Procedure for flying in transit through the US: is anyone aware...

[MapisM]

...of what it's like, these days?

I will soon be on my way back home from Central America, with a stopover in Miami. Can anyone confirm:
1) if I should go across custom controls upon arrival in MIA (hence with the hassle of re-entering security controls afterward), or it's possible to wait for my flight over the pond directly inside the gates area? I hope for the latter, but I fear the first...
2) will it be possible to board the bags directly for the final destination?
I'm flying with BA tickets (though both flights are actually AA), if that matters.

TIA!

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Are you on one booking from central America to IT, or two separate bookings? If the latter, even if both on BA, then iirc they won't check [interline] your bags through to your final destination and you'll have to go out, claim, recheck and go back in again anyway. But that said - immigration at MIA is *hugely* improved since they've introduced the immigration kiosks, it's much quicker than it used to be.

 

[MapisM]

One. We booked the whole trip (which began from LHR, hence BA) in one go.
Are you sure that this can make a difference, though?
I would have thought that it only depended on Country-specific control procedures...

 

[Bajansailor]

It sounds like you didn't go through Miami on your way out to Central America?

When arriving in Miami, it doesn't matter if you are through booked to anywhere else, you still have to clear Immigration AND Customs - if you have a checked bag in the hold you have to clear your bag through Customs, and then you go and check in with your next flight, absolutely no ifs or buts about it.
Just a thought - have you got a valid ESTA? I presume that Italian passport holders do not need to have a full visa - if this is the case, then you still need to have an electronic ESTA. It is valid for 2 years, and costs about US$14 (or it did almost 2 years ago, when I last got one - I need to renew mine in May).

Here is the ESTA website :
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

It is also worth noting that if you arrive in the USA on a yacht (sail or power, cruise ships excepted), then you will need to have a full visa, even if your passport allows you to fly in with 'just' an ESTA.

I shall be going through Miami on Thursday, and I have a 7 hour stop over there - a bit of thread drift I know, but for somebody who has never been outside of Miami airport, is it feasible to go on a little reconaissance mission rather than staying inside?

 

[MapisM]

It sounds like you didn't go through Miami on your way out to Central America?

In hindsight I understand it wasn't clear from my previous post.
Nope, I didn't, but I did go through the US first (CA+AZ), so I had the ESTA stuff already sorted.

Anyway, actually I feared what you are now saying, grrrr....
If you are sure that this is how it works, pretty much screws what I had in mind.
In fact, my stopover is also going to be pretty long, so I was thinking to have lunch downtown, at an oyster bar where I had some decent (by US standards, anyway...) seafood in the past.
But if we'll have to go through the full clearance and back, the time available will be less, not to mention the nuisance of moving around with all the bags.

Why on earth in the US they think that it's better or safer to have such procedure in place, that is beyond my understanding... :ambivalence:

Ref. your stopover instead, actually you haven't missed a lot by having never seen Miami.
Imho, it's the most overrated place in FL, and possibly in the whole US of A.
Anyway, the coastal road along Miami Beach is nice, if you wish to bother hiring a car.
There are also several malls not far from the airport - I can think of one called Dolphin for instance - if shopping is your thing...

 

[Bajansailor]

That is good news re how you don't have to worry about the ESTA!
However it is a sad fact of life that absolutely everybody arriving in Miami HAS to go through Customs with their bags.
But Immigration is generally pretty fast nowadays - I remember arriving in Miami 10 years ago, and taking 2 hours to get through just Immigration, but the last time (November 2016) was very speedy, probably 15 minutes with the self service machine.
But you can then fairly speedily check your bags on to the next flight, and forget about them thereafter.
Re hiring a car, it will be just me, and we drive on the left here in Barbados, so the prospect of driving on the right in a place like Miami would be fairly terrifying to me......
And I really have no interest in Malls - I went to one in San Juan once that was supposed to be fabulous - and I could see nothing that I wanted to buy.
Ended up just buying some (mediocre) chocolate to try to justify the trip to the Mall.

 

[MapisM]

But you can then fairly speedily check your bags on to the next flight, and forget about them thereafter.

Doh! I didn't think about that, silly me.
Isn't there some sort of "reversed" time limit, like you can only do it not earlier than X hours before the scheduled departure?

I find driving in the US not bad at all, actually. In fact, during this trip alone, I clocked 5k miles or so.
Well, 'course I'm biased, because I'm used to drive on the right (i.e. "correct"! ) side of the road.
But that aside, drivers are very disciplined and predictable, once you are aware of some weird peculiarities, like the 4 ways stop (possibly the most silly road rule I ever came across), or the right turn allowed on red (which is actually sensible), and of course the fact that undertaking is generally allowed...

 

[ICTM]

I have been in transit through Miami recently (and a few times in the past) and yes, as stated, had to clear customs. Despite ESTA being in place the automatic machines didn’t like my passport and I had to stand in a queue to speak to a pleasant US immigration official. Certainly didn’t have to reclaim checked luggage though but did have to then go through security again to get back airside.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

One. We booked the whole trip (which began from LHR, hence BA) in one go.
Are you sure that this can make a difference, though?
I would have thought that it only depended on Country-specific control procedures...

