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  • SFO International to Domestic Transit Question

    Hi,

    After a thorough search through the forums I couldn't find a recent thread that could help me out with this situation.

    I will be flying into SFO on SQ16 on 4JUL and connecting on a UA flight that leaves 4 hours later. Does SFO feature the same baggage drop after customs that LAX has or would I have to haul my luggage upstairs?

    Furthermore, will the SQ check-in staff at T3 be able to give me a boarding pass or at least tag my bags through to my final destination (ORD) which is on UA? The UA flight was booked separately and isn't in the same booking as my SQ16 reservation.

    Cheers,
    The world's too large a place not to go wandering.

  • #2
    This is where NH's webby is ab fab!

    http://www.ana.co.jp/wws/sg/e/asw_co.../sfo_e_hd.html

    Scroll down to the TRANSFER portion for your answers

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by 9V-JKL View Post
      This is where NH's webby is ab fab!

      http://www.ana.co.jp/wws/sg/e/asw_co.../sfo_e_hd.html

      Scroll down to the TRANSFER portion for your answers
      Thanks 9V-JKL!
      The world's too large a place not to go wandering.

      Comment


      • #4
        As you exit the international terminal to walk (indoors) toward the domestic terminals, to your right is a small airport museum. It's a very interesting place to spend a bit of time. IIRC it's free. There are also some display cases for modern artwork and local crafts roughly between the museum and the international check in counters. This is all on the departures level.

        Comment


        • #5
          SFO MCT Question

          I'm arriving on SQ16 at 1240 on a Wednesday and will be connecting to a B6 flight departing 1432. For those who've taken SQ16 in the past, did you have a long wait at CBP? I'm not a US Citizen, but have a APEC Business Travel Card (which may or may not let me onto a shorter line, I hear). I will travel on J and will only have carry-ons.

          There are no later flights to my destination (FLL or MIA) on that day, so I need to make this connection. I can't leave SIN on an earlier flight, so this seems to be the only option on SQ. There are other airline options I'm aware but with far less travel planned in the next 18 months, I am under pressure to build-up the PPS reserve value. Plus do I really want to get myself stuck on UA or AA for such a long flight......

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by 259850 View Post
            I'm arriving on SQ16 at 1240 on a Wednesday and will be connecting to a B6 flight departing 1432. For those who've taken SQ16 in the past, did you have a long wait at CBP? I'm not a US Citizen, but have a APEC Business Travel Card (which may or may not let me onto a shorter line, I hear). I will travel on J and will only have carry-ons.

            There are no later flights to my destination (FLL or MIA) on that day, so I need to make this connection. I can't leave SIN on an earlier flight, so this seems to be the only option on SQ. There are other airline options I'm aware but with far less travel planned in the next 18 months, I am under pressure to build-up the PPS reserve value. Plus do I really want to get myself stuck on UA or AA for such a long flight......
            Even being a USA Citizen, I would be nervous with your connection time and having to go through Customs & Immigration. The good news is B6 utilizes the International Terminal ; the bad news is B6 utilizes the International Terminal. Meaning you have to go through security for international departures. Can it be done? Sure. Do you have a good chance to make your connection? Sure. Can things go wrong at Customs and Immigration? Sure -- even for Citizens.
            HUGE AL

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by 259850 View Post
              I'm arriving on SQ16 at 1240 on a Wednesday and will be connecting to a B6 flight departing 1432. For those who've taken SQ16 in the past, did you have a long wait at CBP? I'm not a US Citizen, but have a APEC Business Travel Card (which may or may not let me onto a shorter line, I hear). I will travel on J and will only have carry-ons.

              There are no later flights to my destination (FLL or MIA) on that day, so I need to make this connection. I can't leave SIN on an earlier flight, so this seems to be the only option on SQ. There are other airline options I'm aware but with far less travel planned in the next 18 months, I am under pressure to build-up the PPS reserve value. Plus do I really want to get myself stuck on UA or AA for such a long flight......
              I think being on a Wednesday maybe helpful ... I say, maybe, because it is anecdotal that traffic is a tad lower mid-week. I haven't gone thru SFO before but I've done other major US cities. The Immigration queue is what takes the longest but a month and a half ago while going through in-bound Customs at IAH, the queue was 60-70 long - instead of the usual customary look at the customs' form, they also inspected passports as well.

