Avoid JFK on return from abroad!

[PRWeezer]

The new International Terminal is opening in Atlanta and from now on once through customs you will not have to go recheck your bags and go thru security. This is going to be a great time saver, IMO. Plus when we have come thru and several planes were there at the same time , they would open new lines to expedite traffic.

 

MISCONCEPTION ALERT!!!

 

The new international terminal will provide this ONLY for those who are ending their flight in Atlanta. All connecting passengers will still go through baggage re-check AND security screening.

 

We haven't flown international since it opened. And the fact is, multiple flights still arrive in blocks, so there are still likely to be lines. Thus far flights before 1:30 p.m. work in/out of F (for the most part I've heard), so you still have that potential for the early-morning jam up of international arrivals, no matter how many lines they open.

 

Flights are arriving/departing from both E & F. There's what I've heard is 1/2 mile (some say it seems longer) transit on foot/moving sidewalk from E to F for ATL-terminating pax to exit if they arrive on E. And ATL pax on pre-cleared flights that arrive on the other concourses must collect bags at F baggage claim (transit via train). Given the lack of parking around the new terminal, shuttle bus to MARTA, rental cars or off-site parking, early word is that it's not really saving anybody in ATL much time.

[CtheW0rld]

no problems with jfk come to mind for me. guess i've been lucky.

[CtheW0rld]

The new International Terminal is opening in Atlanta and from now on once through customs you will not have to go recheck your bags and go thru security. This is going to be a great time saver, IMO. Plus when we have come thru and several planes were there at the same time , they would open new lines to expedite traffic.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

i wonder if there will be a smoking area inside security there?

[marco]

Back to JFK......I guess it depends on what day/what time you arrive. We came back from an international flight about a month ago. From when we got up out of our seat to get off the plane until we were in a car leaving the airport, it was 40 minutes. Yes, we had to claim checked luggage, yes we had to go through customs.

[PRWeezer]

i wonder if there will be a smoking area inside security there?

 

According to the Atlanta airport website it's on the mezzanine level, which is the same level as the airport lounges. I'm told that this area is post security.

 

http://atlanta-airport.com/internationalterminal/passenger/faqs.html#2.6

 

Map of Concourse F:

http://atlanta-airport.com/docs/terminal/f.pdf

[bluesea777]

You answered your own question/comment. In Europe, you don't touch your luggage until final destination. In the USA, first arrival point is where Customs is done. At that point, you have had possession of your luggage in the non secure area. Would be VERY, VERY easy to walk outside, put a bomb in your luggage and get back on a plane if there was no additional security screening. VERY TRUE!! Or even easier, just swap luggage with the bomb maker. He leaves the airport with your clothes, you take the bomb.

 

Putting a bomb in your luggage is no different than stuffing all your duty free liquor in your luggage at US Customs entry point to avoid it being confiscated at security. Your checked luggage is screened before it goes on a connecting flight just as you and your carry on is screened before you get on another flight.

 

Next time you have to take a flight from Europe to the USA, investigate flying through Ireland. Pre-clearance for flights originating in Ireland to the USA. NO long lines at immigration. Grab your luggage and go wherever you need to go.

 

While some of the 911 changes make no sense and irritate the heck out of everyone, THIS ONE makes all the sense in the world.

 

At JFK AA terminal, the re-depositing of bags for connection flights is between the customs exit and the MAIN exit to outside. Meaning it is still a secure area and not possible to meet anyone from outside to receive illegals like bombs to put into bags for the connecting flights.

 

OP, we connect to another international flight upon arriving in the USA - we STILL have to go thru the usual US imm/customs AND security screening crap EVEN though the USA is NOT our final destination.

 

Oh, the joys of travelling - the above crap is just a tiny issue of our travelling.

[bluesea777]

Back to JFK......I guess it depends on what day/what time you arrive. We came back from an international flight about a month ago. From when we got up out of our seat to get off the plane until we were in a car leaving the airport, it was 40 minutes. Yes, we had to claim checked luggage, yes we had to go through customs.

 

 

Yes, it's a crapshoot for us. One time the quickest was 1 hour 20 between landing and reaching the gate of our connecting international flight (via Imm, baggage claim, customs and security screening). Other times average 1 hr 40 to 2 hours. The last time it was 2 hr 20 because there was a full plane before us in Immigration, and the screening queue was long due to it being on a Sunday afternoon. We are non-US citizens.

 

We still had time to enjoy our meal at Van Bobby's steakhouse (in AA JFK terminal after the security) before our flight home. We do that every time and the staff remember us and greet us warmly!

[bluesea777]

I agree that all airports can be bad with international arrivals and it's hit-or-miss regarding the lines. However, something must be going on at JFK, maybe construction, maybe something else. We have returned internationally through JFK numerous times. We always went through immigration/passport control, then claimed our bags, and then went through customs. After customs, we would go through the exit door, turn right and deposit our bags on a conveyor belt to be re-screened and sent on their way. We then proceeded to security and on to our gate.

