JFK Immigration

[fozzyo]

Shocking!!

So its been about four years since I was last at JFK, so pre-finger prints and photos. Last thursday was my first taster of it - I could not believe it!

We were on VS045 and managed to get to the queues for immigration amoungst the first of our flight. It still took us an hour and a half to get through! By the time we did all the bags from the flight were just pilled up on the luggage carousel for anyone who took a fancy to take.

I wondered if this was just a one off, talking to the crew on VS046 back last night when they arrived the day before they were holding people in the tunnel into the immigration hall as it was full ... the Virgin passengers were behind about 500 - 600 other passengers waiting inline.

Surely this can't continue like this, it is ridiculous. Does anyone know of any plans to help ease this - other then fly to EWR.

Mat xxx

Yep that is JFK and it is ridiculous when I was there a few months ago it took me close to 2 hours to get through! [:(!]

For me its great!! Fly as an with a childs escort and you sit in J/W for the last hour so they can get you off first and you then miss all the imagration Q's! Takes me 10 mins to clear JFK! but then i dont think all off you are under 16

Hmm could be a poll on the longest wait at US immigration ... my record is 2 1/4 hrs at MIA.

As for JFK, if you can take the VS9, there doesn't seem to be any conflict with other arriving flights and a week ago arrived and through in 10 mins.

My freind who went to JFK last week had to wait 2 1/2 hrs and that was comming off infront of most thanks to being in PE ! he also commented on the sense of humor bypass all the security staff have had. Wasnt a good start to his first time in the US

[Nottingham Nick]

Lots of reports in the press recently have commented on how visitor numbers from the UK to US are down at the moment, which is unexpected - given the relatively strong pound.

The reasons given are:
1. Immigration queues and hassles
2. Fuel surcharges.
3. Fears over hurricanes - which are hurting Florida in particular.

You would think that the Tourist Authorities would be having a major go at Homeland Security - or whoever is responsible for the queues / bad atttitudes, and telling them to get it sorted.

Nick

On our recent trip to MIA, we were through immigration in no time, quickest ever. It wasn't until we got to the road and saw our Dollar bus that we realised that we were through.

Time taken to pick up the hire care is another story.

On another note about the security a friend of mine is stopped almost everytime he enters the US and taken away for questioning. It appears that a person of interest to the authorities is travelling with the same name as my friend, so as a result he gets interogted for a few hours.

My longest queue was at SFO which was probably close to two hours. A whole pile of international heavies arrived (I assume still do) at the same time.

I am on the VS19 on Friday and am hoping its not as bad. I don't enjoy immigration at the best of times and after a 11 hour flight its not much fun.

Having only flown charter b4 this year (flying VS in September) I have only got experience of SFB. The queues were long, but dealt with very quickly and efficiently.

I can relate to the 'sense of humour bypass' but this was from a security officer, not the immigration staff. He seemed to think that the loan of his pen to sign my visa waiver form was tantamount to treason (my first visit, many moons ago.. know better now!) we were alone at the rear of the immigration hall, but he still insisted on looking over his shoulder four times before condescending to allow me the use of his plastic biro.

The immigration staff were business-like and once the formalities were over, quite pleasant!

It may be that SFB deals only with charter flights, ergo holidaymakers.

What is immigration like at MCO?

Comments gratefully received.

Thanks

You would think that the Tourist Authorities would be having a major go at Homeland Security - or whoever is responsible for the queues / bad atttitudes, and telling them to get it sorted.

I quite agree Nick, unfortunately however I think TSA and Homeland Security don't respond to such treaties. My view is that their attitude is 'we don't care, we're who we are, we do want we want', even if it adversely affects their friends and the experience we have of visiting [:?]. Hurricanes, well even the US authorities can't control those [B)].

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by slinky09
Hurricanes, well even the US authorities can't control those [B)].

Surely we can blame some government department somewhere for them. [8D][:I]

At least our Home Office are in the clear, on this one. [:w]

Ah well, it has to be the Russians you know!

Take the VS9 evening flight to JFK. There are few queues at 9pm at JFK. Seldom if ever had to queue more than 10 minutes if in UC.

Take the VS003 then run, RUN LIKE THE WIND to the immigration hall.

What winds me up is a very British thing - there's no proper queueing, and it's similar at LHR. I hate the way you get into smaller queues for one particular officer - cos if the people in front of you have a problem you're buggered. Why they can't have a call forward system like in banks and post offices i don't know!

Originally posted by Lipstick
hy they can't have a call forward system like in banks and post offices i don't know!

Newark does just that. Last time I was there we were queueing up, then directed to stand behind a booth, waiting for the person in front to go through.

I tend to fly into EWR and out of JFK. EWR seems much quieter especially when VS001 lands.

[fozzyo]

Here's a thought - how are immigration dudes going to cope with the A380's? Imagine three of them arriving together.

Mat xxx

Perhaps a more pertinent thread might be "who has ever had a pleasant experience (even pre 9/11) going through the major US gateways?" LAX has always been 1 to 1.5 hours, and NYC (whichever airport) have always been...New Yorkers. That said, the number of people who don't fill out their green visa waiver cards...

Originally posted by fozzyo
Here's a thought - how are immigration dudes going to cope with the A380's? Imagine three of them arriving together.

Mat xxx

Mat you are a miseryguts [:p]

Originally posted by droflet

What is immigration like at MCO?

Comments gratefully received.

Thanks

My last few visits haven't been too bad at all - anything from no queue to a 20 minute wait.

Personally I choose not to instigate pleasantries and have sometimes been surprised by their friendliness.

I was asked quite a few questions when I arrived this time, but I think that was because I'd been out and back within 2 weeks. He studied my passport with great interest and then told me to have a great trip.

Getting rid of the second security screening when entering seems to have speeded up things.

Coming home I've never waited very long at security but then I choose to travel outside peak periods.

Jilly

[quote]Originally posted by pjh
Perhaps a more pertinent thread might be "who has ever had a pleasant experience (even pre 9/11) going through the major US gateways?"

Me, me! Last time we flew into Mco, we were bracing ourselves for a long, long wait. Well, dear friends, I have report, we leaped off the plane, did our usual quick step to immigration - and there was not a single passenger in sight!!!!!! We did have to pinch ourselves to make sure we were awake. Naturally, the officer had had the aforementioned and pre-requisite sense-of-humour-ectomy (do they have special training for that???) though. But we were obviously just very lucky, most of our flights seem to involve tortuous waits.... [8D]

Originally posted by slinky09
Hmm could be a poll on the longest wait at US immigration ... my record is 2 1/4 hrs at MIA.

As for JFK, if you can take the VS9, there doesn't seem to be any conflict with other arriving flights and a week ago arrived and through in 10 mins.

Worst record for me at MIA was Feb last year - 3 1/2 hours -half term week and a near riot ensued (we couldn't even get into the hall and planes were being held outside as there was absolutely no room to offload passengers).Eventually those passengers travelling with children were removed from the completely stationary queues and "fastracked" (too late was the cry) but it was horrendous. I was bracing myself for the same experience when I went back there in November but was off the plane and cleared immigration in 15 minutes with the baggage out and waiting!!!Collected the car (another record) and was in the hotel in Miami beach an hour after arriving at MIA.

[Neil]

I must just add another side to this topic - on my first visit to NYC in March on the VS45 - were abt 4th people off as in PE and were through immigration within max 10mins of arriving in the hall - no queues what so ever - don't know if it was just luck but by the time we had collected our bags it seemed a good % of our flight were already through.

So its not always bad!

Neil