"Transit" through US Airports

[Hintermann]

I know that a conventional transit through any US airport is not possible in that one cannot remain on the airside between flights. But I have two close-ish connections on American Airlines in May on my complicated Socorro-Bonaire trip in May 2015 and want to clarify a few points.

The first connection is flying from Los Cabos (SJD) to Dallas / Fort Worth on AA 1225 and connecting to AA 60 to Miami. There are 2 hours between flights, enough if they allow me to book my luggage through from SJD to MIA but not if they do not. But in this case, there is a slightly later flight (AA280) that gives me an extra hour and a bit.

The next one is flying out from Curacao to Miami on AA 1639 and connecting from Miami to London on AA 38. In this case, there are 2 hours and 35 minutes between flights.

What I want to know is this: bearing in mind that both those connections are doing return legs from those respective destinations, will they allow me to book my luggage through? I know that I still have to pass through security etc but booking luggage through will make it easier.

 

[pjhansman]

Can't help with the luggage booking question.....but I can tell you that as a non-American, getting thru the Dallas / Fort Worth immigration process can take a very long time. Last time thru DFW I had a 2.5 hour connection to Phoenix and they were boarding when I made it to the plane.

 

[jimbeeler]

Can't help with the luggage booking question.....but I can tell you that as a non-American, getting thru the Dallas / Fort Worth immigration process can take a very long time. Last time thru DFW I had a 2.5 hour connection to Phoenix and they were boarding when I made it to the plane.

I had the exact same experience when coming from Curacao to Miami to DFW... I had a 2 1/2 hour layover in Miami between the two flights and got to the DFW flight when they were boarding. Customs took the entire time with a long run to the next flight.

Jim

 

[Roman_66]

It is completely different stories when you come to US or leaving.
In DFW regular queue is 1-1.5 hour (in PHD longer). Most time you will spend in passport control queue, custom much faster.
Even you check in your luggage to final destination, when you arrive to US, you will need to take it and pass custom with luggage. But after custom you will send it further immediately.
If your second flight inside US, no custom and passport control any more after second flight.
On way back, no passport control and no custom on any leg. Only general security check at the airport entry.

 

[dfx]

If the departing airport has US immigration on site (as they do in Toronto, Vancouver, etc) then you should be able to check through your luggage. If you have to do US immigration in Dallas, you'll have to pick it up there and take it with you through immigration. I don't know if Los Cabos has US immigration on site.

 

[Hintermann]

It is completely different stories when you come to US or leaving.
On way back, no passport control and no custom on any leg. Only general security check at the airport entry.

Can you explain this a bit more please? BOTH the tight connections mentioned above are on the RETURN leg for that destination.

In the first case, I arrive from London to DFW, collect luggage on arrival, go through US entry formalities and spend overnight in Super 8 Grapevine near airport. I catch the flight to Los Cabos next afternoon and no tight connection problems there. It is on the return flight from Los Cabos to DFW that I have the 2-hour connection to Miami and so can I check the baggage through to MIA?

Likewise, after spending overnight in MIA Hotel, I fly from Miami to Curacao on AA (and onto Bonaire on Insel), which is straightforward with plenty of time. But on the return leg on that route, I take the AA flight from Curacao to Miami and have 2 hours and 35 minutes to connect to the return flight to London. It would be helpful if they allow me to book the luggage from Curacao to London.

 

[dfx]

In the first case, I arrive from London to DFW, collect luggage on arrival, go through US entry formalities and spend overnight in Super 8 Grapevine near airport. I catch the flight to Los Cabos next afternoon and no tight connection problems there. It is on the return flight from Los Cabos to DFW that I have the 2-hour connection to Miami and so can I check the baggage through to MIA?

You're entering and leaving the US both times, going there and coming back. It's the same procedure both times.

---------- Post added October 5th, 2014 at 10:19 AM ----------

Likewise, after spending overnight in MIA Hotel, I fly from Miami to Curacao on AA (and onto Bonaire on Insel), which is straightforward with plenty of time. But on the return leg on that route, I take the AA flight from Curacao to Miami and have 2 hours and 35 minutes to connect to the return flight to London. It would be helpful if they allow me to book the luggage from Curacao to London.