              Your 2-hour transit is tight. For the US, I normally give myself 3 hours to factor in in-bound delays, taxiing delays, queues, etc. The good news though is that if you miss the flight, somebody should take care of you, if you're on a single ticket. SFO is a great place to spend an evening.

              By the way, have you tried checking if JFK is a better place to connect to FLL?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by 259850 View Post
                I'm arriving on SQ16 at 1240 on a Wednesday and will be connecting to a B6 flight departing 1432. For those who've taken SQ16 in the past, did you have a long wait at CBP? I'm not a US Citizen, but have a APEC Business Travel Card (which may or may not let me onto a shorter line, I hear). I will travel on J and will only have carry-ons.

                There are no later flights to my destination (FLL or MIA) on that day, so I need to make this connection. I can't leave SIN on an earlier flight, so this seems to be the only option on SQ. There are other airline options I'm aware but with far less travel planned in the next 18 months, I am under pressure to build-up the PPS reserve value. Plus do I really want to get myself stuck on UA or AA for such a long flight......
                IMHO landing at any US airport on an international arrival, whether SFO, DFW, EWR or any of the other major hubs is a lottery. You may get lucky, and zip out in 15 min. But sometimes you may be first off your plane in F or J, and still end up in a 90 minute queue because several flights just landed before yours. True of LHR (At LHR, even if you have "Fast Track" access, all it takes is a few jokers ahead of you and the "Fast Track" queue, sometimes just manned by just 2 or 3 staff, will grind to a halt. ), CDG and even MEL or SYD as well, of course. One of the few places you can do tight connections with some peace of mind is SIN

                I've generally not queued in immigration that long after deplaning at SFO from SQ16, which I have flown a few times, but your connection does look on the tight side.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks for the advice. Got it now. A 2 hour connection is not worth risking. The problem is I can't leave SIN the night before (as I have a late arrival back from vacation) so connecting via JFK and IAH on SQ are not viable options as these flights are late night departures. In as much as I would like to spend an evening in SFO (one of my favorite places in the US), I need to be presenting in a conference in MIA early the next day - so missing the flight is not an option.

                  Looks like I will fly CX connecting via HKG and ORD. The connection in HKG is just 1 hr, but from experience, I know I'd make it, with time to do some duty free shopping.

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                  • #10
                    Let me take back what I said about mid-week queues. Just landed in IAH today, Tuesday, and there were a few hundred pax in the Immigration queue. Managed to clear my work mail, personal mail, IMs and FB update while standing in line for 55mins. The customs queue was long but that took less than 10 mins - helps if everyone has their customs card with their passport ID page opened for the Officer.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by CarbonMan View Post
                      Let me take back what I said about mid-week queues. Just landed in IAH today, Tuesday, and there were a few hundred pax in the Immigration queue. Managed to clear my work mail, personal mail, IMs and FB update while standing in line for 55mins. The customs queue was long but that took less than 10 mins - helps if everyone has their customs card with their passport ID page opened for the Officer.
                      Landing in SFO last week at 5pm, I was in the visitor lane immigration queue for 50 minutes, at the tail end of an overflowing queue that stretched out of the immigration area. Several heavies must have landed at the same time. I was sitting out back in the rear of the plane, so was among the last to deplane, but even J pax up front must have queued at least 35-40 min.

                      The US citizen queue was fairly short and US passport holders breezed through. At least those who noticed the other line. The queue stretched so far out of the immigration area that no sign was visible and at least one group of Americans queued in the foreigner late before noticing the sign some time later and heading to the other queue with much forehead slapping, sighs and laughs (There is always a funny side to these minor setbacks.)

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