V-Flyer

Hey all, hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas.

I'm doing a tier run to secure Delta status on 30th to SFO and back. Would anyone know the definitive answer as to whether I will need to go through immigration and then re-enter? I'll have no luggage as I'll be returning on the same aircraft 2.30 hours later and from the same terminal?

Many thanks

If it's like LAX you want to get out of the rarrivals hall without going through immigration.

Is this common as I would think it might arise some suspicions from an immigration officer depending on his or her mood at the time.

W.

PilotWolf wrote:If it's like LAX you want to get out of the rarrivals hall without going through immigration.

Is this common as I would think it might arise some suspicions from an immigration officer depending on his or her mood at the time.

W.

Ideally I'd love to hit the remain airside, hit the clubhouse and shower and get ready to head back to London.

I know that at JFK the ideal scenario is not an option, but every airport differs.

I can’t think of any US airport where you can do a B2B off an international flight without clearing immigration unless you’ve come from a location with pre-clearance (eg Dublin).

Arrivals and departures streams are always kept separate and even at airports with a “flight connections” facility it’s really just a short cut that avoids queueing with the masses at central security - you still have to clear immigration and customs and go landside.

gumshoe wrote:I can’t think of any US airport where you can do a B2B off an international flight without clearing immigration unless you’ve come from a location with pre-clearance (eg Dublin).

Arrivals and departures streams are always kept separate and even at airports with a “flight connections” facility it’s really just a short cut that avoids queueing with the masses at central security - you still have to clear immigration and customs and go landside.

Got it! Thanks so much! Happy New Year.

While it was many years ago, while waiting for a departing VS flight at SFO, I found I needed to exit the departures area and return to the pre-security check-in counter area. There was no immigration enforcement whatsoever between the departures area and the pre-security check-in counter area. That leads me to believe that the departures area at the SFO international terminal is considered to be "within the US"--i.e., anyone in the departures area could leave the airport without seeing an immigration official. That in turn leads me to believe that there shouldn't be a way to get from international arrivals to international departures without clearing US immigration and customs.

(Disclaimer: this was probably around 2010, and I can't be sure something hasn't changed since then, but I fly through SFO often, and at least as far as I can observe, I don't think it has.)

-Brad

You will have to enter the USA and then reclear security to get back to departures and the lounge etc. There is no remaining in the gate area after an international arrival as international arrivals and departures are segregated and gate areas configured to prevent cross contamination of arriving and departing passengers.


On your APIS you need to enter 'transit' or the airport as your address and be prepared to explain to the CBP agent the reason for your rapid return. Most understand the concept of a miles run.