Layovers and customs?

[Vivanna]

im back with another one of my endless questions! hope you guys dont mind okay, so ive been looking at layovers and such on various tickets and routes and they are about the same so ill go with a random one, i start at the toronto airport and fly to chicago,IL i will have a 46 min layover before going to LA, at LA i have a 1hr and 43min layover,then to Melbourne australia, my final destination so i was wondering about if i would have enough time to go through customs in Chicago before going to LA or if i would miss my flight. im canadian, do we have to go through customs? also would i have to go through customs at every airport?
THANKS!

[conejita_hada]

There is a good chance you'll miss your flight if you have to go through customs in Chicago with only a 46 min layover. If you don't have to go through customs, that should be just enough time to get to your second flight - just let your flight attendant know if you're anxious and maybe they'll get you off the plane first. I assume you probably have to go through customs at Chicago but (hopefully) not at LAX. You should only have to do that once, if at all. I don't know what US laws are for non-US citizen layovers but it doesn't seem logical/normal to have to go through customs in the US since your destination is not in the US. Maybe someone else has experience with that?

[Benni]

I know how it was in reverse. I flew from Texas to Newfoundland. I had to go through customs here and again in Toronto. The return flight was customs in Newfoundland, then again in Toronto but not Dallas. Weird.

[Hollandia]

I am going to say that your best bet is to call the airline of who you decide to book with. They will be able to tell you if you are required to do multiple customs or just final destinations. Most airlines do not set up flights with connections that will be missed, this causes them problems too. If you want to be certain call the airline and book through them and ask them about each and every leg of your trip for each airport. They are the ones that should be able to best answer that question and any travel agent would only be doing the same thing.

[Jazi]

Call the airline. Also, depends which 'Customs' you mean - the one before you board the plane, or the one that clears you into the country once you land? I've mentioned both.

From my knowledge - Toronto to Chicago will take though through customs at the beginning. Chicago to LA is a domestic USA flight and you will still have to go through security unless they have a transiting system from the international terminal to the domestic terminal, but being Canadian you probably have to clear customs that allow you into the country to get on a domestic flight and 46 minutes doesn't sound long enough - I would especially ask what the process is with the Chicago to LA flight.

in LA you'll have just come off a domestic flight - again, if they have a transiting system you may just be able to catch a shuttle over to the international terminal and go through the 'leaving the country' customs/security check point before you get on your Melbourne flight. Of course you'll be clearing customs again in Melbourne .

Neither of the lay overs sound long enough to me, but I like to leave plenty of time.

[Tooki]

When I fly to Europe I usually have a ~1 hour transit time where I need to clear customs in Helsinki. It CAN be done but you would need to not have any delays whatsoever.

Is your itinerary under one booking? If so, I'm going to presume that you will only need to transfer flights in Chicago and LA as you won't 'enter' the US. You will fly into the international terminal in Chicago, but I'm not sure about between Chicago and LA. I would clarify this with your airline, as has been suggested by others.

Your flight from Chicago to LA may not necessarily be a domestic flight. I know that in Australia, one airline will fly from Sydney to Melbourne and vice versa via the International Terminals, if the plane will later fly abroad (essentially using the second Australian airport as a stopover). This MAY be the case with your Chicago-LA flight, but again, I would clarify this with your airline.

You will definitely need to clear (Australian) customs when you fly into Melbourne, but time won't be an issue for you there.

[Safihre]

It's too short.
You need at least 1.5 hours, especially because your longest flight is your last. Coming back it's not a problem since you can just take another domestic flight, but if you don't make your Melbourne one you might have to wait a day!

[Tooki]

It's too short.
You need at least 1.5 hours, especially because your longest flight is your last. Coming back it's not a problem since you can just take another domestic flight, but if you don't make your Melbourne one you might have to wait a day!

At the same time, an airline won't give you a 50-minute stopover unless it knows that it's possible to make it to your second flight. It costs the airline money to rebook your flight if you miss it due to their own fault. There may be a reason to explain why the OP is given that option.

[dglynn77]

At the same time, an airline won't give you a 50-minute stopover unless it knows that it's possible to make it to your second flight. It costs the airline money to rebook your flight if you miss it due to their own fault. There may be a reason to explain why the OP is given that option.

Unless the OP booked their own flights to save on money...

I absolutely think 46 minutes is too short. It is almost too short to catch another domestic flight unless the flight gate is very close, what with check-in times and such.

[Tooki]

Unless the OP booked their own flights to save on money...

I absolutely think 46 minutes is too short. It is almost too short to catch another domestic flight unless the flight gate is very close, what with check-in times and such.

Of course, but then the airline will be of no help to the OP.

[nicole]

Customs at Chicago is a major biatch. I was there last week; my flight from england was delayed 2 hours so we had half an hour to go through immigration, get our bags, go through customs, put bags back on conveyor, go to another terminal, go through security again, and get to the gate. We just made it- the clerk was about to close boarding. They do give you an orange "express" ticket to get you through the quicker lines if your lay-over is silly, but being foreign, immigration always takes forever even in the quick line.

As a Canadian, You will need to go through immigration, and it bottle necks at customs as everyone coming in from an international flight (even the Americans), has to go through customs and declare if they have goods or not. Like I said, I did it in half an hour by the skin of my teeth, but you have to bare in mind your plane might be delayed coming into Chicago too. They will put you on a later flight free of charge if you do miss it though.

[dglynn77]

Of course, but then the airline will be of no help to the OP.

Ah yes. Sorry Meant to include that!

Best of luck to the OP!

[lucybelle]

No way you'll make it. When I have to go through border/customs/immigration I always allow myself 2 hours. Even with 2 hours it sometimes is cutting it short. US immigration is a bitch.

[Hollandia]

I was under the impression the OP had not yet booked and I do feel that if she wants a "guarantee" (no real such thing with delays and whatnot) to make it through a layover it is worth it to book through the airline direct. They "cheap" sites don't really save that much if you use Kayak first to find out the cheapest flights and then call those airlines only direct. This way they will be more than willing to help you and again don't want you to miss that flight and so should make sure to only book the layovers you can make it through.

[ThePiedPiper]

I say it'll be tight but you can probably get through it? But I say this because I feel like I've had amazing luck and have gotten through everything in around 20 minutes and 30 at the most every time I have been in and out of the country. The only time I didn't was when there was a massive line at immigration going into Dublin on one occasion and it took me around 45 minutes to get out of there based on sheer wait time. However, I have been fortunate in missing the lines beyond that, so it can be done, but it'll be tight and you'll need a spot of luck on your side!