In August I’ll be flying from London to Cancun on Continental, via Houston, which involves a change of planes.
Am I right in thinking that even though this is booked as one itinerary, I’ll still have to fill in a visa waiver form, go through immigration, have fingerprints taken, submit to rectal investigation, etc etc at the whims of a bunch of Texans in Aviator sunglasses?
The reason I ask (apart from the obvious) is that according to the itinerary there is only about an hour and three-quarters between the arrival and departure times. I don’t know how long the rectal-probe line takes in Houston, but it sounds like it’s cutting things quite fine.
I’m not sure where to find a more definitive cite, but this Q&A suggests that you won’t have to go through Customs. You only have to if your final destination is in the US.
As I understand it, the airport within the security gates is essentially a no-man’s-land, and you’re not considered to have entered the US until you leave (or intend to leave) the airport.
Travelers arriving in the U.S. in transit to a foreign location are required to clear customs and immigration and they are subject to U.S. regulations and laws.
the line in the link about no further checks refers to connecting to domestic airports in the US.
I have frequently had the delight of passing through Houston on my way to Canada (from south america FWIW). Each time I have to clear immigration, pick up my suitcase and clear customs, then dump the bags at the transfer desk then leg it towards my connecting flight.
My advice, when you get to Houston and get off the plane, move quickly. It can be a good 5 to 10 minutes from gate to imigration. If youflight is arriving at 6 ish, the immigartion hall is OK, if you get in much later in the day, it can be bad.
On the flip side when traveling with Continental and having missed a conection they have always been good about rerouting or getting on a later flight.
good luck
NaturalBlondChap is correct. When in transit in the U.S. to a foreign location, you must clear U.S. customs and immigration with the rest of the passengers on your incoming plane.
There used to be a few U.S. airports with lots of international connections which had sterile lounges for international connections where you could bypass procedures, but they were all done away with in the wake of 9/11. I guess the government wants to know who is entering the country even for a moment.
Yup you will be treated in Houston as if you were planning to vacation in the US, rather than just passing through. You’ll have to pick up all you checked bags, fill in a visa waiver form, go through customs and immigration (including answering “What is the reason for your visit”.), then check all your bags back in for onward journey.
Yeah, I’m sure there is a gap in the market for somewhere in the northern Carribean to open a big modern airport, to serve as a hub for European travelers to Latin American and the Carribean, and avoid the US red tape.
**And remember that US Customs can go thru anything and everything. **
So unless you really have a need to be wired, leave your laptop, your Blackberry, you cell phone, your iPod at home, unless you scrub them clean before travelling. You would not be the first person to be detained while Customs thinks something is wrong and decides to inspect your cell phone (recording its phone lists and numbers called/received), your iPod (any subversive music or porno videos?), your Blackberry (all those emails!) and your laptop (porn, illegal programs, documentation about the Norden Bombsight). If you complain, you could be detained longer, or let go but without your e-toys.
Actually you won’t have to re-check your bags unless Houston is way different than say Seattle or San Francisco.
Your bags will be checked to your final destination when you check in in London. When you arrive in Houston, your bags will show up on a carousel, you will pick them up go through Immigration, and Customs at which point you will drop off your bags onto another conveyor if you are continuing on. Actually there will probably be two conveyors, one for domestic travel and one for international travel.
No further checking on bags will be required in Houston.
About the time thing. Call your airline (I assume that both flights are on the same airline) and ask them this question: I noticed that I only have 45 minutes between planes in Huston, and I am told I will have to clear US Customs there. Are you sure this is a legal connection, and I will have enough time? If my incomming plane is late, or there is a crowd at Customs, when is the next flight to my destination? (If it is only an hour or so later, consider making a change to that now, and save yourself stress later)
Legal connection is a term used in the airline industry to say if there is actually enough time between when one flight arrives and the next departs for you to arrive at point A and get over to point B where you plane should be. For example two flights at Heathrow in different terminals with only 10 minutes between them would not be a legal connection. It has nothing to do with any actual laws of any country.
When we return from the Caribbean, there are no direct flights to Pittsburgh. So, we fly to Charlotte, where we have to pick up our bags and go through customs/immigration/whatever. Then we have to re-check the luggage and get on a plane to Pittsburgh.
Despite of all that you have heard you have at least a 99.99% chance that your encounter at US Customs will consist of handing the officer a form and being told “Thank you”
At Immigration they will ask where you are going and why. Assuming your passports are in order, the most likely response will be “Have a great honeymoon.”
Exceptions occur of course. If your name matches someone on the nofly list, you will have trouble getting on the plane in London. If you are carrying more than $10,000 cash they will want to know why. Do not bring any recreational drugs with you. They do have drug sniffing dogs at customs. As cute as those little beagles are, you don’t want one sitting down next to your suitcase.
It’s about 1 hr 45 mins, not 45 mins. I’ll call the airline (or more likely the agent) anyway to check.
Rick - it’s the queuing aspect that concerns me, not heavy-handed immigration officers (despite my jokey OP). Last year I nearly missed a flight from Heathrow because of a 90-minute queue to get through security, and I figure US security is equally tight, if not more so, these days.
All I can tell you is I have cleared Customs at Seattle, San Francisco, Newark, Dulles, and Puerto Rico. I have never had to recheck my bags (meaning wait in line and get a new luggage destination tag attached) In each case my bag was checked to my final destination when I checked in for my first flight. I did have to pick up my bags and carry them (use a cart actually) through Customs and drop them off at a conveyor on the other side of Customs.
If you have any doubt when checking in, ask the gate agent if your bags are being checked all the way though.
Actually I don’t think you will have much of a problem with the queue. You may not have to clear security again. Immigration is usually fairly fast (there is always one family that seems to take forever), but they will have multiple lanes open. Customs will pretty much be a walk though, literally 10 seconds to hand the officer your Customs form.
Oh one more thing, if you are carrying food, they may want to look at it, or confiscate it. Chocolate and candy don’t count as food. (Ask me how I know this)
{bolding mine}. OK, when I said I had to re-check my bags, that is what I meant. I had to physically transport them from one place to another, then load them onto a conveyor.
I was flying back from Europe and landing in Newark. My luggage was full of chocolate (not for TD BTW) I was fairly well zombiefied by the time I hit customs. The guy asked me if I had any food, It took me a second to comprehend just what he as asking and answer that I had some chocolate and candy. He took this response as me trying to hide something. He sends me over to have my bag inspected.
I get in that line, and open my bag. the FDA inspector come up and asks what food items I have. I replay that my wife, daughter, secretary, and assorted female friends all told me that if I just bring chocolate I won’t get hurt.
When he stopped laughing, he asked if I had anything else. When I replied no, he sent me on my way.
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