Nope, interlining is a Oneworld policy, and they now explicitly say that they won't through-check hold bags for different tickets, even if on the same carrier.

 

[spannerman]

I really like Miami, it has its good sides and bad sides and I have driven around most of it as I have many friends living there. You could get a cab and go to Coral Gables just south of the city and have a wander around the shops and cafes, or go to South Beach, get a table on the seafront and watch the babes go by, either much better than sitting in an airport for 7 hours.

 

[[2068]]

If they are "connecting" oneworld flights, then the luggage goes through.
If they are not "connecting" or > 12 hours between flights, then you haul it out and drop it back again.

...

https://www.oneworld.com/airports-destinations/baggage-information/baggage-queries-during-travel

"Baggage information - during your trip
How to track your luggage
Your luggage in transit
The following information will assist you if you have any queries or concerns about your luggage during your oneworld® journey.

oneworld transfers
If you are travelling on connecting oneworld flights, your luggage will be checked through to your final destination at the time of check-in.*
If the time between connecting oneworld flights is more than 12 hours, you may need to collect your luggage on arrival and check-in again with the outbound carrier."

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

If they are "connecting" oneworld flights, then the luggage goes through.
If they are not "connecting" or > 12 hours between flights, then you haul it out and drop it back again.

...

https://www.oneworld.com/airports-destinations/baggage-information/baggage-queries-during-travel

"Baggage information - during your trip
How to track your luggage
Your luggage in transit
The following information will assist you if you have any queries or concerns about your luggage during your oneworld® journey.

oneworld transfers
If you are travelling on connecting oneworld flights, your luggage will be checked through to your final destination at the time of check-in.*
If the time between connecting oneworld flights is more than 12 hours, you may need to collect your luggage on arrival and check-in again with the outbound carrier."

Yeah but the definition of connecting is one ticket.

 

[[2068]]

Yeah but the definition of connecting is one ticket.

Multiple Tickets = Haul it out and drop it back off again

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Multiple Tickets = Haul it out and drop it back off again

Actually I should have been a bit more accurate. I should have said 'one booking' rather than 'one ticket'. A booking can contain multiple tickets, and in this case these would be connecting flights, and your hold baggage would normally get interlined subject to local transfer rules. But if you have separate bookings for individual sectors on a journey, then even if you are on BA for all sectors, they won't through-check your hold baggage.

 

[MapisM]

Wow, talk about overcomplicating things...
Anyway, to recap: I should need to clear immigration/customs on arrival (hence having to get back in through security controls afterwards), but the checked baggage should go straight to the final destination.
Depending on whether the plane to MIA will be on time, maybe I'll have time for a quick visit to that place downtown, we'll see...
Thanks all for your help! :encouragement:

 

[Whippersnapper]

My understanding is that every visitor in transit through the USA needs to clear customs and immigration regardless and therefore needs an ESTA if valid visa. A real pain in the ass if like me you went to a country like Iran and then were immediately denied an ESTA as a result.

 

[BobnLesley]

...I shall be going through Miami on Thursday, and I have a 7 hour stop over there - a bit of thread drift I know, but for somebody who has never been outside of Miami airport, is it feasible to go on a little reconaissance mission rather than staying inside?

Simple enough, you don't need a hire car. There's a very efficient metro system from MIA into the city centre from where you can wander around/ride the city centre monorail, or grab a cab or bus across the water to Miami Beach and enjoy your cocktail of choice whilst watching a large contingent of very attractive young ladies wander by.

 

[MapisM]

Simple enough, you don't need a hire car.

Well, I know that I said "if you wish to bother hiring a car" in a previous post, but actually in the US (anywhere, not just in Miami) it's a pity NOT to have one, regardless of how far and for how long you wish to drive.
I just booked a full size one to drive downtown during my stopover, 18 bucks all in - and the price would have been the same for 24h...

 

[rafiki_]

Well, I know that I said "if you wish to bother hiring a car" in a previous post, but actually in the US (anywhere, not just in Miami) it's a pity NOT to have one, regardless of how far and for how long you wish to drive.
I just booked a full size one to drive downtown during my stopover, 18 bucks all in - and the price would have been the same for 24h...

P, picking up a hire car at Miami can be a mission. It has taken me 90 mins of queuing in the past.

 

[Time Out]

Are you on one booking from central America to IT, or two separate bookings? If the latter, even if both on BA, then iirc they won't check [interline] your bags through to your final destination and you'll have to go out, claim, recheck and go back in again anyway. But that said - immigration at MIA is *hugely* improved since they've introduced the immigration kiosks, it's much quicker than it used to be.

Unless of course you take the late BA on the A380, they have moved the arrival gate and you go through a very small old skool immigration channel with rows of new electronic ESTA machines out of use and have to talk to a human. Last three trips ( this year) all the same.

Hopefully this will improve !

Fine if you are up the front not so good if you get off last ...