 

On May 30, we arrived at JFK from Venice around 4:30 pm. Immigration was average, bag claim was fine, customs was fine. However, upon exiting customs, an agent told us not to turn right (as the sign over the door said and as we have done in the past), but to go left down the hall to an elevator and take it to the third floor where we would deposit our luggage. The hall led us to a food court, which we had to cross to get to the elevator. There were two elevators, which would hold about 4 people each with luggage, for our 300+ passengers as well as another international flight that had arrived around the same time. Once we got off the elevator at the third floor, we found we were in the departures area along with everyone else checking in for flights. There was no separate area for re-checking our luggage (or, if there was, there was no one to direct us to it.) Once we got our luggage re-checked, we then still had to go through security and to our gate. Luckily, we had a 3-hour layover.

 

I'd like to know if this was just a temporary issue or is the way it will be in the future. We have another international flight through JFK in October.

 

What airline???

 

Surely NOT AA.

[greatam]

At JFK AA terminal, the re-depositing of bags for connection flights is between the customs exit and the MAIN exit to outside. Meaning it is still a secure area and not possible to meet anyone from outside to receive illegals like bombs to put into bags for the connecting flights.

 

 

You are wrong. NOT a secure area in the least. You can walk out of the exit and walk BACK INSIDE to redeposit your bags. Done it many, many times when I still smoked. Get off the plane, run outside after Immigration and Customs for a smoke, then return and drop off bags. And AA is my preferred carrier. ANY TIME you touch your bags in Customs in the USA, all bags are re-screened and you have left the sterile area.

 

You can also swap bags on the outside of the terminal or put something in your bag and IF there wasn't re-screening, it could possibly get onto the plane.

[bluesea777]

You are wrong. NOT a secure area in the least. You can walk out of the exit and walk BACK INSIDE to redeposit your bags. Done it many, many times when I still smoked. Get off the plane, run outside after Immigration and Customs for a smoke, then return and drop off bags. And AA is my preferred carrier. ANY TIME you touch your bags in Customs in the USA, all bags are re-screened and you have left the sterile area.

 

You can also swap bags on the outside of the terminal or put something in your bag and IF there wasn't re-screening, it could possibly get onto the plane.

 

Last time we were there was in mid-April this year. They have somewhat finished the renovations of the new JFK terminal for AA. :) This is the one new thing we noticed and we were happy to see.

[kenish]

OP, we connect to another international flight upon arriving in the USA - we STILL have to go thru the usual US imm/customs AND security screening crap EVEN though the USA is NOT our final destination.

 

Oh, the joys of travelling - the above crap is just a tiny issue of our travelling.

 

With a few rare exceptions, the USA does not have the concept of international-international transit passengers. Everyone must officially "enter" the country. As annoying as customs and security are, it allows screening and interdiction of bad people and bad things. Recall the "underwear bomber" slipped through a security gap overseas...if US security did not re-screen, he would have been able to connect to a targeted domestic flight.

[Zach1213]

With a few rare exceptions, the USA does not have the concept of international-international transit passengers. Everyone must officially "enter" the country. As annoying as customs and security are, it allows screening and interdiction of bad people and bad things. Recall the "underwear bomber" slipped through a security gap overseas...if US security did not re-screen, he would have been able to connect to a targeted domestic flight.

 

You say "with a few rare exceptions". Where are intl-to-intl connections allowed in the US? I wasn't aware they were allowed anywhere.

[Fattony]

Anytime you come back the the US from another country, you need to know the rules about liquids, know you will have to get your luggage and then recheck them if you have another flight to get home.

 

And the rules are hardly unique to JFK. They are well-publicized. Anyone can forget them, of course. My wife forgot about her face creme she bought in duty free and had it confiscated by TSA at ATL (our bags had already gone ahead to the next flight). We both forgot about it. C'est la vie.

 

There aren't that many cases where it's just as easy and inexpensive to choose various ports of entry. Sometimes you can (e.g., from Asia, sometimes you can choose SFO or LAX), but usually it's cut and dry. I'm not a great fan of JFK myself and would probably choose IAD or EWR if I had the choice, but it's not a big priority. How long one willw ait for Immigration can vary widely by time of day (i.e., depends on # of other flights arriving and # of agents on duty).

[4774Papa]

We don't do JFK

[PRWeezer]

With a few rare exceptions, the USA does not have the concept of international-international transit passengers. Everyone must officially "enter" the country. As annoying as customs and security are, it allows screening and interdiction of bad people and bad things. Recall the "underwear bomber" slipped through a security gap overseas...if US security did not re-screen, he would have been able to connect to a targeted domestic flight.

