Timing Customs

[orlandoiam]

How much time do you allow yourself for customs?

Silly me, I quickly booked a flight from Bangkok to New York (this being the high season-- any opening was good enough for me), but now I have to buy a separate flight from New York to DC. (i lived in DC)

The hitch: I arrive in NY at 9:40pm (assuming the flight is on time). the last flight to DC is at 10:40pm.

Is this possible?!? I'll have to go through customs, pick up my luggage.... I'm not sure if I'll have to recheck my luggage for the New York to DC flight. And then check in.

How much time should I allow for customs?

thanks!

[lopburi3]

You will have to check airlines but I highly doubt you have any chance to making a one hour connection at JFK. NWA requires 1 hour and 45 minutes from one of there international to domestic transfers (and that is probably the same terminal).

[Khun Jean]

I'll have to go through customs, pick up my luggage.... I'm not sure if I'll have to recheck my luggage for the New York to DC flight.

Is this necessary? I only have experience from Amsterdam-Frankfurt-Bangkok. I checked in my luggage only 1 time. It was transfered to the connecting flight automatically. You will have to stay "in transit"

Check with your agent or call the airline if this is possible for you. It will save you a lot of time.

[samran]

I'll have to go through customs, pick up my luggage.... I'm not sure if I'll have to recheck my luggage for the New York to DC flight.

Is this necessary? I only have experience from Amsterdam-Frankfurt-Bangkok. I checked in my luggage only 1 time. It was transfered to the connecting flight automatically. You will have to stay "in transit"

Check with your agent or call the airline if this is possible for you. It will save you a lot of time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes it is necessary. US requires everyone to go through immigration and customs at the first point of landing on US soil.

Usually the bags etc are already tagged for onward travel, so once though customs you can give them over to ground staff who will then quickly (in most cases) re-load them for you onto the connecting flight.

I agree though, that one hour won't be enough, so you might want to drive to DC instead of staying the night.

[lopburi3]

I'll have to go through customs, pick up my luggage.... I'm not sure if I'll have to recheck my luggage for the New York to DC flight.

Is this necessary? I only have experience from Amsterdam-Frankfurt-Bangkok. I checked in my luggage only 1 time. It was transfered to the connecting flight automatically. You will have to stay "in transit"

Check with your agent or call the airline if this is possible for you. It will save you a lot of time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes it is necessary. US requires everyone to go through immigration and customs at the first point of landing on US soil.

Usually the bags etc are already tagged for onward travel, so once though customs you can give them over to ground staff who will then quickly (in most cases) re-load them for you onto the connecting flight.

I agree though, that one hour won't be enough, so you might want to drive to DC instead of staying the night.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Get some sleep and take a flight the next day would be my advise. Although an easy drive doing so after a day in the sky would not be the safe thing. Unless you sleep a lot better than I on aircraft.

[orlandoiam]

Thanks for the responses! I think I have accepted my fate that I won't be going anywhere on the evening of my arrival. A great way to spend my first night in the states. Hopefully the seats at JFK have some decent cushions! O

[Sojourner]

My experience just two years ago coming into LAX was the transit baggage desk would not attempt the transfer because it was too close to the departure time for my domestic flight. I ran with my suitcase to the next terminal and qued up only to be told by the check-in agent that they close check-in one hour before the flight is scheduled to leave.

[lopburi3]

Greyhound has bus service from Port Authority at 0145 and 0345 which would get you to Washington in the morning if you want to do something with your wait - probably be just as comfortable as waiting in the airport.