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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
At some airports incoming international flights draw up to the relevant airline's own terminal but passengers then have to take a bus to the international terminal. The return flight departs from the airline's own terminal with no need for departing passengers to visit the international terminal, since there are no customs formalities on leaving the USA other than for the airline check-in clerk to remove the card stapled into your passport by the immigration officer when you entered the country. Virgin Atlantic used this system at Los Angeles International Airport some years ago but I do not know if it is still used, whether it applies to any other airlines, or whether it is used at any other airports. Some international airlines (including KLM) use Terminal 2 at LAX, which has its own immigration and customs facilities, for both arrivals and departures.
At some airports, after passing through immigration and customs in the international terminal passengers must then take a transit system (subway, etc) from the international terminal to the main terminal. At some airports hold baggage must be handed over for separate handling during this journey and reclaimed a second time at the main terminal.
A few international flights stop at a transit airport in the destination country en-route to let off some passengers. If passengers for the final destination also disembark at this transit airport and then re-board the plane for the final part of the flight they may or may not go through immigration and customs at the transit airport. If they do, then the final destination will be a domestic arrival.
Passengers taking a separate internal flight after an international flight will always pass through immigration and customs at the transit airport. This is because the domestic flight is open to everyone, not just those passengers who have just arrived in the country. There will be no immigration or customs procedures at the end of the domestic flight.
The airport where you pass through immigration and customs is called the Port of Entry. Since it may be required for customs inspection, you must have all your baggage with you when you clear immigration and customs. If you are taking an onward domestic flight you will need to re-check hold baggage for that flight. If in any doubt about this procedure, ask a representative of the airline at the transit airport.
If a transit airport is not in the destination country then you may or may not have to retrieve (and later re-check) your hold baggage and/or pass through customs and immigration there.
When flying from Britain to the USA or vice-versa via Amsterdam with KLM UK and KLM or Northwest Airlines, hold baggage is transferred between the two flights for you. Passengers on these flights do not reclaim their hold baggage at Amsterdam. There are no customs or immigration formalities at Amsterdam for passengers travelling from Britain to the USA but in the reverse direction there is a passport inspection at Amsterdam since you are then entering the EU.
The question of which terminal an international flight arrives at is really only a matter of concern if you are planning to meet friends or relatives at the airport. If in any doubt be sure to arrange an unambiguous place to meet. Car rental shuttle buses serve all terminals that have pedestrian exits to roads.
There is always a potential for confusion as to whether international departures are from an airline's own terminal or from the airport's international terminal. This is of considerable concern since you need to know which terminal to be dropped at by the car rental shuttle bus, etc. The apparent distance between two airport terminals is of course directly proportional to the weight of the suitcases you are carrying.
More information is available on some airport web sites. Try looking for sections on "International Arrivals" and "International Departures". The web site of Orlando International Airport has a particularly excellent description of the arrival and departure processes, complete with photographs.
You may also wish to phone the airline in advance for information.
When departing from the USA, advice regarding which terminal is used for departures can often be obtained when phoning the airline to reconfirm your return flight.
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Most recently modified 17-May-01