You need to have your luggage with your whenever and wherever you do US immigration. Some airports may allow visual luggage identification on connecting flights, i.e. they take a picture of your suitcase(s), show it to you and you'll have to confirm that these are yours. In that case you won't have to pick up your luggage, but I've only ever seen that in Vancouver. You should expect to have to pick up your luggage unless the airline has explicitly confirmed that you don't have to.

 

[KeithG]

I know that a conventional transit through any US airport is not possible in that one cannot remain on the airside between flights.

this all depends. it is possible to do this in many airports.

if you have not yet cleared customs and immigration, then your plane will land at a gate that forces you through customs and immigration and often times you have to reclaim your (fully checked through luggage) and carry it 100 feet to another conveyer. at that point you are often outside security and need to re enter security. this reclaim step gives you an opportunity to put any duty free liquids (booze) into your checked luggage so that you can get through security.

if you cleared customs and immigration at your departure point (we do this in toronto) then your plane can land at normal dosmetic gates and you may be able to stay inside security and connect quickly to your next flight. this is possible at charlotte nc. we stay inside security and walk to a different terminal for our flight to belize city.

once "landed" in the states it then depends upon the airport configuration whether you have to go through security again between flights. if you change terminals in atlanta you are forced to go through security again as the only public transit between terminals is outside security. that is why we avoid flights through atlanta. at ohare you can either take shuttle bus or walk between terminals, all inside security. so the security issue depends upon which airport you are at.

if you purchase the multiple flights on a single ticket, then they will ensure adequate connection time. they also normally enforce that your baggage is checked through to final destination. you may have to reclaim it briefly if you go through customs.

and i forgot how miami is laid out, so can not answer the inter terminal security question.

p.s. being part of the trusted traveller program often reduces the wait times as you can use special lines and / or the automated systems.

 

[dfx]

and i forgot how miami is laid out, so can not answer the inter terminal security question.

Going from Toronto through Miami to Curacao, we did US immigration and customs in Toronto and the luggage was checked through, we did not have to pick it up. On the way back, going through Miami again, we had to do US immigration in Miami and so had to pick up our luggage there. This was using the same airline for all flights.

In the OP's case, I expect US immigration to happen in Dallas, unless someone can confirm that Los Cabos is equipped to handle US immigration and customs there. Note that you may be able to do one but not the other (i.e. immigration but not customs) and that won't be good enough. You probably won't have to pick up the luggage in Miami though, coming from Dallas.

 

[KeithG]

Likewise, after spending overnight in MIA Hotel, I fly from Miami to Curacao on AA (and onto Bonaire on Insel), which is straightforward with plenty of time. But on the return leg on that route, I take the AA flight from Curacao to Miami and have 2 hours and 35 minutes to connect to the return flight to London. It would be helpful if they allow me to book the luggage from Curacao to London.

Yes, if the multiple flights are purchased on a single ticket. if flights (potentially from different airlines) where purchased on muliple tickets then your luggage is only checked through to the ticket destination. single ticket means your final destination, regardless of the number of countries / flights involved.

it is all about how you bought the flights.

---------- Post added October 5th, 2014 at 10:37 AM ----------

Going from Toronto through Miami to Curacao, we did US immigration and customs in Toronto and the luggage was checked through, we did not have to pick it up. On the way back, going through Miami again, we had to do US immigration in Miami and so had to pick up our luggage there. This was using the same airline for all flights.

In the OP's case, I expect US immigration to happen in Dallas, unless someone can confirm that Los Cabos is equipped to handle US immigration and customs there. Note that you may be able to do one but not the other (i.e. immigration but not customs) and that won't be good enough. You probably won't have to pick up the luggage in Miami though, coming from Dallas.

agreed. and there is the subtle distinction of "reclaiming" your baggage that is checked through to final destination while going through customs versus having to recheck your luggage for each "ticket" of your trip.

reclaiming is quick. rechecking is not.

rechecking also provides an opportunity for the next airline to charge baggage fees.