 

Straying a bit off topic but he actually tried to detonate the bomb on approach to DTW, it just didn't work. He never got to US screening, who's to say we would have caught it at the time. But to your point, the rationale behind additional screening on entry to the U.S. is that not every country may impose the same rigor/standards we do here. It seems the underwear bomber incident has led to new procedures & technology to help prevent similar attempts in the future. Great example of how we have to continue to adapt as the bad guys adapt. Anybody else experience extra scrutiny of their watches while going through security recently? :confused:

[6rugrats]

You say "with a few rare exceptions". Where are intl-to-intl connections allowed in the US? I wasn't aware they were allowed anywhere.

 

MIA and IAH have this program.

[kenish]

Straying a bit off topic but he actually tried to detonate the bomb on approach to DTW, it just didn't work. He never got to US screening, who's to say we would have caught it at the time. But to your point, the rationale behind additional screening on entry to the U.S. is that not every country may impose the same rigor/standards we do here.

 

Clarifying my comment, if arriving international passengers were allowed airside connections without going through security, the underwear bomber could have taken advantage of this. Instead of trying to detonate the bomb approaching DTW, he could have connected to a domestic flight without any chance of detection. Agree it points out screening standards are sometimes different overseas; in fact the underwear bomber took advantage of a "gap" in security protocol.

 

You say "with a few rare exceptions". Where are intl-to-intl connections allowed in the US? I wasn't aware they were allowed anywhere.

 

On ANZ's flight from AKL-LAX-LHR and return, passengers transiting through LAX are held in a waiting area without going through Customs or security. It may have improved, but a year or so ago it was described as having inadequate seating and restrooms. The only food and beverages were from a few vending machines that only took US money. Of course we're talking about LAX so it's no surprise!

[DonRobertoSanJuan]

Straying a bit off topic but he actually tried to detonate the bomb on approach to DTW, it just didn't work. He never got to US screening, who's to say we would have caught it at the time. But to your point, the rationale behind additional screening on entry to the U.S. is that not every country may impose the same rigor/standards we do here. It seems the underwear bomber incident has led to new procedures & technology to help prevent similar attempts in the future. Great example of how we have to continue to adapt as the bad guys adapt. Anybody else experience extra scrutiny of their watches while going through security recently? :confused:

 

I really don't see a good reason for re-screening. If you are good enough to fly into the US, you should be good enough to continue without further screening. If you had something bad in mind, you could do it before landing at a US airport. Besides, all this screening and re-screening is just window dressing. Just think where inmates hide stuff. All of it is to make you feel better only.:eek:

[greatam]

I really don't see a good reason for re-screening. If you are good enough to fly into the US, you should be good enough to continue without further screening.

 

Screening standards worldwide are NOT the same, even from the same airport.

 

Two examples from personal experience:

 

1. Cambodia puts security straps (like freight packaging straps) on most luggage. If you transfer from a Bangkok Airways flight and fly IMMEDIATELY out of the Bangkok airport to the USA on a foreign carrier, luggage with security straps is generally NOT rechecked. Cambodia does a good job of checking luggage in Siem Reap before the straps are applied. They do a VERY poor job of checking luggage out of Phnom Penh (and for a few dollars, almost anything could go in your suitcase). Cambodia is a very corrupt country out of Phnom Penh.

 

2. There is a nonstop Delta flight from Kuwait City, Kuwait to IAD. The plane is often filled with US Military and US government employees and contractors. BUT anyone can get on the plane-it is not a charter, just a regularly scheduled flight. The Kuwaitis are VERY lax about checking carry-ons and checked bag screening is almost non existent on that flight. I have watched the Kuwaitis load bags on carts from the check in area and take them DIRECTLY to the plane.

 

They count on the US to make sure their citizens "abide by the rules". Before you leave the "war zones", you are bombarded with what NOT to take on a plane flying into the USA. Quite often, continuing passengers from this Delta flight are found with a few stray bullets, a K-bar knife, someone last year had a 2' piece of det cord. All you need is the C-4 or Semtex and you have a nice little bomb.

 

Fly out of Kuwait City on Etihad to Abu Dhabi to continue on to the USA and your luggage is barely looked at in Kuwait City. The Kuwaitis are counting on those in Abu Dhabi to catch forbidden items. Fly out of Kuwait City on British Airways to London and your luggage is literally ripped apart piece by piece. You have to go to a special counter if you are flying out on British Airways.

 

Three different flights-all destined for the USA. Three different screening standards at the SAME airport.

[Grumpy100]

We flew from Barcelona last year on AA through JFK and we did not have any problems at all. We only had to gather our bags, recheck them and go back through security after we went through imigration. Besides we had like 3 hrs. in between flights so it was no big deal.

Happy flying.:p:p:p