I politely asked for help. I really found folks in TExas to be very friednly and helpful if you explain your problems politely.(Not so in ORD or JFK). Also bags and Customs are fairly quick and well organized.
-2, DFW is one of the main entry points for the US Military returning from overseas. If a military plane lands they stop everything for the troops to go through, so you if you see lots of uniforms, run (I applaud the way the treat their troops but I i wish they flew into Military airports for CBP as they do in UK).
+3. The airside train does a great job connecting the terminals, which you may need to do as most domestic flights go from a different terminal. So you go back into the International TSA with your boarding pass for the other terminal and then take the train. You do not need to use ground transport to the other terminal ground side.

[RichHI1]

As I posted last week, last time through JFK AA there was a sign for transit passengers in CBP, so maybe someone is listening.

[LuganoPirate]

What amazes me, is that (EU citizens anyway) we have all had to obtain an ESTA form. Then before travel we have to show our passport at check-in for “API” purposes. These lists are then sent to the US before the pane takes off and are certainly checked before the plane arrives for any “non desirable “Aliens””! Proof of this being the odd plane that has been turned round and refused entry into US airspace.

In view of this I find it incredulous that Transit passengers going through to non US destinations have to first clear immigration, when to all extent and purposes they have pre-cleared!

Similarly, we are photo’d and fingerprinted each and every time despite having biometric passports etc which surely brings into question why we need these passports in the first place? It also seems the special relationship the UK is supposed to enjoy with the US counts for very little in this regard.

As long as we pander to the US by refusing to introduce similar measures for US citizens, or we stop traveling to the US (unlikely) this inconvenience to travelers will continue.

[RichHI1]

The requirement for API is farily common now across the world including the EU to try and prevent further acts of terrorism, which I think we would all applaud.

I think the removal of the I94W is a great step with Esta which is not often credited. Having been stuck behind non english speaking Europeans who have filled the form out wongly, I used to hate it.

The fingerprinting and photographing is done to match against the record in the bio passport and can be used to aid identification.

With regard to immigration for transit passengers, this was introduced as an additional measure to eliminate a loophole that would allow dangerous people into US airspace. Whether it is 100% successful given the shoe bomber and various others is a moot point. Surely this is a question of degree for the individual government. If you change planes in Spain MAD or BCN you do not go through the long lines of transfer security screening as you do in LHR. Just off one plane and onto another. The UK would say this means it has better security the Spanish would say it is unnecessary inconvenience. But would you reject the UK’s right to impose screening of passenger transferring at LHR?

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